Ramstein Classic - High Point Brewing Company

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Mid brown with surprisingly little head this beer hides a wealth of big flavours. Fruit, malt, and cloves are a few of the great esters that float around this pronounced beer. I really love this style and Ramstein seem to understand the flavours needed compete with Old World examples. The finish was slightly sweet but not cloying. This is a beer worth having.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2005 15:19:32 | More by canucklehead

JoeNobody

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I tried this beer on tap at the Drafting Room in Exton, PA. I started out just wanting to taste it but it brough me back the next day. In a pint glass it had a slight 1/4 inch head that dissapated quickly but a thin ring outer ring of foam lasted almost to the bottom of pint glass. It left a very distinguished lacing on the glass. The mouthfeel was very nice did not appear over carbonated like some beers. Being new to the world of good beers this was my first dunkel weizen but definitley not my last. I enjoyed this offering very much and that was after drinking Chimay Grande Réserve the previous two nights.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2005 22:16:52 | More by JoeNobody

SaunaKing

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A dark brown, with a little red in it. Very little carbonation and almost no head. The lacing is pretty much nonexistent. The freshness date on the bottle says consume by February so I am only a month off - doubt thats the problem.

Aroma is malt - but some sourness too?

A sweet candy like taste and pleasant fizzyness in the mouthfeel. My first of this style and am quite suprised by how different this is than a regular hefe weizen. A little more malty, not quite as refreshing but very light and drinkable. Has a bit of tartness in the mouthfeel but you feel like these go down very easily.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2005 04:05:08 | More by SaunaKing

Citadel82

New Jersey

2.58/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This one poured a reddish dark brown color but there was hardly any head even though I made a vigorous pour. Scattered lace.

What happened? The smell is typical for a wheat but also has some sour characteristics in it. The taste seemed to be mostly malt with an underlying sourness being the strongest flavor. I tasted little or no hops they are, in my opinion, nonexistent.

This was an unusual beer that I really did not enjoy all that much. It went down well enough but the sourness was not what I expected.

I bet it would be better if fresher, I will try again when I get the chance to be fair.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2005 01:06:56 | More by Citadel82

Scoats

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

After hearing great things about this brewery and it's hard to find beers, I had really high expectations for this beer. And Dunkelweizen is one of my favorite styles and ususally very hard to find as well. I ready for beer nirvana, ready to see Jesus.

While this indeed is a very good beer, it's not great. Using Franzikaner Dunkelweise as a standard, this beer was, once again while very good, not great, It is a very dark, very malty and heavy wheat beer. For my tastes, it is too hearty for the style with too few nuances. Not partically chocolately and the expected banana/clove yeast taste wasn't really there either.

I sampled one more huge hefe glass worth that night and yet another a few nights later to confirm my initial impression.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2005 14:33:50 | More by Scoats

Fish113d

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Weiss glass at Which Brew Pub in Easton, PA along with my fellow BA and best buddy in life Sulldaddy last week, it pours a dark chestnut color with 2 inchest of full "heavy" head that clings like a bastard and hangs on for quite a while; very cloudy w/ some yeast sediment floating if i wasn't mistaken. Taking a whiff, I smell mostly wheat strains and some sweet caramels maybe; grainy malts like cereal as well. Taking the first sip, mild caramel flavors accompany some fruit flavors on your palete along with some brown maltiness. Bitter coffee flavors and lots of wheat is mostly the flavor however along with some roasted malt tones. Light body and refreshing to the last sip; mild carbonation on the front, but enjoyable and smooth. Very easy to drink; went like water (but a MUCH better taste :) ).

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2005 19:55:42 | More by Fish113d

sulldaddy

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I sampled this brew at WHich Brew pub in Easton. Served in a wheat beer glass chilled, the beer not the glass. The beer pours a cloudy chestnut to mahogany color. Large frothy beige head fades to a sturdy surface layer gradually. Aroma is fairly mild with bready yeast and cherries mixing with a hint of caramel.
First sip reveals a lite bodied brew with mild soft rolling carbonation. Flavor is wheat bread with some cherry and a bit of lemon. OVerall very mild. This beer is very smooth and drinkable and would be enjoyable on a warm day. I wish the yeast flavors were a little more pronounced and complex.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2005 02:17:55 | More by sulldaddy

HappyHourHero

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Lightly sweet, doughy, chocolate malt aroma. Beer poured with no head. Hazy, almost murky brown colored beer with a caramel hue. Nice yeasty cocoa flavor with some roasted malt and a little nuttiness. Body is fairly thick, but lack of carbonation kills the mouthfeel. Smells good and tastes great, but something must have gone wrong with the bottle conditioning because there was a complete lack of carbonation. I think I'll go grab a few more just to make sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2005 01:38:37 | More by HappyHourHero

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle obtained via trade with Shippos. Thanks for the opportunity...

