Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

iceberg3k

Minnesota

3/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Serving: 23-oz. "Brewtus" serving at Applebee's, Rochester, MN

Appearance: Bright amber color, thin, white lace (the head had already dissipated by the time it reached the table) that hung around for a while. Pretty good looking.

Smell: Nondescript; the smell of honey barely appears.

Taste: Thin honey taste with few other real flavor components. The taste isn't really enough to distinguish it; slight (very slight) bitter notes became apparent as the beer warmed up.

Mouthfeel: Am I drinking water? I don't know.

Drinkability: Very drinkable, crisp and clean with little aftertaste, but the other factors are unimpressive.

Overall: Leinie's is something I'd drink if the only other choices were macros, but given a choice, I'll stick with one of my more usual brews.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2003 02:12:02 | More by iceberg3k

chaduvel

Massachusetts

2.85/5  rDev -4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at Upper Deck. Crystal clear golden color, small head that dissipated too quickly. Smell of fair grains, touch of mile hop and some sweet twang. No wheat beer aromas to speak of. Taste is watery with a touch of honey sweetness and hardly any hops. Kind of tasteless. Not impressed by this one at all, I was imagining a German style Weiss beer with real honey flavor too boot. Alas this is not one such nectar.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2003 16:11:44 | More by chaduvel

chilidog

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +29.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

You wouldn't know this was a wheat beer if the bottle didn't say. I mean, its appearance isn't your typical cloud or haze. Rather this beer is pretty clear, straw in color with a small, non-laceing white head. The aroma is not overly sweet, but about average. The taste is crisp, just a touch of honey blends this brew to a nice balance between the slight hop and the wheat malt. The mouth is left alittle dry, wanting more. Im not big on over-sweet brews, thisone just hit the spot. I'll buy thisone again.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2003 12:55:53 | More by chilidog

DrunkMcDermott

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Can’t find a lot to get enthused about here. Had a bottle in a Wisconsin bar where it was the nearest thing to a micro-brew and the bottle had been in a flourescent lighted cooler. No complaints about the color, smell and taste are not off-putting.
Another bottle from the ”Leinie's Lodge Tackle Box” improved my opinion somewhat. There actually is a slight spicy weizen aspect in the nose that improves the tasting experience. Still can't say where the "honey" part comes in.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2003 13:25:55 | More by DrunkMcDermott

Brent

Kentucky

3/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nice, sweet malt aroma, but not much to announce that this is a wheat. Very clean flavor - nothing noteworthy, other than the fact that there are no off-flavors, and "technically" pretty well made. Honey does seem to lend some sweetness, but no particular honey flavors are evident. A refreshing American pale wheat, but quite average.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2003 21:45:07 | More by Brent

Bighuge

Minnesota

2.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Clear golden. Thick, dense white head. Good retention. Aroma is a little spicy of all things. But I also get a little of that honey sweetness and pilsner like malt qualities on the nose. This is a refreshing beer, if a bit bland. Not really a lot going on that I like. Sweet qualities are really subtle. Matliness almost absent. Bitterness barely perceived. I'd take the Leiney's Original in a heartbeat over this one.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2003 16:26:36 | More by Bighuge

cbill

Florida

2.3/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

i don't have much experiance with wheat beers, but this definately is not like the others i've had. pours very pale just like a mass produced lager with no head at all. there was no cloudiness as i've seen in other wheat beers. very slight honey flavor, but not too noticeable. save your money and just buy bud or miller, this really isn't any better and i don't thionk you're realy getting a wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2003 16:09:59 | More by cbill

TheDM

Indiana

2.63/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This brew poured a large head of fine white bubbles. It has a transparent light lemon yellow body that left very little lacing. You can smell the honey flavor in its aroma. Its flavor is nice with a little mild honey flavor to it. It is initially smooth and stays that way through the finish. Overall, it was a nice beer to drink, but in this category I would rather have the Michelob Honey Lager.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2003 21:45:31 | More by TheDM

