In the world of German Weiss beers there are a couple terms which I have seemed to confuse and blend together. After reading Randy Mosher’s book Tasting Beer I finally got a good handle on my terms. The titles “weis,” “weiss,” “weisse” simply mean white. They usually describe a hazy, pale beer brewed with wheat in the Northern part of Europe. Another common term is “weizen” meaning wheat. This is used to classify Weissbiers from the Bavarian region. “Hefe” means yeast and is the more popular variety which contains yeast in the beer. I just learned that “kristal” is a Weissbier that has been filtered, giving it a well, crystal clear appearance.

After learning this, I decided to give one a try. Knowing that the Weihenstephaner Brewery makes some great beer and is one of the oldest breweries my bid went to them. To my surprise this beer really was a class act. It poured just like a Weiss with an airy, billowing egg-shell white head. The clarity was great making my think I was about to drink a lager. The aroma was very similar to a Hefe, but lighter. The banana and clove notes were lighter (to my delight) and the wheat aspect was more noticeable. Naturally, since the yeast was filtered it did not have big bready nose. There was a mild earthy hoppiness in both the aroma and taste.

The first sip was blissful cold and energizing. I love wheat beers for their lighter body and thirst quenching abilities and this beer was no different. The heavy yeast quality was diminished letting me enjoy the wheat and hops flavors while providing a slight bready, light grain (wheat) character. It was an interesting rendition of a Weiss, because everything I had sampled before this point was cloudy.

It had a smooth taste and finished very clean. The aftertaste was mildly bitter, and somewhat dry, but this only helped to cleanse the palate. In summary, I’d say this beer was classy, sophisticated, unusual, and well made.

ABV: 5.4%

Grade: A-