Ramstein Blonde Wheat Beer - High Point Brewing Company

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Ramstein Blonde Wheat Beer

Appearance- light hazy yellow with a thick billowy white head.
Smell- hay and bananas.
Taste- grass, hay, clove, banana and black licorice.
Mouthfeel- crisp yet bland.

Overall- a, very, blah hefeweizen. Quickly drank it moved on to another beer and forgot about it.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2005 19:22:48 | More by NJpadreFan

OldSock

District of Columbia

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer is listed as a Hefe Weizen, but on the bottle it says that it is a lager, which goes against the standard Hefe Weizen which is an ale as far as I know.

Appearance - Gigantic white head that sticks around and thick lacing that nearly coats the glass completely, perfect for any wheat beer. The beer is blonde as the name suggests, but it is a hazy blonde. There are also streams of fast carbonation that helps keep the head inflated.

Smell - Apple cider and some spiciness. There are also hints of alcohol; it smells good, but definitely not a standard Hefe Weizen aroma.

Taste – This is an unusual beer. At first it has a sweet and sour apple taste, but it finishes with more of a grain/malt taste generally not found in beers of this style. No hops to speak of, but that fits for the style. Yeast flavor is equally subdued, which is odd for the style. It is clear that this was made with more barley in it to than most wheat beers, again a little strange.

Mouthfeel – Medium with sparkly carbonation that dances on the tongue. This is spot on.

Drinkability – It is certainly quenching and tasty and unlike any other wheat beer I have had, either American or European. Not really a Hefe Weizen, but certainly not any other style that I know of.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2005 22:36:27 | More by OldSock

whartontallboy

New York

3.7/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy gold pour with hardly any trace of a head, even as I got more aggressive with the pour. There's a real crisp pear flavor to this one with quite a nice little clove edge rounding it out. Thin mouthfeel with a bit of an astringent feel to it. Overall, not too bad, but really nothing I'm going to write home about.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2005 02:16:05 | More by whartontallboy

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

Pours a fully hazy lemon-straw color and is topped by a pale thin tan head. The aroma is quite yeasty with notes of lemon, wheat, apple and a hint of clove. The taste is a bit more sour than I was expecting, it is actually quite nice and tart. There is definitely a lemon like component to this beer as well as notes of crisp apple. The body is light and refreshing with a bit of chewy yeastiness to it as well. At this point this is definitely low on the traditional clove and/ or banana notes, but this is most like due to the age of this beer. I find that hefeweizens tend to lose those aspects pretty quickly. All in all this is a nice, tasty refreshing brew. Thanks to PisskeyNights for the opportunity to try this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2005 04:08:30 | More by Gueuzedude

HappyHourHero

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Yeasty aroma with a pinch of lemon zest. Hazy, deep golden colored beer. Sticky off-white head leads some decent lace. Flavor is yeasty with some floral hops and some of that wheat zest towards the end. Body is solid, mouthfeel is clean, but not dry. A quality Hefe Weizen.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2005 02:06:48 | More by HappyHourHero

UnionMade

Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The beer pours a beautiful foggy straw blonde, topped with a heaping white froth that certainly isn't shy. (A vigorous pour of a 12oz bottle threatened to escape a 23oz hefeweizen glass!) The head settles itself into a modest film over the brew, leaving rings of belgian lace in it's wake. Excellent head retention, a quick swirl of the glass doubling the amount of head, and keeping for quite a while.
The aroma spells out bavarian yeast. Rich banana and bubblegum esters, with a softer hint of dry white pear. Plenty of clove adds a spicy character, with a light undertone of plastic-like phenols. Soft, mellow wheat malt. No hops.
The flavor starts out very mellow. Easy going wheat malt and yeast keep a dried powderiness throughout, with a shot of banana and apple creeping in early. Very spicy clove notes usher in the finish, which stays on the sweetish side, while also ending very dry. A dried banana and chalky yeast flavor linger on the tongue, well after the last sip is downed. Active, peppy carbonation quickly moves the lightish medium body across the palate.
Probably one of the best bavarian style hefeweizens brewed in the states. The flavor is spot on for a real german wheat beer, with that banana and clove interplay. The one thing I really like about this is that it's reminiscent of the greats, like Weihenstephaner and Paulaner. It's not overdone, trying to blast you with flavor. It's just a drinkable, modest, tasty sessionable brew. The only complaint I can think of is that it seems to lack a certain silky smoothness in the mouthfeel. I guess the only real difference is that you can get the Ramstein hefeweizen fresh from the brewery, rather than across an ocean. Awesome beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2004 20:38:41 | More by UnionMade