Tballz420

Minnesota

2.1/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This was a pale gold colored beer, looks like most macros you would find. No head to be found. Theres a pretty watery taste to this drink, along with a slight wheat flavor. This isnt something you would be looking for if youre looking for a good tasting brew. Maybe if its hot out and youre looking to put down a lot of drinks, but other than that stay away.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2003 14:29:32 | More by Tballz420

BobLuvBeer

Illinois

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

Very lite in color. Medium head, slow fade. Slight hint of wheat in the aroma. The “characteristic” rusty Linny taste is present. Just smoothed out slightly by the addition of honey. I would never classify this in the wheat family. But as the Linny family goes, it is one of their better offerings. A good summer, hot day beer. No fresh date.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2003 12:09:01 | More by BobLuvBeer

Winter

Wisconsin

2.7/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a crystal clear pale golden with an airy white head. Very odd aroma of sour malt. What kind of adjuncts did contract brewer, Miller, put into this? The mouthfeel is thin, yet crisp. Feint wheat taste and the honey flavor is almost undetectable. Use of hops adds something at least to this beer to make it a little interesting. Cleansing finish.

Leinie's Honey Weiss gets a bad rap and justifiably so. The name and idea of this beer are more appealing than the final result. It's too tame and certainly lacks many of the characteristics of a good weiss. Almost more like a lager. Despite that, Honey Weiss can be enjoyable on a hot summer day, if properly chilled. Goes down easy and hits the spot.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2003 10:48:09 | More by Winter

Redrover

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap in a 16 oz pint glass. Beer poured a pale yellow, very clear and none of the haze you expect in a weiss beer. Not a ton of smell. Just a hint of honey & some malt. No banana/clove that you get in most weiss beers.

Taste was also slight. Some sweetness from the honey, at touch of malt and hardly any hops. None of the complexity of a really good wheat beer. On the plus side, beer was smooth and extremely easy to drink.

Went well with the pizza & ribs I had for dinner. Not a beer I would search out on a regular basis. Seems to be popular with the macro drinkers who sometimes venture a little further afield.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2003 19:29:58 | More by Redrover

hotstuff

Indiana

3.08/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This brew poured a white foamy head. There was very little lacing on the sides of my glass. It had a honey aroma to it. There was carbonation rising to the top. There was no bitterness or aftertaste to this brew. This is not a brew that will be at the top of my list of favorite brews.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2003 17:34:22 | More by hotstuff

BeerBuilder

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours to a clear, brilliant straw color with a white head that quickly diminishes. The aroma is semi-sweet, with a touch of honey and a bit of grain. The flavor is light, with a barely noticeable touch of honey. It has a grainy flavor as well. It is light in body, smooth and easy drinking. A good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2003 08:17:29 | More by BeerBuilder

tavernjef

Minnesota

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

Light golden yellow in color, with a good white head, some what lacey. Smells of grassy hops and grains, somewhat citrusy lemon-like, with just a hint of the honey. Taste is a bit watery with a good hop dryness and a touch of honey and lemon. You could easily drink a ton of these, but why?

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2003 10:35:36 | More by tavernjef

cretemixer

Indiana

2.38/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a crystal clear light golden color with an impressive pure-white head . The head retention is good and it finally settles to a fairly thick, even layer on the beer's surface.

Slightly skunky barley based aroma is most prominent. There is a sweet earthy aroma too.

Rather thin tasting, slightly metalic. A bit of hop bitterness, but very mild. I don't really taste the honey or any wheat beer characteristics either.

