Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

2.5/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12 oz. twist-off cap bottle > 16 oz. Stella glass

I'm a sucker for just about anything with Honey in it!! This one is a clear (yes, filtered) light golden color with a minimal and thin, white crown, rises only about 1/2" and is gone, baby gone. Not much left-over either. The carbonation starts out lively and becomes sedate pretty fast. yikes.

I'm getting, charred wheat, metallic aroma's that remind me of my Grandmother getting a home perm. That is not a pleasent scent!! Subdued and mild citrus effects simply don't pop out enough. double yikes!

The flavor is a bit better than I expected from the look and the smell, but it's got a decent, smokey wheat flavor,although the metallic, sour-yeast like flavor is present and it's totally void of any citrus flavor's or hops. The wheat malt tastes much like a regular Budweiser and the honey addition is only slightly noticable. There is no real sweet current to the flavor.

The feel starts out light and crisp, which is great but it becomes pretty flat and lifeless after only a short time.

I do regret paying the $7.99 for this sixer.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2008 23:32:26 | More by GratefulBeerGuy

MbpBugeye

Ohio

2.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Wait, Kristalweizen!? What? Lol who did that? Very funny guys, change it back to APWA now.

Anyway, I'm not supposed to complain about the style here, this form is for comments and reviews of the beer. I guess that means I need to formulate some opinions on this stuff, and quick.

A- Well the body kinda looks like a kristalweizen, its a perfectly clean yellow, dangerously close to Bud. A white head that's much better than that of Budweiser's fades to a film.

S- Not much of interest here, some honey rides over grains. A little suggestion of wheat comes out too.

T- Very sweet from a lack of hops and a slight addition of honey. Other than those minor details there isn't much in this beer that makes it original.

M- Do have to mention the mouth feel? It its briskly carbonated to the point of pain, I have to swallow it before I cann get much else, but I can tell it had a weird slick feeling too.

D- I always rate the drinkability high for beers with low alcohol and light flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 05:45:01 | More by MbpBugeye

jwinship83

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- very pale yellow colored body with a small white head. some small visible bubbles.

S- honey, metal, and grain.

T- sweeter than normal wheat. i guess thats from the honey.

M- crisp, clean, and refreshing. well carbonated.

D- certainly not one of my favorites, but something i could see myself drinking several of while camping or in an other situation where im "roughing it." easy to drink and reminds me of summer.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2009 06:14:16 | More by jwinship83

brdc

Wisconsin

2.8/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

It looks a little better than it is, pale yellow, some white head, a lot less than you expect for the style.
Aroma is just not there, minimal, and I am not sure what it is. A little alcohol, maybe some bread, but I am forcing the issue.
Thin on the mouth, minor hints of clove and perhaps banana, but I am really looking hard to find something here.
Easy to drink, but why bother...

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2007 03:08:01 | More by brdc

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

2.38/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Best by Oct. 8, 2012. Poured into a Hoegaarden glass with gusto.

Pours a light honey color with tremendous clarity. Very little head off the pour is a bit disappointing. After a mere 30 seconds, the beer is just as transparent looking down upon the surface to the bottom, sans some pesky surface foam.

The only aromatics I'm getting off of Honey Weiss is tangy wheat and honey. The malts are there, but the hops are minute.

Tastes like a wheat ale with adjuncts and a light dose of honey. The wheaty tang is overpowered with bittering hop preservatives and grainy husks. I can pick up some cooked veggies in the mix. A little rigorous in the finish. Aftertaste carries out some honey. Faint banana, but it's a washout.

Very thin and bubbly. Watery, even. Hard to hold back a burp on each sip. A rather stale mouthfeel.

A mediocre wheat ale, and hardly a kristalweizen. The honey flavor is not entirely forgiving, but at least it gives it character. I'm not a Leinie's fan, but this one was a big disappointment. Regrettable last beer of the night.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 05:10:24 | More by thecheapies

MTNboy

Missouri

3.35/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I have heard this beer be compared to Blue Moon Honey Wheat a lot so when I saw it in there summer sampler. I thought well I had never tried any of Leinekugel’s beers it was high time that I did.

Appearance- It poured a translucent yellow with a an average sized clean white head.

Smell- It smelled of sweet malt. I think honey always brings out the malt. It had a little but not much of the fruity bouquet that is often affiliated with a wheat beer too.

Taste- Mildly fruity esters as a wheat beer should. Followed by a sweet aftertaste.

Mouthfeel. In about the average range nothing spectacular.

Drinkability- I would drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2007 12:57:25 | More by MTNboy

TheSarge

Illinois

3.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Leinie's Honey Weiss pours with a good amount of head production, which retains well with fine lacing. The body is pale gold, and ultra clear. It reminds me of how a kristall weizen should look.

Aromas are very citrusy, with lemon being in the forefront. It actually smells more like a shandy/radler more so than a straight up wheat beer.

The taste is also very radler/shandy like with lemon being very upfront. There is only a very faint bitterness in the end.

This feels prickly with a lot of carbonation.

