Leikeim Helle Weisse - Brauerei Leikeim

metter98

New York

3.71/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is slightly hazy pale yellow in color and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured into a weizen glass with a two finger high white head that gradually died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and some lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Moderately strong aromas of bananas are present in the nose along with some notes of wheat.
T: Like the smell, the taste is dominated by flavors of banana and bubble gum and also has some notes of wheat. No cloves are present.
M: It feels a bit more than light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very easy to drink and has some refreshing properties. I could definitely picture myself drinking this again on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 13:57:51 | More by metter98

mactrail

California

3.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A milder sort of wheat beer with an odd tang, like a touch of Baltic Porter. Pours a cloudy light amber in the globe with big foam piling up and plenty of carbonation in the mouth.

A lighter taste than some other Hefeweizens, but it does have some of the estery flavors. More of a citrus, chalk, and cracker taste with some malty sweetness. Some hints of bitterness along with an orange peel taste. Faint nose of old cloves. Overall, this is a nice sudsy quaff but it's a less interesting flavor.

From the 500 ml swingtop bought at New World Market on Geary St. in San Francisco.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 03:58:59 | More by mactrail

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From: Binny's, South Loop Chicago, IL
Best before: 03/25/2013
Glass: Weihenstephan weizen glass

This is a wheat beer that's somewhat below Weihenstephaner, Ayinger, Schneider, and Franzikaner for me, primarily due to its flavors being not as complex or robust. That being said, it was still an enjoyable hefeweizen of fairly high quality. The flavors and aromas were enjoyable and easily discernible, just not as numerous or spectacular as those aforementioned breweries. A traditional hefeweizen I'd get again, and am interested in trying in a more fresh bottle and on tap.

Pours a tall, >4cm head of slightly off-white bubbles with above average retention, lasting for more than two minutes in its slow decline to a 0.75cm cap atop the body of the beer. Lacing is present, but about average for the style, leaving a few semi-thick strands hanging from top to bottom, alongside a few spots and dots clinging to the inner perimeter of the glass. The body itself is a dark gold color, opaque from suspended sediment, only being able to see the shadow of my hand through the glass. Light brings out pale yellow and orange hues to the body and reveals the carbonation, which seems quite present and fairly active.

Aroma is fairly robust and pleasant, primarily of a yeasty banana bread character, with additional, though minor, notes of grain, apple cider, and mild bubblegum.

Flavor is rather sweet and heavy on yeast and banana ester, with plenty of wheat to support it. That being said, the flavor isn't as amazingly multi-directional as I've come to expect from the most complex hefeweizens. Still, better than average and quite tasty. Front of palate detects semi-sweet, semi-grainy malts with significant banana ester and very dull lemon or orange citrus notes. Mid-palate has some substantial wheat malt flavor with noticeable spicy clove phenolics, yeast, and banana esters, with less-noticeable apple cider and slight cardboard. Back of palate picks up modest bitterness, slight tartness, yeast, bread, unrefined wheat grain, banana ester, and hints of apple cider. Aftertaste is surprisingly dry and tart, with yeast being most noticeable, but banana bread and clove-like phenolics also being present.

Beer is medium-bodied, with carbonation of medium-low intensity, resulting in a generally smooth mouthfeel that foams up slightly as it moves across the palate. Closes semi-dry to dry, with little residual stickiness across the mouth.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:25:20 | More by falloutsnow

elginirishpunk

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Served in chilled pint glass. Slightly cloudy and crisp aroma and faint hint of hops. Light carbonation and light and crisp for a weise. Was sold to me as a "Light Hacker" . No need for a fruit on this beer just smooth clean finish. Great for a hot summer day.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2012 01:36:16 | More by elginirishpunk

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Helle Weisse
Brauerei Leikeim
Style: Hefeweizen
ABV: 5.40 %

LOOK: Pint sized swingtop bottle, opens with a big pop. Pours a cloudy deep straw color, like a standard hefeweizen should look. Dense foamy cap forms and leaves lace down the side of the glass.

SMELL: Wheat malt is big in the banana and bubblegum aromas. Lightly toasted grains and floral/herbal hops round out the nose quite nicely.

