Erdinger Weissbier Kristallklar - Erdinger Weissbräu

tony223366

California

3.68/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From my beer journal. Originally reviewed on June 7, 2011.

A: Straw light gold color. Extremely clear. Fluffy light white head with nice lacing. 1 finger sticks around.

S: Cloves and lemons with some nice malts.

T: Cloves and citrus dominate. Light wheaty flavor. Actually has a bit of a bite on the tail end.

M: Light body, but not as carbonated as weihenstephaner.

O: Not bad, but I prefer Weihenstephaner if I had to pick a Kristalweizen

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 07:17:42 | More by tony223366

Offa

California

4.03/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep gold, huge white head steadily shrinks to rich, foamy ring, some lace.

Aroma is lots of fruity grain, apple, light yeasty bread dough, light herb and hint of mineral.

Taste is light, crisp fruity grain, dough, apple, apple peel, hints of herb, lemon and mineral – all very light and ultimately mostly dominated by mineral, apple and hint of grassy citrus, with the finish being mostly mineral and apple. It has a nice, zesty feel, is light and crisp. Character is light and rather simple, but it’s very pleasant and drinkable, with enough body and character to keep it going.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 21:08:09 | More by Offa

eric5bellies

Australia

3.73/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Darnk from my Eridinger Weizen glass

A - Pours a clear golden straw colour wotha white frothy head that retains well and leaves lacing on the glass.

S - Malts, clove and banana

T - Citrus up front with some light bread and malt present, finishes with a little bitterness.

M - Medium body and carbonation.

O - Highly drinkable Kristalweizen

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 05:21:45 | More by eric5bellies

smakawhat

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a mug at Biergarten Haus DC.

Giant head off the pour just like a Hefeweizen that is white and thick. Big retention almost rock hard but gets a little soapy. Good looking carbonation from the bottom, pale gold/straw body with good sticky lacing while drinking. Yup this looks good.

Bouquet is kind of small but good. Small malts it seems but typical lemon and banana. THis seems also a little powdery and dry.

Taste and feel is a little bit gaseous and off putting. Big prickly carbonation masking some of the banana flavor, crispness dry cracker a little but mostly gaseous on the finish.

Overall it seems okay to me but not something I'd want to have again.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 18:22:08 | More by smakawhat

Everydayoff

Thailand

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle poured into an Erdinger weizen glass by freshness date.

A:
The pour produces transparent bright gold color with thick frothy white head and with good retention. It falls to thin foamy layer and leaves some patches of lace along the glass-side, rather high carbonation.

S:
Malt predominates with akin breadiness, subtle on banana, yeast and clove yet with a hint of floral.

T:
Light on fruity ester, malt is there with a sharp wheat and a bready sweet. Citrus zest moderately flares along with ghost-like bitterness from hop and some spice from clove. Finish is sweet by a clean maltiness.

M:
The body is medium, smooth mouthfeel with a stellar crisp from lively carbonation, dry and clean finish.

O:
It’s a pretty good brew that still have some vitality and gusto even being filtered.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 16:18:06 | More by Everydayoff

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best before 9-2011.

Poured into a pilsner: Transparent apple juice yellow with plenty of small, fast nucleation bubbles. Shiny. Four fingers of sudsy, large-beaded head with some nice rising action.

Never would have guessed this was a wheat by the smell: slighty mineral, musty lager smell with a little apple & lemon tartness.

Taste follows suit, like a cross between a mild apple cider or even sparkling apple juice & a basement-y helles. Some sugars in the aftertaste, but with a dry, seltzer kind of center.

Active, crisp & a little tingly, not too far from champagne. A little on the sharp side, but not too bad.

Reminded me a lot of some Euro pale lagers I've had, & again with a character not unlike champagne. I miss the smooth creaminess of a traditional hefe, though this will do. Nothing too challenging about it, easy enough to drink, though I'm not sure I'd jump at the chance to try it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 21:03:26 | More by OneDropSoup

generallee

New York

3.88/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 1pt 0.9oz bottle into a weizen glass. The bottle has a freshness date but no abv%.