Altogether this is an enjoyable beer that offers not too many complexities to ponder. It's a good trade over from the BMC scene.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2009 15:12:27 | More by TheSarge

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

2.65/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A- pretty good looking beer. Transparent straw yellow body with bubbles rising to the top. Thich foamy white head that lasts and lasts. Leaves plenty of lacing behind in the glass. Pours perfect-if it were a pale lager. The transparent color of the body is why I did not rate this one higher. I expect at least a little bit of fog in my wheats.

S- Light smell of honey and sweet caramel malt.

T- Strong taste of honey with some sweet malt backing. Aftertaste is all sweet honey. Not bad but not impressive. My question is...where is the wheat?

M- High carbonation and thin somewhat watery body. The high carbonation helps tame the initial honey taste.

D- This one is drinkable but not very enjoyable. Drinkability on the same level as your average macro lager. This beer was unoffensive but a letdown. I probably won't have it again. Sunset Wheat is a much better offering from Leine's.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2007 16:27:48 | More by PittBeerGirl

hosehead83

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev +2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a standard pint glass
Clear, pale gold, with a big head of white foam
Aroma-Faint wheat, lemon zest
Taste-Faint wheat and lemon notes. Faint honey note. General weak flavor all around-Very Macro-brew in flavor
Overall, might be better if served very cold on a hot day in a frosted beer mug, which is about the only way I can "enjoy" an American Adjunct Lager.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 15:44:08 | More by hosehead83

hardy008

Minnesota

2.3/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a golden yellow color. The head has poor retention. Smell is of wheat and some sweetness, can't say the sweetness is from honey though. The taste is the same, but I don't taste honey. Kind of a bland beer overall. Clean mouthfeel with decent carbonation. Light bodied. Not offensive, also not special. Decent drinkability. Nothing special. Kind of eh.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2009 03:37:41 | More by hardy008

AleWatcher

Illinois

1.63/5  rDev -45.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Very clear and light golden color. Two fingers of starch white foamy head settled quickly into a thin soapy film. No lacing.

The nose has small hints of banana and a grainy malt profile.
The flavor is a dose of the same, but with a sweet aftertaste... In fact, the beer is too sweet. The overall flavor reminds me of sweetened cereal grains.

The body is thin, very thin. Very bubbly. This is practically Miller Lite in nearly all aspects.

Overall... Well, after not having one of these for 7 or 8 years, I can pmfortably say that I will go at least double that before reaching for another (except in those dire situations, perhaps at a BBQ?!)

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 03:23:22 | More by AleWatcher

MuenchenerKindl

Germany

3.73/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle the liquid is a niceclear gold with good carbonation. the head is 2 fingers, white and leaves some lace.

The smell is good, a light wheat bread.

The taste is also good, wheat bread with a touch of sweetness.

The mouthfeel is good, nice carbonation and a lighter then medium body.

The drinkability is very good, to be sure this is not a big beir, it is clear refreshing and good tasting, really a very drinkable brew but not a beer to chase down, just plain quaffable.

Prosit, MK

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 20:50:31 | More by MuenchenerKindl

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Clear golden. Head is pretty prominant and holds on pretty well.
S- Smell is sweet, I feel like that's likely the result of the honey. Really the honey sweetness is all that's on the nose.
T- Sweet honey flavor, maybe a bit grainy. One-dimensional throughout, with a bit of a musty finish.
M- Light bodied, quite crisp. Actually the carbonation needs to be dialed back a bit.
O- It's a decent intro beer, but it's not one that I regularly pursue. The honey flavor is kinda nice but it doesn't go anywhere. A beer stuck in first gear I would say.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2011 08:13:57 | More by jsprain1

jjanega08

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A= Light brown almost yellow color. Tall head that's very fluffy and dissipates quickly but stays throughout the drink. Small amount of lacing only toward the end of the beer
S= Not much of anything, Very subtle hints of corn, malt and a very light note of hops
T= What I would imagine miller high life tastes like if it had a little honey in it... It's ok but it's not really my thing. Light taste with a little honey when it goes down at the end. A small bit at first. More Miller in the middle.
M= Very smooth and light. Low carbonation dull finish
D= High, a good session beer that you can drink a lot of.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2008 00:45:42 | More by jjanega08

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - bubbly straw yellow, with fluffy temporary 2 finger head.

S - grain, wheat, hint of honey.

T - more grain and wheat taste with such a subtle sweet finish from the honey.

M - light body, goes down smooth

D - This is one of my favorite Leinie's; good summer beer and many non-beer lovers may enjoy it. Very sessionable. Great post grass-cutting beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2010 16:15:40 | More by BeerLover99

Oxymoron

Colorado

1.58/5  rDev -46.8%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Available everywhere in the North Midwest. Leine’s Honey Weiss pours a straw colored yellow with practically no head or lacing. Also the beer was filtered and was clear. The smell was non-existent. Some sweeter malt scenes but really not much there. No honey tones nor flowery essence.