Carbonation and body are average as is the drinkablility. There are much better beers out there though in this price range.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2003 14:15:24 | More by cretemixer

AudioGilz

Pennsylvania

2.48/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Slightly cloudy light yellow in color with virtually no head to speak of. This is unexciting to drink. I taste just a faint honey and it's not natural. The mouthfeel is very thin and watery. This beer is refreshing though. It definitely would be a good tight budget summer session beer. But I'd rather cough up a couple more bucks for something better, like a weiss beer that tastes like a weiss beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2003 18:54:46 | More by AudioGilz

Rifrafboy

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I am not a fan of Leinenkugel's. maybe it's the healthy Minnesota/Wisconsin rivalry. Poured straw yellow, with almost no head. Taste is very sweet. The honey is there, but also a faint fruitiness. Finishes sweet and syrupy. Overall, I had heard bad things about this beer. I did not hate it, in fact it was a nice change of pace. Wouldn't recommend it, but wouldn't turn down a bottle either.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2003 16:48:02 | More by Rifrafboy

budgood1

Minnesota

2.4/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

i'll continue the whipping of this beer............bright yellow color, thin head. very muted aroma of honey and lemon. tastes like nothing. my taste buds are straining to pick up the wheat and honey characteristics..........oh well, it's pretty slammable which gets it a slightly higher drinkability score. a good summer brew for the masses. a bad anytime brew for the advocates.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2002 18:58:17 | More by budgood1

BeerBob

Nebraska

2.63/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Leinenkugel’s “Honey Weiss Bier” pours a light amber out of a 12oz brown twist off cap bottle. Head forms at about two fingers then fades to a light cap with well defined ring.

Nose is unremarkable with a slight wheat malt and a slight honey presence. Palate is more wheat malt than honey which is taking a back seat here. Tart and a bit sour, the wheat malt is the main presence on the palate, with a small amount of hops. The carbonation levels are on par, but that is about it.

This brew lacks balance, honey and a sense of direction, which is not indicative of Leinenkugel.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2002 17:09:14 | More by BeerBob

brakspear

Wisconsin

3.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Hmmm...I guess this is meant to be an adverturesome beer for the summertime masses, I mean it is a "honey weiss bier" according to the label so that makes it darn near foreign!

Actually, this beer may have wheat and honey but their distinctive traits have been strategically removed during the brewing process, what is left is a gold beer with a light head, a mild unoffending taste and aroma with a hint of lemon and sweetness. The beer goes down smooth without offending anyone. I guess this is a "bier" meant to be drunk when the temperature hits 85 and your cooler is empty of everything else.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2002 17:12:46 | More by brakspear

Dogbrick

Ohio

2.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This doesn't hold a candle to Leine's Creamy Dark. Passable wheat beer but there just isn't much under the hood. Faint honey aroma. Straw colored with thin head. Very light flavor with little character.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2002 12:22:35 | More by Dogbrick

ADR

Pennsylvania

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

Surprisingly clear darker yellow color. Head is sparse after 20 seconds. A little estery aroma. Certainly not an overbearing sense of honey (like a Michelob Honey Lager), but then there's not an overbearing sense of any flavor. Vague maple sweetness, a little hazelnut in the aftertaste but little to no spice or any other Wheat characters. This beer is pretty dang bad -- like many "Leinies" products, the flavors just aren't there.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2002 07:29:03 | More by ADR

cokes

Wisconsin

2.15/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Leinies fails again. But at least this is better than the Berry Weiss.
Honey....barely.
Weiss...not at all (at least no discernable traits).
Pours golden with a quick-to-dissapear foamy head.
Funky sweet smell. Not honey...not really malty. Mostly just faint corn syrup.
Taste is virtually absent. Light malts...hops in the finish. Whatever...
Forget this one.
Leinies continues to be Wisconsin's bastard son.
In some odd way...this beer reminds me of Corey Feldman. I am just not sure why this was/is popular around here.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2002 22:00:30 | More by cokes

garymuchow

Minnesota

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

This is a pretty popular beer up around these parts. Big full head. Light malt and lager type aroma. Clear and yellow-gold. Can't taste honey or wheat in the flavor. Really doesn't taste much different than a typical American lager, maybe even light beer. Occassionally get a hint of wheat, but not much beyond that. Some bitterness to the finish. Medium fullness and carbonation. Largely a summer thirst quencher. I'm sure this brewery can make a better beer than this.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2002 14:52:04 | More by garymuchow