TASTE/FEEL: Standard hefeweizen flavors of wheat, straw, banana, clove, and a suggestion of toasted malt flavor as well. Very light noble hopping with some herbal and mildly citrusy notes. Finishes clean with a clove, banana and dry grain bite. Medium bodied, perfect medium-high level of carbonation.

OVERALL: A tasty authentic German Hefeweizen, lots of really good flavors and a great feel. Complimented a hearty meal quite nicely.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 01:25:31 | More by Stinkypuss

scootny

New York

2.53/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A very cloudy appearance with a nice large head. Fade is a bit quick and there is little lacing. Smell is grainy with some light sour lemon notes and wheat malt twang. A bit of medicine. Taste is not impressive. Decent wheat malt core with a heavy grain flavor and a dry bitterness in the finish. Light amounts of lemon and faint hefe like fruitiness. Cris light feel but a touch fizzy. Underwhelming foe a hefe head like me. Not something that I would recommend though it could be a stale bottle as it tasted off. Freshness date says it is good till October this year however.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 05:28:56 | More by scootny

avalon07

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a brown-yellow color and a cloudy texture. There was a huge, creamy, long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: As expected there was a strong wheat smell, along with the bubblegum aroma.

T: Tasted of wheat, a hint of malt, and the aforementioned bubblegum quality. More subtle than some Hefeweizens. This flavor grew on me after awhile.

M: A high rate of carbonation (especially for a German beer) with a smooth, crisp finish. Light-bodied.

O: A solidly made, drinkable Hefeweizen.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 12:43:56 | More by avalon07

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this bottle up at a 99 Bottles in Carnegie for $6.99. A bit steep, but I've never seen anything by this brewery elsewhere in Pittsburgh, and it's a hefeweizen, and it furthers my current research project. Penn Weizen glass ready.

Super-hazy dark orange/almost very light brown that almost has olive hues to it. A few specks of collective yeast sediment hurdling around. A very sticky, lacing head that releases a lot of gas as it slowly falls. Almost the quintessential hefeweizen look. 4.0

Heavy banana with an overripe, almost starting to rot, character. Cloves are there, too, mixing in with a barely revealing German Noble hop. Biscuity wheat malts are creamy to smell. Not too shabby so far. 4.0

And, now the clove takes over the taste. Still heavy doses of browining banana fruits with an obvious lemony tartness. Sour apple, vanilla wafer malts, herbal leafiness, and steely notes. Citrusy and tangy. 3.5

A little lighter in body than just straight hefe-creamy. Carbonation is backed-off. Needs concentrated a bit. 3.5

It was worth the try, but a not-so-special German weizen. I consider Franziskaner the standard in that department, and in turn, this is sub-standard. Still a unique Bavarian-style hefeweizen that was totally worth its turn. Somewhere between 'not bad' and 'good'. 3.5

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 04:37:23 | More by thecheapies

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.05/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Serving type: 500 ml bottle with a swinging cap. The best before date printed on the back label is “101112.”

Appearance: Poured into a half-liter weizen glass. The color is cloudy, dishwater lemonade. Three fingers of thick, white head dissipated slowly. I worked up a couple large pieces of yeast, which does not look very attractive.

Smell: Mmmm — hefe. It is a little weak and lacks a lot of clove spice, but it still has apple, orange, banana, and bready yeast. There is clove spice but it is not as aggressive as I would prefer. To match the dishwater color, it actually does smell a little like dishwater.

Taste: Again, not as spicy as I would like. The mouthfeel is pretty bready but the flavor does not back it with much potency; it is weak like the aroma. Banana, apple, orange, strawberry, yeast, and a hint of close spice.

Drinkability: It’s okay. At least it is not witbier.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 04:56:47 | More by TheQuietMan22

Dentist666

Russian Federation

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer looks like an outgrowth of Leikeim Premium Weisse, as the latter is retired. Only ABV and label have been changed.
Pours cloudy orange beer with remarkable dense golden head.
Smell of lollipops, banana and orange peel, though not very impressive. Average taste, rather bitter finish, moderate carbonation. Evidently, disappointing hefeweizen.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 09:20:07 | More by Dentist666