Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse | Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu

3.21/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Pours translucent/opaque yellow with a white head. Extremely clean and crisp beer, making it very drinkable. Lemon flavor/scent at the very end, which is pleasant. This was divisive for the three of us -- some found it to be a generic, uninteresting example of the style; while others found it to be a delicious, balanced hefe.

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3.94/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz bottle poured into 14oz teku. Poured a muddy dark yellow color with almost 2 inches of fluffy, white head that had very good retention and no lacing.

The aroma led off with the strong banana and clove scents expected from the style, with nice earthy grain in the background. Very similar on the tongue, light grains supporting the tasty yeast flavors.

The body was light, crisp, smooth, and refreshing, with a nicely dry finish. Drinkability was, as expected, excellent. Overall, an upper-level example of the style.

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4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Cloudy orange pour with decent head.
Smells of orange and what I think might be coriander. Taste, wow. Kinda banana sweet up front with some bite on the back end. Mouthfeel is coating with banana still hanging in there. Aftertaste starts spicy but gives way to the banana. An oustanding brew

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4.11/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

L: Pours a cloudy orange color with a one finger, off white head. Leaves no lacing.

S: Smells straightforward. Strong banana, coriander and lemon rind. Some gingerbread, caramel and bubblegum.

T: Graham crackers, vanilla, banana bread, orange sorbet and coriander. Delicious notes of spicy yeast. Slightly tart. Ends on a bittersweet hoppy taste with more notes of spicebread and sweet banana.

F: Feel is slightly thin with lively carbonation. Thirst quenching, but borderline cloying and sugary sweet. Not sessionable in my opinion.

O: Not my favorite but still delicious. My problem with it is that it's very sweet, making it unseasonable (to me, just my opinion). It's a little too sugary and banana-y. After multiple servings it becomes unpalatable. Still, I always come back to it from time to time, especially in the summer. To it's credit, this is the type of hefe I would pair with a big steak, ribs, or bbq chicken whereas Weihenstephaner is more sessionable.

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4.21/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

look: nice foam showing good amount of carbonation. hazy even brownish body.
smell: orange peel and slight notes of coriander, granny smith apple serve as spices for banana sweetness.
taste: balanced and spicy. ripe bananas give way to sour aple notes at the end. just what you would expect from the smell.
feel: great balance, nice carbonation, do not like bananish aftertaste of some hefeweizen but here it's pretty balanced by sour notes and short. medium mouthfeel.
overall: the trademark of hefeweizen for me

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4.06/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Banana, lager, biscuit, clove, lemon. Refreshing. Solid simple hefeweizen, one of the classics. A bit crisp and a bit muted for my liking. I enjoy it most straight out of the bottle...not the prettiest hef, nor the most aromatic, but its tasty.

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4.85/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours golden amber. Smells like yeasty malt. Drinks like carbonated liquid bread. This is my favorite beer in the world. Nothing beats a Weissbier, and after tasting all of the top Hefeweizen, no other top rated German Hefeweizen (Weihenstephaner, Paulaner, Kong Ludwig) can beat a Franziskaner.

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3.9/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

50cl bottle, bb in 8m.

Hazy orange, surprisingly moderate head but might be poorly washed wrong type of glass.

Nose is very classic banana bubblegum and clove.

Taste emphasizes the spice, using pesky carbonation as an amplifier. Less creamy even as it warms up, therefore.

A bit too spritzy for me to be optimal, the creaminess and the fruit suffer as a consequence. A classic nonetheless.

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4.16/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Has medium light carbonation with around a medium body. Feels full and heavy in a good way,like the wheat makes it feel full and dense
Aroma is wheat,banana, clove, apple,,pear,orange and peel.
Taste is similar with citrus and banana lingering

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4.14/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

So I struggle to find the nuances in wheat beers so apologies for fairly basic review. Franziskaner is proof that an AB inBev owned brand can still produce good beer.

