Erdinger Weissbier Kristallklar - Erdinger Weissbräu

SamN

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Huge 3+ finger head, extremely clear, golden beer. The head is huge and reminds me of Miller, but it leaves very nice lacing down the glass as the foam fades. The color, clarity and ample carbonation reminds me of champagne. Jaw-droppingly beautiful, not your average looking wheat..

S- More of a grassy smelling wheat. Lots of elegant light malts and (again) champagne yeast. Subdued banana scents, but they are definitely there. This is not nearly as light smelling as I thought it would be; in fact, this is remarkably spicy. Almost aggressive smelling.

T- Lighter corn husk malts, slight adjunct quality, but with more depth. Not a bad beer, just nothing spectacular. Slightly above average, quite refreshing and light but not completely boring. Almost zero aftertaste, maybe a slight spice.

M- Quite good. Despite it's bubbly nature, the carbonation is not overwhelming; in fact, like everything about htis beer, the bubbles are subdued. Unexpectedly thicker body,which is quite nice.

D- Excellent drinkability. Very sessionable, slightly higher ABV but nothing overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2010 22:56:25 | More by SamN

lstokes

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was a more robust gold color than I expected with a thick and tasty head, but the smell was grain and metallic citrus.

Taste is very honey-grape sweet and malty and smooth overall, nothing pesky like spices or hops or a hint of clove to impede your easy drinking experience.

Definitely make sure to drink it warm, maybe even summer day warm, and enjoy the prickly carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2009 01:07:06 | More by lstokes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer served from bottle without freshness date into a wheat beer glass. Beer is yellow and clear, really clear. Thick white head prevents the entirety of the beer from being poured into the glass initially. There is a center spire of continuous carbonation. As the head falls away, more beer is added, there is a lot of lacing on the glass. Looks great.

Smell is a little weaker than I initially expected, but on the other hand Erdinger beers always have subtle aromas. There is some wheaty character to the aroma, also a few slight esters.

This beer is wet, no dryness with it at all, a great beer with high drinkability. There is some cereal like taste in the mid to late palate, no sweetness and some of the ester notes come through in the taste. I've had better krystalweiss and hefe beers but this one is a decent example and overall a good beer. The mouthfeel was good and medium to low bodied.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2009 19:53:48 | More by drabmuh

CrazyDavros

Australia

2.95/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Vibrant pale gold pour, with a large but quickly fading head.
Light aroma, hints of pears and banana, some spicy noble hops, but really quite faint.
Flavours are similarly faint, some bready wheat and the slightest banana, with some grainy malt creeping in as well.
Carbonation is way over the top. Very prickly.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2009 09:09:03 | More by CrazyDavros

nasty15108

New York

4.1/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

POured from a 1pt 0.9oz bottle into a Weihenstephenae weiss glass.

A - Poured a slightly cloudy straw color with a thick head of white foam. Excellent lacing and carbonation.

S - Slightly herbal/medicinal aroma. Slightly metallic with hints of banana and clove.

T - Herbal flavor with hints of spice, citrus and honey.

MF&D - Light body, crisp and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2009 18:47:03 | More by nasty15108

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.68/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: This beer pours slightly pale golden, with a great large white soapy head that dissipates pretty fast, leaving nice lacings. Lots of carbonation in the liquid.

S: Very refreshing, faint yeast and wheat obviously. Green bananas.

T: Very sweet at first but it sets into a nice mix of sweetness and floral hops. Lots of wheat of course, but also bananas. Very refreshing.

M: Short aftertaste with sweetness and some dryness. The body is pretty thin and the carbonation is rich.

D: Nice and refreshing as a wheat beer should be.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2009 18:37:33 | More by Sunnanek

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Light straw/yellow, close to being clear, but has a slight opaque character. Plentiful white bubbly head that lasts and laces well.

S- Very little. Maybe some light grains.

T- Rather singular sweet Euro-Lager taste, followed by a slight malty aftertaste. Some spices linger with the last malts. This is a simple beer, with a light taste. Somehow it doesn't taste watered down though. Don't drink it to cold, or you will miss much of the pleasing tastes hiding in this beer. As my glass warmed up, it got better and better.