Appearance: The body is clear, golden yellow in color and toped off with a tall loosely packed head. Most of the larger bubbles settle out quickly leaving a thin creamy covering. This holds on well and makes some slick lacing which slides right down the glass as I drink.

Smell: Its nose is lighter than most wheat beers but offers some mild fruity wheat with light notes of clove, banana and hop spice.

Taste/Palate: The flavor starts with a base of light grain and wheat mixed with mild notes of clove and fruity yeast. There is only a slight banana note and mild sweetness. Hops add a nice floral spice and crisp dryness to the neutral finish. On the tongue it has a fairly crisp light feel with balanced carbonation.

Notes: Its very drinkable with good clean wheat beer flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 23:01:50 | More by generallee

kojevergas

California

1.95/5  rDev -45.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Bottle into Erdinger Weisbier pint glass (how apt!). My bottle displays its name as simply "Kristall", but the ABV and labels match.

A: Pours a hazy but transparent yellow-gold with a thin head of fair retention and little cream. Generally appealing.

Sm: Musty one-note scent of malted barley. A poor aroma, but thankfully a light one.

T: As lacking as the smell. One empty open to a single generic note of barley with a lacking finish. Poorly balanced and poorly constructed. A bit of vanilla on the finish - strange for this style.

Mf: Lumpy. No joke. Far too heavy on the tongue for how little flavour its taste contains. A bit overcarbonated. Too smooth. It's almost got the thickness of syrup without the sweetness. Alarmingly dense. By far the worst part of this beer (and hitherto the worst characteristic of any Erdinger brew I've ever tasted). There's a hint of coarseness on the finish which is kind of nice.

Dr: Won't buy it again, won't have it again, won't speak of it again. A damned disappointment for Erdinger. Not bad tasting, just empty. It should be said that it hides its ABV well, however

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 20:00:22 | More by kojevergas

bump8628

Oklahoma

3.9/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

.5L Euro bottle with a clearly marked freshness date.

Clear and golden with a nice head of white frothiness atop.

Lots of grainy wheat and warm bread notes with a cutting lemongrass hoppiness and very mild yeast-derived notes of vanilla and clove. Clean and flavorful. Could be mistaken for a well-made German lager if not for the distinctive wheatiness.

An easy drinker to start the day off.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 18:53:39 | More by bump8628

cambabeer

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Fairly persistant white head on a clear gold body. Not very unique. Smell is somewhat average, a little like corn. Taste is seet then butter with a hint of hops in the aftertaste. Fairly good mouthfeel and carbonation. Leaves a slight pasty feeling on the palate. Drinkable, with a medium body. Worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 18:15:42 | More by cambabeer

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.88/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep golden colour, kristall clear, with a large amount of big-bubbling carbonation. Head is frothy, but rather flat. No rockiness, and although it retains rather well, it doesn't have the tension to retain its shape. Looks like a decent enough Kristalweizen, and I really enjoy watching the carbonation in the style.

Light spicy notes on the nose, clove being dominant, with a bit of earthy pepperiness, and a slightly rank odour . Nice enough, but there's some odd characters to it.

Taste lifts this to a better level. Crisp wheat notes, and a light spice, but with a clear sweetness on the back. Finish is a very slightly metallic, but it adds a slight crispness that clears the palate nicely. Feel is classic for a kristal, smooth and soft for the most part, with just a crispness on the end.

A good kristal, a style which is often overshadowed by its more favoured sister style, the Hefeweizen. This doesn't quite show it off to its full potential, but it's a clean, refreshing and drinkable beer nonetheless. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 07:08:54 | More by lacqueredmouse

metter98

New York

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is crystal clear golden yellow in color and poured into a weizen glass with a two finger high head that has good retention properties. A high amount of carbonation is visible from the rising bubbles.
S: There are light aromas of wheat with notes of bananas, cloves and yeast in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has additional flavors of grainy malts and result in a slight amount of sweetness.
M: It feels light-bodied and very clean on the palate with a high amount of carbonation.
D: The beer is very easy to drink and quite refreshing, although it's not as thirst quenching as an unfiltered wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2010 13:54:58 | More by metter98