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

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

Poured in an imperial pint glass, forms a short-lived 1/4" white head, which laces minimally. A warmly honey-amber hued brew, with a pleasant sweet wheat aroma. Taste is wheaty, with a hearty thickness to the flavor that is hard to explain, but pleasing nonetheless. Mouthfeel is excellent, and drinkability, well, let's just say that isn't a problem. An excellent hefe.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2004 20:47:25 | More by ppoitras

wyllder

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First off: Thanks go out to Dante for the chance to sample this beer.

Pours a murky peach, with a miniscule head that recedes quickly.

Nose is classic cloves and bananas, with smooth, almost creamy quality to the smell.

Taste is very nice. First hit on the palate is cloves, which is balanced on the midsip by a nice creamy banana sweetness that plays in. Aftertaste fades back to clovey bitterness. Overall, the flavor profile came across as somewhat of a Tripel mixed with a Hefe Weizen, which isn't a bad thing at all.

Mouthfeel is very nice. Carbonation is mild, making the clovey bitterness easy for me to handle (I usually find clove flavors harsh when the carbonation adds tartness).

Quite drinkable. If I hadn't given the second bottle away, I would certainly have opened it, too!

Honestly, this is the first Hefe Weizen I've liked enough to review. I can't say if it's a good interpretation of the style or not, but it's certainly a good beer.

Wyll-

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2004 01:41:00 | More by wyllder

Dantes

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Package: 12oz. bottle, no ABV listed. “Ramstein” spelled out in Gothic lettering against a yellow background. “Enjoy by month notched” marked at October. Nothing to distinguish between years. Label recommends storing at 35º-45º and serving at 40º and notes that it is bottle-conditioned. Neck label describes brew style as unfiltered weisse beer. A bit busy overall but reasonably informative.

Cost: $6.99 6-pack at Shop-Rite

Presentation: Ramstein fluted weisse glass at ~45º. (40º serving recommendation too cold in my opinion).

Appearance: A nice golden yellow, a bit darker than the Pilsner. Pours with a decent haze, but seems to clear as one drinks through the glass. Faint, ghostly lees in the bottom of the bottle and glass. Generates a decent, moderately tight, white, but short-lived head.

Smell: Exhibits the classic banana-and-clove aroma of an archetypal hefe-weizen. This fruity nose is backed by a solid malt backbone. Complex, but restrained without the artificiality I’ve experienced in other hefes.

Taste: Upholds the classic hefe-weizen tradition, with a dry fruitiness and a significant malted wheat flavor. Balance is very good, with the hops, malt, and esters interplaying well. Lots of structure and no flabbiness. Finishes crisply, with moderate length.

Mouthfeel: As is typical for Ramstein beers, the carbonation is very tight and consistent. The head on this particular bottle was a bit lacking, but I’ve found that this varies. Good, crisp, medium-full body.

Drinkability: Again, typically, very drinkable. Every Ramstein beer (yes, even the Winter Wheat) is practically a session beer. Smooth, full-flavored and interesting.

Backwash: The Classic (dunkelweisse) is still my favorite “regular, bottled” Ramstein beer, but I’m certainly glad to have this around. A great, authentic hefe that challenges the best in the world. I haven’t had the Live Oak that many have talked about, but I’d certainly be willing to trade some Ramstein in order to have a comparison. I'd also "warn" BA's that I've often seen old sixers of this lying around in stores, so fresh examples are important (no year denotations is a problem); and the amount of yeast in the bottles varies as well.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2004 19:08:57 | More by Dantes

beerluvr

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Ahh...good to see this great beer available near me once more! Pours a nice fluffy white head over predictably hazy deep golden liquid. Classic hefe nose: banana, bubblegum, malty n' fruity. The taste is those same aroma attributes, fresh and bready malt gives way to banana yeast flavors with a refreshing light bodied mouthfeel. Goes down smooth with a sweet malt kick tempered with a decent hopping level. Finishes long, flavorful and very tasty. High quality stuff...right up there with Heavyweight as one of the Garden States' primo microbreweries.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2004 00:41:16 | More by beerluvr

Jason

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 12 oz brown bottle with an “enjoy before” freshness date. Thanks to vidaloca for the sample.