L4.5 Amber, beautiful cloud, rich foamy head that stays all the way down./
S4.25 Sweet and wheaty
T4 Pure wheaty goodness. Clean and crisp.
F4
O4.25 Wheat beers taste wise are very much one and the same for me. As long as there are no nasty lingering flavours to detract from the wheatyness (is that a word?) I am happy. This is one of the best I've tried.

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4.5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I taste it for the first time today. I was really impressed. It smells and taste so fresh and the colour looks so good. One of the best beer I have ever had.

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4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a tall clear pint glass. Glowing golden-bronze color, hazy in appearance. Thick, fluffy tan head with good retention and lacing. Some floaters.

Wheat, banana, and orange peel are upfront in the aroma. Other notes of cloves, yeast esters, biscuit, and bread malts.

Taste is pretty much like the aroma. I also taste some mild caramel, spices, and lemon zest. Alcohol is mild, altogether really pleasantly smooth. Feels smooth.

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4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Having this beer on-tap at the Sachsenheim. Served in a tall, slender mug, this beer draws a cloudy, hazy medium golden color with a white head that’s about half an inch thick thick when first drawn and served. Settles to a fairly thick ring lining the inside of the glass. Not much lacing unfortunately though. Aromas of some bready malts and then some wheat with definite clove and banana. The taste is pretty much the same, with some bready malts with a bit of caramel sweetness followed by wheat that gives way to the aforementioned banana and clove for additional sweetness and a spicy touch. Very slight trace of earthy and coral hops. Has a crisp, yet smooth, slightly frothy, medium bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Has a clean finish. A pretty solid representation of this style of beer.

Eric

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4.6/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled (12 oz), chilled in a 37° fridge and sat for 10 minutes at room temperature to be around the right temperature.
Look: poured 1.5 12 oz bottles into a tall Paulaner Weissbier glass I acquired while in Norway. A steady medium pour around 35-45° angle gave me a tall 2-3 finger mostly white head. I did swirl the bottles before pouring to stir up any settlement. Pours a very hazy tan-orange color. Medium head retention, some lacing, head leaves a decent sized film.
Smell: somewhat citrus, a little orange-lemon up front, followed by a yeast sort of smell. Very inteiguing. No smell of alcohol, some clover, and a very subtle hint of breads malt. Smells very good to me.
Taste: follows smell. Good subtle citrus and wheat up front, followed by tropical flavors and a bit of clover, a bit more of the wheat, and then finishes with a little spice and a touch of citrus and finishes malty. Very good tasting and balanced beer in my opinion.
Feel: above standard wheat beer. Medium body, light-mild carbonation, smooth finish, leaves dry. I could drink these all day.
Overall; this is, to me, the standard for a Hefe. I put it a notch above the Paulaner that I had on draft (although Paulaner is also an extremely good example of a Hefeweizen). I used to not care for anything to do with wheats, but this is one of the beers that changed my taste for them (I think a few years helped), now I like all wheats. This is a great beer and it belongs in my top 15-20.

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4.07/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy golden orange color. An aggressive pour yielded a ginormous lathery foam head that spilled over. Once it dissipates, a layer of film and lacing retains throughout.
The nose is big on banana, as well as complimentary aromas of lemon and orange peel. Aromas of bready malt, wheat and touches of yeasty phenols evoking clove.
The taste follows the nose, especially midway as the banana and wheat flavors open up and yield sweetness. Spicy clove like phenols provide a nice balance, as does a subtle hops spice. Flavors of citrus peel add zest.
Medium bodied with a soft mouthfeel and gentle carbonation. Clean finish with a malt and yeasty linger.
This is a good example of Hefeweizen that is nicely balanced and has an easy to drink creamy mouthfeel.