Gmann

New York

3.35/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pale straw color with some honey highlights, very much like a macro. However it does have a beautiful rocky pure white head that takes its time settling into a cap leaving some spotty lacing. The aroma is pretty blah, sweet pale malt with a slight tin like note. The taste is sweet but fairly clean. Seems to have a corn or adjuct type flavor and sweetness but none of the gross aftertaste. Any of the yeasty goodness has been filtered out of this brew, perhaps a very light banana creme pie flavor but that is it. The weizen has a light but not watery body, fizzy carbonation which leads to a crisp feel. Sweet overall but not cloying. This is quite a refreshing beer but it is boring. Definitely needs some more of the yeast flavors to come through.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 04:35:47 | More by Gmann

RuudJH

Netherlands

3.43/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Filtered wheatbeer, 0.5 l bottle, bought on a short trip to Germany.

Golden colour, good head on this, but very disappointing carbonation on this sample.

Smell is more pilsner-like than the hefeweizen version: it has less of the banana, and more of the standard hoppyness in the flavour too.
Smell and flavour are faint all over.

Watery mouthfeel, and the lack of carbonation isn't helping the experience.

It's an easy drinkable beer, but it's not at all the more lively experience that a standard hefeweizen gives.
All in all, quite disappointing to me.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 12:58:52 | More by RuudJH

kcbaby

Texas

3.3/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

A: Crisp, golden color with a large head that dissipates quickly

S: Typical citrus and spice characteristics, with a bit of bread in the back.

T: Coriander, corn, and wheat

M: Thin and carbonated

D: Easily drinkable on a hot day, goes down easily

Overall: An easy and simple example of the style, but it tastes a bit too much of corn to seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 22:08:40 | More by kcbaby

rarbring

Sweden

3.3/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A crystal(!) clear pale straw colored brew, very few bubbles, a thick white head that recedes slowly and leaves some lacing.

The smell is rather weak, sweet citric (lemon/orange), some general spiciness, a bit of bready yeastiness.

Some sett bread upfront, lemon sourness, a light zesty bitterness at the end.

Medium carbonation, a smooth and pleasant mouth feel.

All in all - a bit tame, and a bit too sweet to be really thirst quenching.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 15:25:51 | More by rarbring

BucBasil

South Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bought at the Carrefour in Varna, Bulgaria, along with a bunch of other beers I never thought I'd see in this country.

Poured from the 500mL bottle into a weizen glass.

A: Uncontrollably huge head on this one, even with a careful pour. The beer is a light gold color that is, as the label suggests, Crystal Clear. The pure white head dies down within a minute, leaving some lacing on the glass.

S: The aroma is nothing to write home about, being somewhat faint in my opinion. What is there reveals some typically weiss characteristics, citrusy with a touch of yeast. Spice character is subdued, as with other kristallweizens. Overall, very clean.

T: Fisrt taste is surprisingly balanced, with a touch of malt in there, as well as some honey. Finishes fresh with a lot of light fruits and slight spice.

M: Pretty smooth, though also somewhat thin.

D: This is a solid beer with a nice fresh character. A good summer beer, but not something I'd go out of my way for again...

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2010 14:52:55 | More by BucBasil

sunrisesolara

Austria

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

.5L emptied into a Weizen.

A: Pours a clear amber with a fluffy 3-finger white head which receeds to a thin ring. Nice lacing throughout.

S: Bready yeast, bananas, some cloves, hint of orange.

M: Medium bodied with good carbonation.

T: Sweet malt, grain. Slight touch of yeast. Light esters and mild hops. Sweetness prevails here. Fruity, dry finish with an orange-like aftertaste.

D: Smooth, refreshing. Would make a good summer afternoon drink, but not the best of the breed by far. It does go down quickly, though.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2010 19:13:57 | More by sunrisesolara

SamN

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +17.1%
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 +3.1%
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 +3.6%
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 -17.4%
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 +14.8%
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 +3.1%
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 +11.5%
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