Poured in an imperial pint glass, forms a 1/4" beige head, which laces okay. A translucent deeply reddish brown hued brew, with a pleasant dark wheat aroma. Taste is wheaty, with nutty, roasted undertones. Mouthfeel seems a bit thin, but this enhances the drinkability in my book. A good introduction for me to Ramstein.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2004 21:19:46 | More by ppoitras

lackenhauser

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very deep copper color with no head whatsoever.Very faint aroma-wheat and yeast but again faint at best.Nice malty flavor-very crisp with a touch of caramel sweetness.Very good body-full on the palate.An extremely quaffable brew-not being a wheat beer fan I was impressed.This one leans more towards the German wheats the a US version.Quite good-well worth a six pack to try.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2004 00:16:15 | More by lackenhauser

granger10

Wisconsin

3.2/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured a rusty dark tan color but there was hardly any head even though I made a vigorous pour. What happened? My only guess is that the bottle is old, the best by date is for May. The smell is really wheaty but also has some roasted nut characteristics in it. The taste seemed to be dominated by the malts. Caramel being the strongest malt flavor. I guess I get some wheat but it seems really weak. There's a smoky flavor underneath that takes the place of hops which are nonexistent. A strong yeast bite hits my tongue before the sweetness comes back in the finish. This was an unusual beer that I really did not enjoy all that much. It went down easy enough but the caramel and wheat flavors were not working together here. But I didn't dislike this beer either. I bet it could be better if fresher, but I'm sticking with the German's when it comes to Dunkelweizens.

Thanks to partyhatjo for the beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2004 22:34:30 | More by granger10

rdrummer

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had the opportunity to get a six-pack of the Classic and the Winter Wheat at the same time. I am having trouble deciding which I like better, but I am leaning toward the Classic.

The Classic Wheat pours a dark brown with a mostly white head that is rather small and dissipates rapidly. There is the unmistakable smell of wheat in the nose with a hint of smoke. The taste is definitely wheaty, but there is a slight caramel and hop hint in the back. This is different than the dunkels from Germany but just as good.

This beer goes down easier than I could imagine. Two seems to be my minimum.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2004 23:10:41 | More by rdrummer

cbl2

New York

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance:

Cloudy dark brown with bottle sediment evident in the glass.

Smell:

Malty with some citric & yeasty elements present.

Taste/Mouthfeel:

Has the caustic first bite associated with a wheat, but this has more of a malt characteristic than most wheats due to the caramel malts used in brewing. A good brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2004 16:06:43 | More by cbl2

RoyalT

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance – I had to work the pour a little bit but came away with a gorgeous-looking Dunkel Weizen. The head was off-white and pillowy thick. The body was deep, luscious brown with that little clear spot on the very bottom.

Smell – The lovely, authentic German yeast aroma was huge on this weizen. It was dark and well-complimented with banana and clove and maybe a subtle non-citrusy hint of orange.

Taste – This one lost a bit of its boldness from the nose, but was still an excellent example of the style. The yeast was present and really darkened up at the taste.

Mouthfeel – The creamy smoothness of this light to medium-bodied beer was terrific, although it lacked the typical “fluffy” feeling that is found in most good German renditions of the style.

Drinkability – This was the first beer of the night and kept me full until dinner. I really enjoyed this Ramstein effort at a very, very difficult style.

Comments – Big thanks to Davo for sending this Dunkel Weizen out my way.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2004 00:38:31 | More by RoyalT

Gavage

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Everything about this beer is good except for the appearance. It poured a brown color with a very spotty head. Did not look very appetizing. The aroma is full of wheat and some grass. The taste is nice as malt, wheat, caramel, and tea flavors are well balanced.

The mouthfeel was smooth, and the carbonation was very light. The wheat and caramel flavor lasted well into the aftertaste. The bottle was 1/2 month past the "best by" date on the bottle, but it was still very tasty even though it looked bland.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2004 01:02:35 | More by Gavage

WesWes

New York

3.65/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy brown color with a lacey white head. The aroma is faint, but there is a smell of wheat malts and fruity yeast. The taste is decent. It has a dark wheat flavor with a bit of malty character. The mouthfeel is good. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation . This beer drinks well, but is lacking in the aroma and taste departments. This is still better than most wheat beers, but not as good as their other offerings.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2004 02:07:13 | More by WesWes

GreatPondBrewer

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a cloudy mahogony with little shades of red, much like a nice stained piece of wood. Styrafoamlike head that turned into a ring around the edge. Smell was wheat, cherry and other sweet berries. Taste was sweet with nice yeasty malty body, not too much in the way of hops. Finish was dry and fruity. Good carbonation. Overall a good tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2003 23:20:50 | More by GreatPondBrewer

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown body, topped by a smallish off-white head, which rapidly drops into an oil slick topper. Coats the glass well. Dark fruits intwine with bubblegum in the nose. Rich on the tongue, a bit of roastiness merges with the wheat and a lurking caramel quality. A little hop tickle in the end to let you know they are there for balance. Surprisingly quaffable.

While no longer exclusively a wheat beer brewery, High Point certainly knows how to do them well.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2003 04:25:33 | More by RonfromJersey

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A big thanks to BIF 1 and RonfromJersey for this one. I have to say that this is my first beer from High Point.