M- Bubbles. Otherwise fairly thin.

D- Easy to drink. Would be nice on a hot day.

This beer reminds me of macro light lagers, without any off flavors and with excellent head, lacing, and overall quality. Not to mention it isn't a lager. I was about to review it pretty low because it is so light, but actually I think this beer has its own place, and is intended to be exactly what it is. Overall I think it is refreshing, easy to drink, and looks good. Just don't expect what you normally expect from a wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2009 04:28:45 | More by allforbetterbeer

atis

Finland

3.13/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours clear pale golden with large white head that rather soon fades to white patches, some downsliding lacing. Aroma is grain with some spice, citrus.

It seems more subdued that other Kristalweizens - watery citrus, mild sweetness and faint hops. I would give it 2.5 if not for pleasant clove that was felt later in the glass. Mouthfeel is light, pleasant prickly carbonation.

Overall, I did not enjoy this beer too much.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2009 18:15:25 | More by atis

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow/ripe banana color with clear edges and a 2.5 finger fizzy bubbly head that slowly dissolves. This bear isn't very "clear" at all actually. It's a little less hazy than a regular German wheat beer but is still kind of dark and cloudy.

Earthy aroma with subtle hops, citrus peel, clove and ripe banana aroma. All of these scents are very faint and much less prominent than in other German wheat beers. Kind of smells like a bland version of the style with some dirt thrown in.

Pretty carbonated for the style that adds a pleasant effervescence. Watered down light body with slight earthy hops and citrus peel. Decent amount of clove spice and a good amount of ripe banana.

This beer is a bland version of a style that I usually love. Kind of disappointing really but good for pounding down in the warmer months.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2009 06:19:16 | More by corby112

laituegonflable

Australia

3.23/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a pale golden colour, head froths up champagne-style, almost had a spillover but instead just got a very attractive dense marshmallowy head taking up half the glass, a thing of beauty. Carbonation is strong. Lacing is quite thick. Great looking beer.

Nose has fair sour wheat characters with a green edge, hints of underripe fruit - apple, peach and sour grapes - although I'm just saying that because Erdinger brews better beer than me. (That's a joke, by the way) Slightly vinous edge to it and a marginal hint of light wood - pine, I guess. Pleasant nose, nice and wheaty.

Taste has always been a letdown on kristalls and sadly this is no exception. Little of the sour, organic notes of the nose; they're instead taken over by a quite insipid sweetness, with a lolly water edge to it. Bright wheaty characters underlie it, but it ultimately has a majority palate of fruit juice, maybe with a little spice on the mid, but that may just be sizzle from the carbonation. Finishes fairly strongly though, with some noticeable hoppy phenols, grassy & dry with a slight spicy bite to them.

Once again I'm underwhelmed by the Kristall of a great Hefe brewer and left wondering why filter the yeast? Sure it's nice to have some variety in your lineup but it just seems like the backbone of the palate has been sapped away and all that's left is a floppy mess of weak and wobbly wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2009 04:48:57 | More by laituegonflable

HalfFull

California

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 500 ml. bottle into a weizen glass. Pours a clear golden straw with a full inch plus of soapy white head. Head settles slowly and throws off some good lacing.

Nose has wheat and yeast on the nose but is otherwise lacking for the style. A bit of ripe banana exists but is well hidden and subtle and comes with a bit of cloaking malts. A perky carbonation continues. Some noble hops and wheat hide a lager like sense. Feel is more full bodied however giving the beer a decent feel and drink. Unexciting in the taste department, this beer is a bit of a wanderer. Think Weihenstephaner.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2009 06:59:18 | More by HalfFull

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

1 Pint.9 oz bottle best before end: 02 2010.

Pours an unlimited bone white head (a theme among Erdinger Weißbiers) into my weizen glass. It is, like one might assume, crystal clear, with a ton of bubbles floating to the top. It looks a lot like a darker pilsener or lager.

Smell is typical clovy banana-wheat hefe. Nothing special and not overpowering. In fact, this brew doesn't have much of a smell at all, just a hint of what I just mentioned.

Taste is mild, nothing really here, some fruitiness and banana but overall not too much. This is a bubbly brew and it initially hits you with an avalanche of carbonation but as it warms it gets a smoother, more relaxed mouth feel.

