Samuel Adams Dunkelweizen - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours out as a earthy color of brown, with some highlights of yellowish orange around the edges. The aroma has some nice clove in there along with the rational banana smells. The taste is mostly full of grains and wheat, with an aftertaste of driedfruits and clove. The mouthfeel is smooth much like any other weizen. It's a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 00:26:53 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

3.43/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a fairly clear for the style, light mahogany, with a mild white head, decent head retention.

S: Nice clove and banana bread note, really didn't come out until it warmed a bit, serve at 50F.

T: Really clove and dark bread heavy. The weizen yeast is there, but doesn't give a huge complexity. Nevertheless, this a traditional dunkelweisse, the requisite flavours are recognizable and tasty.

M: Light-bodied, a tad thin. Light carbonation, fairly smooth.

D: A slightly above average version. At least they used the traditional yeast which was not apparent in their Hefeweizen. A nice brew, but not a reason to buy the Harvest Collection.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 03:39:15 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours clouded orangish dark amber - towards brown with a rich off-white head that leaves lacing.

The smell is of clove, some banana, some caramel.

The taste is of clove, toffee, mild banana with green apple tartness. There is a wheat tang with sweet and sourish, slightly bitterish finish.

It is light-bodied with medium carbonation.

Not too crazy about green apple touch, though it is slight. Quite wheaty... Drinks well enough, though don't know that I would want to keep drinking it...Solid, though would take a some classic German examples of style over this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2009 17:01:44 | More by jwc215

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.55/5  rDev +29.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The most exciting new release from Sam Adams in at least a few years. Compared to their hefeweizen this is a benchmark accomplishment. I squeezed the two bottles from the fall Harvest sampler pack to find one of the most inviting looking dunkelweizens I've seen in awhile. Big amber brown clouded body with a billowing cream tarnished head that rises above the rim of my 1/2 liter Ayinger weissbier glass. Lacing is even and fine with intricate detail, beautiful looking brew. Aromatics come with a touch of raisin and tart sliced green apples, a bit of clove, banana, and bubblegum as well. Even some mango juicy characteristics arise with further sniffs. A touch of herbal hops in the nose with a nice roasted malt edge on the biscuit and wheat malt profile. Flavor is perfect none of that traditional Sam Adams house yeast this one is authentic German weissbier yeast, brings out all of those great phenols. Juicy sweetness with roasted malt edge brings to mind brown sugar sprinkled banana bread with sliced green apple tartness, and mango fructose complexity. Herbal hops for balance with big yeast characteristics finishing sharply wheaty with drying yeast components. Mouthfeel is perfect with effervescence in the carbonation and medium to lighter bodied. Nothing cloying or heavy on the palate, perfect version of the style. Drinkability is crazy, a beer they will be successful with if released in six packs on it's own. Every once and in awhile the Samuel Adams Brewmaster's Collection hits a homerun, I'm glad I was here to experience it.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2009 14:52:11 | More by WVbeergeek

Jason

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz brown bottle with a freshness date.

Tawny and hazed, short yet thick looking head with a decent retention. Over-ripened bananas, powdered clove and toasted crackers in the nose. Big on smoothness with a slick crispness. Toasty maltiness is little sweet, some buttery diacetyl and ripe fruity banana hit harder in the middle. Quick bite of spicy clove. Some esters with a quick tartness middle to end with some more of the toasted maltiness in the semi-dry finish.

Not half bad, the buttery tone does take away from the other yeast characteristics my taste buds were waiting for.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 01:07:08 | More by Jason

jlindros

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A light creamy head covering fades semi quickly over hazy molasses maroon brown color.

Nose of some syrupy aromas, lots of extract, some dark malts. A slight musty vomit aroma too, bleh!

Taste has lots more syrupy flavors, some sweet malts darker malts, little of the vomit flavor, some iffy bitterness, weird nifty spices too. Bleh, this is not very good. Finishes a little better not too much of the bad flavors lingering. A little metallic flavor too. Hints of dark wheat. Little sticky.

Mouth is medium bodied little syrupt with decent carbonation.