The taste was rather plain. Similar to a macro with no hops. The malt was really the only flavor, and it tasted more like pale or base malts. No real wheat flavor and no real weizen flavor. The body was very light and really more of a watery taste to it. I was not impressed with this beer at all.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2005 01:37:38 | More by Oxymoron

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a pint glass with a lemon wedge on the rim (which was quickly removed).
Clear straw yellow color, thin white foam than quickly disappeared.
Light malt aroma, with some residual citrus fruit smell. Very crisp and clean flavor. Slight honey taste, but not enough to be overly sweet or cloying. Clean, wheat malt with a dryish finish. A very easy to drink brew, a good summer time beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2007 14:07:19 | More by BigBry

bsp77

Minnesota

2.9/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Single glass.

Appearance: Bright, clear yellow with very little head.

Smell: Not too much going on here. Light semi-sweet malts, a touch of honey and hops.

Taste: Light, slightly fruity malts with some honey. Not as sweet as I feared, and finishes crisp.

Feel: Pretty high carbonation and light body.

Drinkability: Nothing special, but not bad, and it certainly is refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2009 21:07:29 | More by bsp77

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This beer came a bright gold with a touch of orange with a haze of bubbles sustaining a thin larger bubbled head. Smells of dirty corn with a comical honey flavor and candy sourness. Tastes of more dirty corn with a sharp sourness (an added lemon makes this a bit more manageable) with a decisive honey-like finish. Mouth feel is medium with a medium carbonation. This is a non-intrusive and relatively flavorful beer that is very easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2005 19:54:10 | More by DarkerTheBetter

guinness33

New Jersey

3.15/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very light (but crisp) golden colour with a mid-sized to smallish head that has virtually no retention time as it fizzles down to a thin lace while at the same time leaving gobs of residue on the glass.

The aroma is a bit grainy with some wheat, along with a fair amount of sweetness and of course honey. Simple and to the point, overall.

The flavour is essentially very much the same, although it might pack slightly more of a punch than the aroma: wheat in the back with a bit more honey sweetness lingering throughout, with perhaps a slight touch of hops toward the finish. Mouthfeel is very much light bodied but quite crisp and refreshing.

This isn't a bad brew, it's just not memorable and basically average all around. It's easy as hell to drink and makes for a decent thirst quencher in the summer, but I can still think of many others that I'd grab in the hot summer months before this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2008 03:07:47 | More by guinness33

jasonjlewis

Texas

3.15/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Not a bad beer, not a good beer. very average. A little watery on the back of the palate. Not a lot going on. Some honey and wheat characteristics. No real bitterness to note. A no frills beer, best saved for the summer time. I got a leinenkugel's sampler case for 20 bucks, never having heard of their beers. I may have some every once in a while and will offer them to my friends as well. Not bad. Eh.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2006 03:37:34 | More by jasonjlewis

kimcgolf

Georgia

2.2/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

I’m not a real Weiss beer fan, and this beer sure as hell didn’t convince me otherwise. Yellowish-red appearance with a nice head was about all it really had going for it. Not a bad tasting beer, but just not anything that made it special. Most likely won’t be drinking this again, since there are way too many beers that are so much better.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2006 17:56:03 | More by kimcgolf

Foxman

New Jersey

2.9/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

It pours a crystal clear buttercup yellow. A finger of bright white head sinks soon to froth. Tight links of lacing run along the inside of the glass.

The aroma is sweet, but in no way notably so from honey, or even from malt for that matter. A dull sour note joins a slightly peppery hop element.

Upon tasting, the malt is indeed sweet here, and as well a touch of honey can just be made out. The hops are green and grassy, with a slight metallic spice bite. The wheat is most apparent near the close when it comes across with a lightly tangy crispness. The finish is rather swift but reasonably dry and clean. It's mediocre, but not offensive.

Light bodied, it has a spritzy feel that doesn't mesh especially well with the sweet nature.

It looks like a macro, but it's not, really. It smells like a macro, but it's not, really. What saves it from macro-hood, though, is the flavor which, while far from impressive, is at least well tastier than most macros. And this helps make it roughly average (read, mediocre) in its drinkability. Sure, sucking down a couple of these on a hot day might be doable. However, I'm not sure I would look this way because it's not often this would be the best I have on hand.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2008 20:21:37 | More by Foxman

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Best by August 27, 2012:

Into a pilsener (also had in a borrowed weizen, no change):

A: yellow colored body with a two finger foamy white head. Lots of carbonation is seen rising. There was no lacing whatsoever.

S: some hops with a bland sort of honey. There really wasn't anything else to note.

T: sweet through the honey up front and once again nothing that stood out.

M: pretty light and no carbonation was felt, sessionable

O: well it's not a bad beer, just not something to scream about. Weird, how I thought this was a better beer, maybe it tasted better when I lived in Michigan and I was closer to Wisconsin? Not sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 15:17:05 | More by kangarooAdam59

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from Tiger Town in Gardiner. Pours a very light yellow translucent body with virtually no head. Smells of some lemon and vanilla, faintly... Tastes like biscuit malt, with hints of lemon and hints of diacetyl. Very light in body with ample carbonation to make this a refreshing easy drinker. The flavor though, while okay, isn't great and certainly isn't the best of the style I've had.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2008 06:04:25 | More by MrHurmateeowish