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4.02/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy orange that turns turbid and murky when the final ounces are poured into the glass. Beer is a burnt-orange with a finger of white foam. Head retention is moderate to poor. Aroma is lemon zest, clove, banana, and yeast esters layered over biscuity, nutty malts. It's really subtle, but still nuanced. Served chilled on a warm day, it's a welcoming smell. Flavor profile is nutty, biscuity malts with clove, lemon zest, banana, and yeast esters. Each sip opens up and folds out beautifully, despite being a smaller beer. Mouth feel is crisp and borders on harsh from the carbonation. It has a medium-thin consistency. Overall, a refreshing and flavorful hefe-weissen, which makes for a tasty sessionable beer.

Served in a 12oz snifter from a 11.2oz bottle.

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4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into a snifter glass

Look:
Pours golden with lots of tiny bubbles rising from center. Eggwhite creamy head with good retention.

Smell:
Sweet bread, yeast, and, cloves.

Taste:
Yeast of Germany, tart, sweet, clove, grape.

Feel:
Smooth and soft, wrapped in a crisp carbonation.

Overall:
In the lineup of all the great German Hefes, this one to me leans a little tart. That drops it down a slight for me. Still, it’s one of the better ones. Drink with confidence.

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4.31/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Cloudy and pale golden color though a bit muddy. Soft white head. Banana and clove in the aroma and taste. Lightly bitter, some damp straw. Honey.
Full bodied feel. Its the hefeweizen that defines the style for me.

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3.66/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cerveza de baja carbonatación, con un cuerpo ligero y un aroma frutal donde predomina la banana. En boca es dulce, con sabor a cereales y frutas. Es una cerveza refrescante, a un buen precio y muy fácil de conseguir.

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3.89/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

L- Deep amber, materially hazy, pours with 5-8mm head of fine bubbles that's very very slowly receding due to ongoing material rising CO2.
S- Spicy, somewhere between cloves and cinnamon, nice.
T- At first something akin to cinnamon, then slightly citrus, a slight 'zing' on the tongue comes next which has the clove-like element.
F- Good CO2 in the mouth. This could be a decent higher-end year-round beer. It carries a pretty solid flavour, but it's also very refreshing.
O- Nice stuff, if only if were cheaper in the UK. I recently lived in Berlin for 3 years and certainly drank this there before, (it cost about Euro1.20/500ml bottle there!) just realised I'd never rated it here. Nice to try again.
BB: Sep-19. Bought from one of higher-end west London supermarkets.

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4.02/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap, poured into a pint glass.

L---Dark golden color. Slightly cloudy. Thick white head stuck around for a while and then faded into nothingness. Excellent lacing.

S---Spicy, clove & pepper. There was also fruitiness (citrus & banana).

T---Same as the smell. Very consistent.

F---Somewhat creamy. Very well carbonated.

O---Not the best German Hefe, but better than any American imitators.

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3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled sample.
Light Amber colour, poured a nice, creamy head.
Nose: bananas, burnt caramel, orange peel
Easy to drink, great balanced flavour and no bitter aftertaste.

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2.68/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

(inexperienced drinker) Pungent smell and flavor with light bitterness, consistent flavor throughout. Seems higher quality than imported price suggests, though not the most enjoyable flavor for an undeveloped palate

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4.19/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle with no clear born on dating; into a pint glass.
Appearance- a murky gold with bubbles that can be seen when looking closely; head is a thin white that leaves little lacing.
Smell- bananas, cloves, an assortment of bread and crackers, with a touch of orange sweetness!
Taste - flavors mimic what’s coming from the nose, with some fruity sweetness of banana and orange peel with balance from the dough and spice keeping the sweetness to a minimum!
Feel - a slightly creamy and light feel with a fantastic drinkibility due to the well balanced flavor presentation!
Overall- this brilliantly refreshing brew scores well in all categories, and I’m scoring even higher overall, as the price point is amazing at almost $1/bottle!

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4.16/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Yesterday I had a couple glasses from the tap but this review is for the bottled variety. Very heady, hazy amber body. Banana & clove aroma. The amount of saltiness, sweet new &bitterness are balanced to the point where they cancel each other out. Lovely flavors: banana, orange, apricot & bread at the finish. Medium feel with plenty of carbonation. Delicious!

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