Appearance: Mild haze in the straw golden hue, thin lacing still hangs around.

Smell: Spicy, fermented wheat and a nutty yeast.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Semi-crisp with a moderate body, the spicy clove is mild with ripe pear and banana in the back. Lemony on the back. Some yeast and biscuity malt are in the mix. Finishes slightly dry.

Drinkability & Notes: Not bland but nothing stellar, I’d crave this in the dead of summer …

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2004 03:37:30 | More by Jason

Beaver13

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The Ramstein Blonde pours a cloudy golden color. It had a very small fizzy head, that disappeared very quickly.

Its aroma is some bananas, yeast, and spicy cloves.

The taste is sweet malt and some subtle banana and other fruitiness initially. It has a slightly spicy clove finish, with an almost sweet aftertaste.

The beer is medium bodied, but I was surprised at the total lack of carbonation.

Overall, it is a nice, easy drinking wheat beer. The low carbonation hurts it some. I don't like the banana / beer combo, but it was pretty subtle in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2004 06:31:01 | More by Beaver13

Gavage

New Jersey

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

This beer poured a amber / orange color with a relatively thin head head. The wheat was predominent on the nose, but cloves and fruit were noticeable. The flavor was a nice balance of wheat, spice, mild citrus and a light bitterness. The carbonation level was very light, but this beer was refreshing. The mouthfeel was smooth and this is not a wimpy light bodied wheat beer. Overall a consistant and enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2004 17:33:39 | More by Gavage

WesWes

New York

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a golden color with a thin white head that fades to lacing. The aroma is good. There is plenty of wheat scent here. it is sweet and fruity; a very pleasant odor. The taste is excellant. It is real sweet and wheaty tasting. It is thick with flavor; a real good tasting wheat beer. The mouthfeel is also great. It is a medium bodied beer with mild carbonation to not take away from the flavor. The beer is an excellent sessions ale; a very good wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2004 01:20:50 | More by WesWes

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Color: hazy, light orange. Head: small, white, and soon disappearing.
Aroma: sweet, fruity, large and yeasty, very nice.
Good, pleasing burst of hops, very light on the palate afterwards, and just a little short on weizen texture. Perhaps that, though, is their aim with this wheat, to be lighter, more drinkable.
Body is light, but taste is very good. Yum. I like. Ultra smooth, does the job.
Thanks to BeerFan for sharing.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2003 23:36:55 | More by feloniousmonk

Popsinc

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Cloudy golden pour with a large foamy head typical of good hefeweizen.

Smell: Not outstanding but obvious hints of banana, clove and spices, possibly nutmeg.

Taste: My sample was good but somehow underwhelming. Very smooth and creamy hinted with banana and spice for the most part. A little soft for me. Possibly just the batch. But i was hoping for more body and bigger flavours. Light maltiness.

Mouthfeel: Again, smooth and creamy. Nice carbonation and spritzy mouthfeel.

Drinkability. Not my favorite hefeweizen going but i still enjoyed this one a fair bit. I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2003 11:44:10 | More by Popsinc

nomad

Kansas

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

Poured a quite muddy orange-gold, with plenty of carbonation but not as much as, say, a Weihenstephaner. It does explode as you sit the glass down after a sip. Good lace, solid rocky head.

Had a somewhat quiet nose of banana and white grapes/green apple, a thin sugary element to these. Also cinammon and cloves with a swirl and a little warming. Tasted a little sweet spicy like nutmeg & cloves, backed by a biscuit background - in sum, though, a very light tasting beer. Middle was a creamy lactic flavor with lemon zing. Interesting yeast, it helped make a nice and soft spicy & bready burp.Had a short finish that ended with quite a clay bitter. I had to go back for more quickly after it left my palate.

