Weiss
Island Brewing Company

WeissWeiss
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From:
Island Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Hefeweizen
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.48 | pDev: 19.54%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
12
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 25, 2014
Added:
Apr 20, 2004
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Retsinis:
Photo of Retsinis
Rated by Retsinis from Arizona

4/5  rDev +14.9%

Nov 30, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by AleHunter805 from California

Jul 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 15, 2012
Photo of augustgarage
Reviewed by augustgarage from California

3.8/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On-tap at the brewery. Served in a 22oz weizen glass.

Listed as a "Bavarian Hefenweizen" (note the "n"). When I ordered this, the bartender said, "I'm sorry, we don't have any ice." I tried again, going with the German pronounciation where "W" is more of a "V" (thus, "vice") - "OH!" she said, "...you mean "Weiss" (pronounced "Why-ss") - OK, well pronounciation aside, on to the beer...

Golden yellow/citrine body - very cloudy with visible effervesence, and darker areas approaching amber or even orange. The head is a pillow of ghost-white steamed milk which persists as a small finger, leaving calligraphic arcs of lacing in its wake, glittering like sea-foam.

Faint banana, light wheat bread, and a hint of sourdough in the nose. Simple but inviting.

Very light tartness, almost like watered down lemon juice. No real spice, and just an intermittent flavor of wheat and banana melded together. The aftertaste suggests vanilla. No off notes, but overall just a little lacking in flavor to hold my interest.

Creamy, well carbonated, and airy body - refreshing and probably better with food and conversation...

Freshness seems to make all the difference with this beer, so I suggest heading over to the brewery rather than picking up a bottle of unknown age.
Mar 02, 2010
Photo of Floydster
Reviewed by Floydster from California

3.27/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
22 ounce bottle purchased from the brewery for $3.50 a few weeks ago, opened last night with Drake too, poured into a weizen glass, color is golden orange with some lighter tones, 3/4 inch soapy white head, some retention and lacing at first, aroma has lemons, oranges, peaches, cloves, ginger root, wheat, grass, and sweet malt, flavor starts off with sweet wheat flavors, citrus dominate the middle and carry over into the finish, spicy finish with a good amount of clove, little syrupy almost, gets more lemony and full of orange zest as it warms up, needs a stronger wheat base to battle it out with the fruit presence, slightly chewy, citrusy, and sweet mouthfeel, medium to full bodied, soft level of carbonation, could not drink much more than a glass of this, heavy from all the citrus and spice character, also a little thick due to lighter carbonation for the style, too sweet for a wheat beer, keeping in my mind that I am not a huge fan of this style, this brew was not too bad, not the best of its class but solid, several people were drinking this at the brewery on a hot summer day, it seems to be one of their more popular offerings, worth trying
Sep 06, 2009
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Reviewed by barleywinefiend from Washington

4.2/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a a light straw yellow, good carbonation and a nice head as the bubbles rose to the top.
Nose is good, surprisingly good. It had notes of vanilla, citrus, wheat. Taste is sweet, light, crisp with bananas, cloves, citrus,honey and more. Very easy drinking brew and down right good! Easy drinking good beer. Probably one of the best hefes I have ever had. Remarkable.
Mar 28, 2008
Photo of Westsidethreat
Reviewed by Westsidethreat from California

3.03/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A: Pours a light, unfiltered lemon juice colored brew with loads of streams of bubbles surging forth from the bottom of the glass. Head is a nice 1/2 inch of medium sized off white bubbles.

S: Strong cloves, banana peel, fresh cut grass with a slight skunk to it.

T: Starts kinda perfumy with hints of lemon and grapefruit. I don't think any lemon wedge is necessary in this one due to the strong citrus flavors. Transitions to mild banana tastes a tad on the artificial side of the spectrum with spicy aspects. Finishes slightly sour and pungent.

M: Light body with a medium mouthfeel.

D: Eh. I suppose this wasn't terrible but it really lacked most of the quality aspects of a good Bavarian wheat that I look for.
Jan 18, 2007
Photo of Troyone
Reviewed by Troyone from California

3.23/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Pours a hazy apple/nutmeg color with a blond hue, minimal off white head, with lots of carb action.