Drinability is bleh too, some sticky mouth feel and bad lingering tastes.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 02:06:51 | More by jlindros

Zorro

California

3.95/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First off this isn't retired anymore it is in the 2009 Samuel Adams Harvest Collection 12 pack.

Chill hazed orange brown colored beer with a medium sized tan colored head.

Smell is malt and bananas with caramel syrup scent. Little bit of apple and chocolate but this is very much a banana scented beer.

Starts out dry banana flavor with a strong wheat bread malt flavor. This gets a bit sweeter as you drink it and some spice emerges to mix with the banana, mostly allspice. Amazingly dry for the beer style.

Mouthfeel is good.

High drinkability though a bit more malt would be nice. Tasty Dunkelweizen though it is decidedly dry for the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2009 00:45:46 | More by Zorro

DoubleJ

California

3.03/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

My head went blank for the intro idea, so on to the beer:

We're looking brown with spotty lacing and solid as a rock head rentention. The nose knows...that something is missing from the aroma. Some phenolic activity is present, weak clove, a little cinnamon apple....something's being held back.

Shallow flavors don't help a whole lot for this beer. It's drinkable at least because it doesn't have off-flavors. Basic dark malted wheat sits around providing a spiced apple flavor. The yeast isn't doing much work for this weizen, and that usually spells blandness. Phenols are weak, that's for sure. Also, the mouthfeel isn't as lush or full as others of the style, though still decent. Oh well.

I was excited to try this, but ultimately was dissapointed. I think SA borrowed too much from its now deceased "hefeweizen" to create this dunkelweiss.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 00:07:40 | More by DoubleJ

Brad007

Vermont

3.83/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours an amber color with a one-finger head into my glass. Good color. I'm not sure what else I could say about it.

Aroma is full of banana and clove, albeit slightly muted. Pretty much what you would expect from the style, right?

Taste is full of wheat malt and sweet clove upfront. Not much else. Satisfactory for the style. Slightly chewy.

Mouthfeel is full of lingering clove and wheat. A bit thin but no surprises otherwise.

A tasty example of the style that would be a good way to introduce someone to it. I wouldn't recommend it if there were other examples available. Still, it's tasty and it's worth a try. I recommend it on these merits alone.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 23:06:17 | More by Brad007

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours very hazy, almost muddy looking, amber like a good quality unfiltered apple juice. Little head, and what there is fades to a thin swirl. Smells bread-like with some hints of banana and clove. The taste is a trifle sweeter, with a good deal more banana, a bit more clove, and a touch of lemon in addition to the lighter breadiness. A little on the lighter side, but quite tasty. Clean and smooth in the mouth, this is a fairly light Dunkleweiss, but really quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2009 04:12:17 | More by Georgiabeer

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4.08/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I picked up the SA Autumn 12 oz' mixer Friday night at the COOP .... Sam and I and then Steven and I blew through all the bottles except for the lone dunkelweizen that I stashed away in the back of the fridge..

Poured into my small weizen glass.. Big 2" head.. the brew is lightly cloudy orange.. verging on red.

Nose is definitely leaning toward the estery bananas... some minor clove come in and some caramel is way on the back side as it warms..

Nose is much more phenolic.. bubblegum and defined cloves.. lesser caramel than I was expecting with a nice toasty malt element that I was not really expecting.. Very nice body and carbonation lends toward a fairly creamy mouthfeel...

I would buy this often if it was in 6'er's.. It really is the only reason I bought the Autumn pack... that said... I'll probably buy another or two while they're available... this a pretty damn good example on the style.. very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2009 05:19:49 | More by JohnGalt1

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from bottle into a shaker. Poured brown with a one finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount very quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, bread, wheat, and grain. The flavor was of sweet malt, bread, wheat, grain, and earth. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. While this was a decent example of the style, it really didn’t stand out from others I have had. There were some good things going on here with the bread and wheat, but also some things that it could have done without as in the earthiness. While it was nice to have something different going on, it can also hurt a brew unfortunately. Worth trying at least once to judge for yourself, but I doubt I will be having it again if I am completely honest as there are better easy to get ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 11:30:48 | More by thagr81us

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This tasty beer comes out of the tap a nearly opaque dark honey brown. Malty aroma has firm wheaty and yeasty tones and a chocolaty hint. Rich, wheaty, malty flavor has yeasty, nutty and caramel notes to round it out. Full-bodied texture is lively and fizzy.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2011 15:24:36 | More by Cyberkedi

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.1/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Dirty, hazy brown color and teeming with effervescence. The beer has nearly an inch of off-white head that leaves a good amount of lacing on the glass.