Pours solid brown in color with a small white head. The smell is sweet, malt, caramel and something earthy. Looks very dark and heavy but the taste is just the opposite. Light, smooth and crisp. Not very dimensional but very easy drinking with great flavor. Kind of tangy in the end, maybe a hint of hops?

Overall a good beer that I would like to have more of. Thanks again to RonfromJersey and BIF!

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2003 23:45:19 | More by CharlesRiver

sponberg

New York

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with a tan head, which surprised me as I was expecting a lighter Hefe. An estery, clovey, weizen sort of aroma.

Hmmm - neat! Starts like a weizen, then interesting things happen. Almost oatmeally in its oiliness, with roasted flavors, wheat malt, and a nutty clovey presence that really gets your taste buds working. A background roasted malt smokiness adds to the complexity. Slightly thin mouthfeel. I had this two hours ago and I'm still trying to figure it all out. Like someone poured a little Dubbel into my dunkelweiss.

When I first tried it, I thought, "Eh - OK." Now I want another. This beer grows on you.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2003 20:08:18 | More by sponberg

86MonteSS

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Since it's a wheat beer, I expected it to be a little lighter, but it poured a very dark amber. Definitely a wheat smell, but the taste is domnated by a smoked flavor. I had eyed Ramstein plenty of times in the store thinking nothing of it, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the Classic. Not sure how much it costs since I bought it in a mix-a-six, but it's something I'll get again.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2003 03:47:22 | More by 86MonteSS

ElGuapo

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A deep dark chesnut pour with a little haziness to it and a nice big off-white head lingering on top. Aromas of apples, spice, and yeast in large proportions leapt at my nose.

A very nice style dunkel weiss. It has a lot of body compared to a few others I have had, and that was quite a relief. I really like how they put the dunkel in dunkel with some nice roasty characteristics of coffee and burnt malts. A bit of spiciness is in there as well as a hint of chocolate. This is a wonderful brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2003 12:31:41 | More by ElGuapo

aaronh

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark amber color, reminiscent of a dark lager that is a bit hazy. It is topped by a light tan head that shows repectable retention. The aroma is apples, roasted malt, and a touch of peppery hops. The taste has a distinctive roasted character, with a nice yeast component and a refreshing wheat crispness on the finish. A mild hop bitterness finishes off the beer, with the lingering aftertaste of fresh bread. The mouthfeel is solid, but not as fulfilling as the Ramstein Blonde. The drinkability is good, as this is a very enjoyable beer.

I was fortunate enough to obtain a sixpack of this and the Ramstein Blonde from fellow BA joehops, which I shared with some friends. One friend found both to be equally impressive, and the other thought that the Classic overshadowed the Blonde. I feel just the opposite, as I like the Blonde a good deal more than the Classic. However, both are very respectable brews that I will seek out again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2003 11:57:18 | More by aaronh

nomad

Kansas

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a translucent reddish brown, like a smoky ruby color. Had a good bubbly, frothy head, and the lace died quick. And as always with pure German beers, lots of natural tiny bubble carbonation.

Nose was foremost red apples and malt - love that well roasted barley. Also, softly yeasty, a little smoky toffee, and had an ounce of cloves. Taste was a nice dry hops up front and a nice caramel malt, though it was light. Overall the beer came across as a little watery, but this did not diminish its fruity but hearty profile. Quietly wavering between sweet and sour, I wish it came through a little more.

It had a small yet sharp tingle on the tongue which gave way to a mostly thin but partly oily mouthfeel. Moderately long finish and with a fair share of cream before the end that could taste a little better, especially given its milky bitter/sour quality. Pretty darn good beer but could be better, more hearty and expressive like a lot of German imports. Still, its nice to have a six of these around.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2003 08:15:49 | More by nomad

49degrees

British Columbia (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A very nice rendition of a dark Munich style wheat beer. Although I'd say I enjoy the Weihenstephaner's Dark Hefe-weiss beer a little bit better, High Point's is an extremely enjoyable brew, easy to drink, and is rife with passionate characteristics.

Sold in long neck, 12 oz bottle, freshness dated solely by month (my bottle is best before March) and it is suggested that this be served between 35º - 45º. Pours a deep brown color with relatively high luminoscity, a relatively small (1/4") head considering its wheat base, a nice tight bright white collar, and minimal lacing.

Aroma is highlighted by hints of caramel, coriander and a slight hint of sweet chocolate. These characteristics are well packaged alongside a very nice blend of soothing malts which also presents a certain amount of sweetness.

Taste wise, this is a nice dark wheat beer, quite sweet with hints of caramel, toffee, butterscotch, and a nice smooth blend of malts. A reasonable amount of carbonation is also present in this brew, which alongside the smooth malty flavors makes for a nice feeling beer in the mouth.

A very drinkable brew with a moderate alcohol level which makes this an easy session beer. It does lack some of the hearty, almost nutty flavors of some of the dark German versions of the brew, but all in all, very very enjoyable. [ Thanks to 'malto' for the brew ]

[ STATS:>> 12 oz bottle / ABV: unlisted / PRICE: N/A ]

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2003 17:50:32 | More by 49degrees