Has a sour banana/caramel malt smell with a citrus hops aroma.

Lightly/moderately sweet, mod/heavy acidic, lightly bitter, grainy, sour malt taste with lots of grapefruit hops flavor.

Medium bodied, slightly syrupy texture, soft almost flat carbonation, and an astringent finish.

This is sour like a weak lambic rather than a weiss the balance is too off for session status.
Sep 26, 2005
Photo of TheLongBeachBum
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

2.53/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Presentation: 22 ounce Bomber. Single main label around the waist of the bottle has an oval that contains an orange sunset over a couple of silhouetted islands each with its own palm tree and the words ‘ISLAND Brewing Company’, whilst around the oval it also states’ Fresh • Flavorful • Local Brewed on the Santa Barbara Coast’. Blue background to the label with the words ‘WEISS Bavarian-Style Wheat Beer’. Hand Bottled. No strength or freshness listed.

Appearance: Golden body with some orange hints and a light milky haze, but it is surprisingly clear given that this is supposed to be unfiltered Weiss. Lots of streamers and a big white head lend an overall attractive appearance to brew in my Pint Mug. Light clumpy lacing and minimal carbonation.

Nose: Just like the Island Kölsch I tried several weeks ago, the nose is sharp, citric and bitingly pungent. It has a sour aspect too. Quite strange for a Weiss.

Taste: Yet again the Sour-Sharp combination comes through with some acidic lemon tartness. I can’t help but think that this is most definitely not intentional. Unbalanced and biting.

Mouthfeel: Tart and thin.

Drinkability: Disappointing, difficult to take in the long run, I managed to leave some of the Bomber I had, in fact it got drained.

Overall: Bloody strange…I’m sure the Sour-Sharp aspect is due to the fact that this is most probably way past its Sell-By Date.

Forgetful.
Apr 07, 2005
Photo of BeerManDan
Reviewed by BeerManDan from California

2.15/5  rDev -38.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
This is third of the Island Beers that I've tried and the third that really was bad! The color of this Weiss was a hazy dull yellow with some foam and I could'nt tell about the lace because I poured it down the drain after the first sip. The smell was of a super sour aroma with very little wheat in the nose. The taste was of a super sour wheat flavor and nothing else. Sour, sour, sour, that is all that I can explain about this weiss. It seems that every beer that I've tasted from Island Brewing Company has been sour. It's like they add vineger to there beers to stop the fermintation process. Blah!
Dec 09, 2004
Photo of donnebaby
Reviewed by donnebaby from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark porridge of orange with a haze of clinging foam riding the sides. Boobly at first and bubbling down quckly. Nose is lemon and sharp yeast, spicy and edgy. Fruity esters bouncing around. Low background of malt body. Seems to develop a more classic hefe smell as it warms.

Taste is exploding with lemon juice. Very tart. Like lemon soda, with extra lemon concentrate poured in. Aftertaste is excellent, finishing quietly, with body that does quite alot to offset the shattering tartness of the feel in the mouth, that felt like it was going to destroy my stomach.

Greatly unique taste, and well put together with out a doubt. Alcohol is not listed, but I suspect it's a bit higher than normal for a hefe.
Nov 08, 2004
Photo of Zorro
Reviewed by Zorro from California

4.6/5  rDev +32.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Pours a clear very golden brew, there is yeast, but it is at the bottom and I haven't tasted that yet.

Smell is surprise! Like an actual German Hefe! Smell is strongly of spicy Banana and cloves, similar to an Aventinus.

Taste is sweet and spicy with a bit of tartness; nice candied banana and clove flavor to this. Noticeable hop finish in this. But the flavor is an Aventinus clone. Sweet and spicy with a tart note.

Mouthfeel is good.

Drinkability is Mothers milk! This is an Aventinus flavor clone. I think I have found the Holy Grail, a GOOD German Wheat beer made in the USA!

Stirring the yeast in mellows the flavor a bit, but this is a fine beer!
Apr 20, 2004
Weiss from Island Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 12 ratings