S: Sweet malt, bananas, fruity yeast, faint chocolate. I find the chocolate-like aroma rather out of place in a dunkelweizen.

T: Sweet bananas, with an odd vanilla sweetness about it. The beer does have some nice flavor, but becomes a bit overbearing and cloying as I progress through the glass.

M: Medium bodied, smooth and creamy, with a solid carbonation level.

D: Just too sweet to enjoy more than one. Not up to par with the great German representations of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 02:31:44 | More by Huhzubendah

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy orange-ish to copper color with a small white head. In the aroma, small fruitiness, a small roast, and wheat notes. In the taste, roasty wheat like hints and an underlying fruitiness. A smooth a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry fruity aftertaste. Nice representation of style, but not too overwhelming in impressiveness.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 20:56:48 | More by OWSLEY069

ZAP

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A-Burnt orange color...some auburn notes...light tan head on top

S-Not immense but nice...mashed bananas with a light dusting of milk chocolate flakes...

T-The taste is muted...a little bit of the mashed banana's but not nearly enough malt richness...a little bit of bubble gum enters as well but not what I was hoping for.

M-Carbonation seems right on...as does the body...no complaints here.

D-I love a good dunkelweizen but this falls short in my book. I'd like a bit more malt richness...a good bit more actually....also the banana esters could be stronger on the taste too. Also missing a spicy element I also expect. This could be improved a lot.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2010 23:42:19 | More by ZAP

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I picked this bottle up at Wegman's in the singles cooler in Mechanicsburg. Poured chilled into a Weizen glass.

The color is deep caramel color/medium amber at the base w/ thick white head that collapses to a 1/4 inch of fluffy white foam which holds. The bead is tiny and lace clings moderately well.
The smell is of ripe banana and slight spice w/ a lot of sweet malt presence. The dark sugar component adds to a supplementary aroma of toasted grain w/ slight clove odor. The malt gives a mild bran flake note. The feel is good w/ lots of carbonation and yeast tanginess w/ a mild toastiness of malt. The subtle fruity sweetness adds to the feel only slightly.

The flavors of the malt have a pleasant toasted quality and mild earthy element w/ subtle weizen spice tinge and light tang of tropical fruit.The flavors are married well with thte slight caramel in the malt w/ wheat especially notable in the taste and mild dark brown sugar in the finish which is semi-dry. A good Dunkelweizen, I was not expecting as much flavor since Samuel Adams other wheats have not impressed me, but I liked the flavor and found it enjoyable throughout the bottle. I would probably order it again since I liked it better than the hefe.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 17:51:31 | More by Slatetank

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.33/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best before January 2011.

It pours a hazy amber gold with a 1 finger head of foam. Sam Adams beers seem to all look great in the glass.

It has a nice spicy nose of clove and a good bit of banana and some other light spices.

The taste is definitely a mild example of the style. Cloves and bananas dominate but both could have been amped up some to get a more vigorous overall taste. Still, a decent Dunkelweizen.

Nice smooth mouthfeel with fairly active carbonation.

Good drinkability but could be better with a tad more flavour.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 23:11:10 | More by Bitterbill

Tone

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, brown color. 6/4 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of slight hop, sweet malt, yeast, wheat, slight alcohol, hint of citrus, hint of clove, and a hint of grain. Fits the style of a Dunkelweizen. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, pale malt, yeast, clove, slight hop, hint of alcohol, and wheat. Overall, good appearance, aroma, body, and blend.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2010 14:00:10 | More by Tone

kylehay2004

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thin head on a hazy amber with slight golden hues body. Sweet aroma of caramel malts, spices and breads. Flavor is semi sweet with mostly caramel malts, hints of lemon, spices, a little mill chocolate. Light to medium body and high carbonation. The flavor in the end is mostly sweet, not very dynamic or memorable. Still drinkable usually.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 00:31:06 | More by kylehay2004

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle as part of this year's harvest mixed 12-pack. Pours a hazy light brown color with a small (for a weizen) light tan foam. Retention is average and not much lacing sticks to the glass.