Its highly drinkable and it isn't hard at all to but down a pint of this stuff. It's Germany's light beer equivalent to the US I guess.

Overall this is a pretty filtered and bland hefe, but I wouldn't mind it as a thirst quencher on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2009 17:16:14 | More by crossovert

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 16.9oz slim design brown pop top bottle with classic Erdinger label and clear best by date

Appearance: Bright gold beer with huge streaming carbonation and a big puffy white head with good retention

Smell: Mild wheat, light sweet spice, light banana, and very light pilsener graininess

Taste: Lighter, less fruity, slightly grainier typical hefe taste...not a style I go for typically, but this is nice

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp

Drinkability: High

Conclusion: Solid, refreshing; my favorite of the Erdinger lineup

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2009 06:26:23 | More by BedetheVenerable

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very clear medium yellow color with a huge, foamy white head that takes about 3 or 4 minutes to fade enough to pour more, leaving tons of lacing on the glass. Excellent looking kristalweizen.

Smell is bananas, nougat, cloves, cinnamon bread and some of that pre-sweetened coconut shavings. Has a grainy nose to it that I have not found in any other kristals, or hefes for that matter.

Wheat and malt flavors outduel the yeasty esters in this beer for the most part. Cloves are the foremost yeast derivative on my buds and has a bit more spiciness than some other versions. I like this one quite a bit, but not as much as the Weihenstephaner Kristalweissbier.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2009 00:57:36 | More by twiggamortis420

emerge077

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2nd to last obscure style left to review...here goes.

Poured into a curvy Schwelmer Weizen glass, though not as top-heavy as an Erdinger glass, it will have to do. Intensely rapid trails of carbonation, four fingers of sparkling foam on a careful pour. The carbonation bubbles look larger than most, tiny perfect spheres. Surface of the foam begins to resemble a fried egg as the foam sticks to the edges, with it's circular center raised in the middle. The fluffy head has maximum staying power. I'm missing the cloudy goodness of an unfiltered Hefe already though.

Aroma reminds me of a Berliner Weisse, straightforward wheat, some dustiness and mineral notes, no banana. Flavor is fairly pedestrian, a light dusty sweetness with a bare hint of banana aftertaste and papery oxidation. Carbonation is rapid and prickly. Very quenching for a summer day. I'd revisit this in hopes of a fresher sample someday.

music: Bern - Father 12" - A. Me (Traum Schallplaten)

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2009 19:22:35 | More by emerge077

DoubleJ

California

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle at a German restaurant, on to the beer:

Lots of bubbles rise through this straw blonde colored beer to the top of the creamy fluffy head. It smells "plain". A little wheat malt sweetness in there, and not much else. Tastewise, it has that aroma sweetness, but it is more intense. Sweet like honey creackers, pie crust, and grape nuts. It has a high carbonated feel, like a sparkling beverage. I actually found that part to be refreshing for this style.

Sometimes, less is more. Take out the yeast of an Erdinger Hefeweizen, and this becomes a little more interesting.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2009 17:37:04 | More by DoubleJ

washburnkid

New York

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a nonic, for lack of weizen glass.

A: Clear light golden brew with a HUGE 3 finger white head that sticks around for the whole session.
S: Inviting fresh aroma; metallic and a grainy/wheat smell.
T: Banana, metallic, and crisp wheat right off the bat. Wet grains, some light spices in and out of the glass, and sometimes, there were flavors of absolutely nothing.
M: Lighter-bodied with tons of great, refreshing carbonation.
D: This beer is so pleasant to drink. Though I prefer unfiltered wheat styles, I look forward to buying a few of these for the hot Cali summer!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2009 08:28:32 | More by washburnkid

krunchie

Sweden

4.08/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Franziskaner glass at 10.1°C (approx 50°F)

A: Crystal clear (as the name suggests), yellow liquid. You can see right through it. Love the color! Very fluffy white head, which lasts the entire review and longer. Beautiful!

S: Malted wheat, yeast, banana and perhaps some mandarin orange. Much more like a Hefe than a Kristall, but still good.

