Erdinger Weissbier Kristallklar - Erdinger Weissbräu

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

atis

Finland

3.13/5  rDev -12.3%
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 -24.9%
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 -9.5%
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%
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%
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 +12%
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 +6.4%
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 +3.6%
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 +0.3%
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 +12%
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