Chocolate covered bananas with a bit of clove, somewhat light aroma with a typical SA yeasty/malt smell that I seem to get from almost every offering from BBC. Pretty good smelling D-weizen though and has all the requisite notes. Leans more towards bananas than cloves.

The taste is a bit watery, was expecting more flavorful malts. Very little sweetness. The yeast does its thing, but the overall impression is that of a dunkelweizen light. It's not a bad beer, and in fact is one of the better SA beers, but it does not come close to the likes of Julius Echter or Weihenstephaner. I would like to see this in 6-packs by itself and would be worth a purchase every now and then in the usual SA price range for Bavarian wheat beer fans such as myself.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2009 00:51:54 | More by twiggamortis420

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.33/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Weiss glass. Purchase before FEB 2010 notched on the label.

A - The yeast was rolled in the bottle for an even distribution on the calm pour. A four-finger cream-colored dollop of whipped-cream-like head rose up. Fantastic retention! The body is a hazy, muddy brown that, on it's own, doesn't look to appetizing. Half way through the glass the lacing started clinging heavily all over.

S - A lightly toasted malt aroma with the wheat is crisp and up-front. The yeasty character is bold and earthy smelling with a tiny bit of bubble gum esters in the background.

T - The first sip yields a full yeasty mouth with estery hints and a clean wheat and toasted malt flavor on the back end. Not bad but a bit shallow for a dunkel.

M - Medium-bodied, it flows down smooth and clean. Partially refreshing with a lightly dry finish.

D - Not a bad dunkel. It's appearance and nose don't represent the rest of the beer well though. After that it tapers off a bit making it less drinkable but I still wouldn't turn it down. Not bad, just a fair dunkelweizen.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2009 04:19:32 | More by BeerFMAndy

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

new to the fall mix this year is this tastz dark wheat brew. appearance is nice, brown and cloudy with a lively head. wafting aroma of wheat malt, clove, home made coffee cake, and banana. very well balanced, and much more happening on the palate than the average dunkel. the yeast is unique and is the star of the flavor experience. its got some vanilla and spice notes to it that really support the dark wheat malt. this is one i could easily drink a bunch of. feel is good, plenty of body but not at all filling, and proper carbonation to let the flavors evolve. overall this is an excellent beer and a nice addition to the fall pack. ill be grabbing these up quick when the box is in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 11:56:32 | More by StonedTrippin

champ103

Texas

3.63/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap at the Gingerman in Houston.

A: Pours a dark reddish/brown color. At first a two finger white head forms, but recedes to nothing in a second. No lace is left behind.
S: Big bubble gum and banana aromas up front. Plenty of sweetness. Some husky wheat aromas along with some dry wood. I like it so far.
T: The sweetness is toned down a lot. Light banana esters, husky yeast and some wood flavors. Enjoyable, but a bit of a let down from the nose.
M/D: A lighter to medium body. A bit thin and watery though. Not hard to drink at all. I can quaff several without a problem.

For the most part this is enjoyable. Something I would not hesitate to drink again. Though there are better examples of the style and better SA beers. Again, enjoyable and very much worth a try though.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2011 02:21:31 | More by champ103

alexgash

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle.

Mildly cloudy, deep copper-orange body. Solid finger of tight-laced, khaki-cream head. Decent lacing. Familiar weizen aromas of banana, banana bread, clove, and a little bubblegum. Faint note of vegetal hops too.

Smooth, bready wheat malt up front. Toasted edges around banana, tropical fruit, and clove mid-palate. Banana bread richness (and some sweetness) near the finish. Very light noble hop notes with lingering clove, sweetbread, and yeast. Pretty taste all around. Medium to full body with nice, even carbonation to give it a creamy feel. Better than I expected.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 00:39:55 | More by alexgash