Even still, very refreshing – have one before you eat your dinner. Very easy to drink, though in general it tasted of an okay wheat and malt; tasted a little immature and not all developed. Very shy to show itself. Maybe my bottles were getting past their due date, or maybe its because I've drank a fair share of Weihenstephaner and Brooklyner Weisse, but this wasn't all that impressive, just a solid good (and relatively cheap).

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2003 14:33:59 | More by nomad

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +27.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This hazy, medium amber beer is topped by a dense, white head that displays very good retention. The aroma is banana and that wonderful yeasty, bread aroma with a hint of cloves. Just an exceptional smelling beer. The taste is heavenly, with banana and clove covering the crisp wheat flavors, all wrapped up by the fresh bread flavors. The mouthfeel is very robust, yet with a crispness to it as well. The drinkability is very good as well. This is truly an exceptional beer that makes me long for summer. I plan to reserve one of these for a summer wheat beer tasting. Thanks to joehops for this great beer. I almost wish I hadn't given a couple of friends some of these beers, as I want them all for myself! This has been worth the wait for a Ramstein beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2003 17:02:32 | More by aaronh

Mick

New Jersey

4.7/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Cloudy golden and blonde color. Nice thick and creamy head. Banana and clove aromas carry along a yeasty scent. High malt profile, chewy texture. Medium bodied but definitely present. Overall a great beer. All hefeweizen fans should add this one to the regiment.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2002 06:10:01 | More by Mick

Thrasher

Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is the best American hefe I have had. Layered head which sticks around, dark golden brew, mellow malt nose. This beer is vibrantly tasty, with some very assertive malt notes, an intense spritziness, and perfect balance with the hops which are also pretty assertive. The yeast gives it a real breadiness and boldness and the wheat wraps it all up in a thirst-quenching package. I definitely got the sour green apple flavor and there are some hard water qualities, I thought. Very in-your-face and very satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2002 13:26:14 | More by Thrasher

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured as a lightly hazy yellow color, the head didn't last very long at all. The smell was yeasty and had some citrus on the nose. The taste was of lemons, clove and banana. The mouthfeel had plenty of carbonation that dances on the tongue. Overall it's got a lot of wheat and blonde elements to it. It's an interesting brew, glad I tried it but isn't something I'd seek out in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2011 22:14:12 | More by Knapp85

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

1.53/5  rDev -59.5%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

First had: on tap at the Garden State Craft Brewers Guild 15th Annual Beer Festival, USS New Jersey, Camden, NJ

Poured a pale, peachy yellow with a small white head that didn't linger too long. Yeasty aroma, more funk than I'm used to with the style. Typical wheaty texture on the tongue, yeasty, bready, hay, some sharp hops in the taste towards the finish, and more of that unpleasant funk throughout. Pretty bland. Light-bodied and not very drinkable at all.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2011 00:17:26 | More by Rifugium

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Samples at the High Point brewery. Pours hazy golden hue. Aroma is of , banana, apples, spices and yeast. Taste is similar to aroma. Medium bodied with average carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel. Long lasting, fruity - spicy finish. Classic, tasty hefeweizen.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2010 21:57:52 | More by mikeg67

donniecuffs

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Into a pint glass, poured a cloudy golden/straw with two fingers of full white, good head retention, and modest lacing. Modest amount of visible carbonation as well. The nose possessed everything you'd come to expect from a good hefe: clove, bubble gum, banana, and even some maltiness. The taste confirmed the aroma; banana/clove dissolving to some malt balance mid-palate, followed by a semi-dry finish. Modest carbonation combined with a full body made for a nicely smooth sensation. Perfect for sessioning. Nicely done.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2010 01:00:08 | More by donniecuffs

Nascartailgatefa

New York

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Adequate weissbier. Vey haze amber in color. Minimal head. Very little lacing. Floral nose. Neutral taste. A very good weissbeer, particularly for a new jersey beer. No aftertaste. Excellent drinkability. Good session beer. Would recommend. Will review more in morning after I wake up

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2009 03:00:13 | More by Nascartailgatefa