T: A little like a lager actually. Wheat malt, little hop aroma and VERY sweet. Almost like vanilla. Actually, there's a lot of vanilla aromas in this. Nice, but a bit too much on the sweeter side than expected.

M: The head makes it thick, creamy and fluffy, however the body is quite light (maybe medium). Once again, a bit too sweet

D: Very easily drinkable, even flow of CO2 and a smooth and thirst quenching satisfaction. Perfect summer brew

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2009 16:33:44 | More by krunchie

Augustiner719

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a .5L stein.

Appearance: poured a very clear, yellowy orange light color. Yielded a nice 2 finger head that dissapated quickly. No lacing present.

Smell: Smells much different than typical german hefeweizens. Very little malty character came through and there was a distinct soapy almost detergent aroma comming through. Still it was fresh smelling and nice, just not typcial for the other german hefes ive had.

Taste: Tastes pretty good. Not overpowering or memorable by any means. Sorta a typical run of the mill german hefe. Fresh tasting and very light, even for this style.

Mouthfeel: Although it yielded a decent head, it dissapated quickly which threw me off as to why this beer was so carbonated. Its a little too much for me, but its got nice texture.

Drinkability: Easy drinking, goes down smooth. Nothing crazy here, but its a terrific replacement for bud light or whatever run of the mill football or sports beer there is. Good session, but there are betting ones out there for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2009 03:17:45 | More by Augustiner719

ATPete

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16.9oz bottle

Pours a clear yellow orange color with a large white head that leaves some soapy sticking. Soft but sparkling nose of lemon seltzer, citrus peel and smooth toasty wheat. Bright in flavor, toasted wheat with a larger than expected hop character throughout especially late palate. The aftertaste really hurts this beer for me, cidery sweet red apple notes moving into a machine type of funk. Very light in body with lots of lively carbonation, all and all a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2009 21:16:35 | More by ATPete

jiggahertz

New Hampshire

3.83/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Huge three finger foamy head on tpo of a pale golden translucent pour, not much lacing.

S: Not much on the nose, slight metallic and grain.

T: Sweet up front, then a hint of banana. Finish is of light citrus and floral hops.

M: light to medium body and high carbonation.

D: Could drink a lot of this, nice cleansing finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2009 22:57:58 | More by jiggahertz

Quej

Ontario (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

A - Very light clear golf, bubbly white head and fierce effevescence.
S - Sweet and quite metallic with bits of sourness. Not strong smelling.
T - Very light tasting, smooth. Some wheat and straw tastes detectable. Almost no significant tastes whatsoever.
M - Very light bodied, overcarbonated.
D - I could drink it all day, but water is cheaper.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2009 13:11:52 | More by Quej

Macca

Australia

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This looks great in my Erdinger glass. A big frothy head that has great retention. Very obvious carbonation. Crystal clear golden colour.

The aromas are a bit clean for my liking. Grain and not a lot else. I was hoping for some more phenolics perhaps.

A bit of the phenolics come through on the palate. Some malt. Very drying. A bit of spiciness at the back.

Medium bodied.

A good refreshing wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2009 08:43:20 | More by Macca

yesyouam

New York

3.73/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Erdinger Kristallklar is a pale golden ale that is, in fact, crystal clear. The white head is huge and pillowy and leaves wonderful fuzzy navel lacing. The aroma is smart and tart. The fruity hops smell like they're from a deep forest. In the mouth, it's a touch thin and gritty. It belies the soft appearance of the head. Smooth, nonetheless. The flavor is simple hops and a light but meaty grain that ends up a bit grassy tasting. There is a candy-like aftertaste-- like Sweet Tarts. Dare I say it's malic? It tastes like a handful of Runts candy-- leaving the banana ones in. I'm fussy with wheat beers but this one is really mature and refined... and crystal clear!
(rated Jul 24, 2007)

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2008 13:38:42 | More by yesyouam

colts9016

Idaho

4.03/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour: golden yellow color with carbonation 2 finger head with lacing.
Nose: malt, wheat, straw, and a hint of citrus.
Taste: Wheat, yeast malt character with hints of citrus.
Body: thin, not watery
Finish clean easy drinking. I really enjoyed drinking this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2008 22:30:15 | More by colts9016