Weissbier Hell
Klosterbrauerei Andechs

Weissbier HellWeissbier Hell
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From:
Klosterbrauerei Andechs
 
Germany
Style:
Hefeweizen
Ranked #5
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
93
Ranked #3,780
Avg:
4.17 | pDev: 8.63%
Reviews:
207
Ratings:
588
Status:
Active
Rated:
Thursday at 03:13 AM
Added:
Jun 03, 2002
Wants:
  108
Gots:
  88
Since Saint Joseph’s Day on 19 March 1993, Andechs Weissbier Hell has found many new friends. Untreated and bottled in its natural state of yeasty turbidity, this is a top fermented beer for the epicure.

Its light honey colour makes it an immediate eyecatcher. Then there’s the opalescence and fine structure of the yeast turbidity. At the same time, the creamy, fine pored head invites you to get to know this light Weissbier from the Holy Mountain. You’ll need two takes to enjoy the aromas to the full.

First, distinctive fruity aromas like banana and honeydew melon come to the fore, followed by fine cloves. Andechser Weissbier Hell is a very tangy, refreshing treat with the conviction of a full, soft body. It concludes on a finely balanced interplay of light sweet honey and a delicate acidity with undertones of bitter hoppiness that quickly subside into a harmonious aftertaste.

A Weissbier that embodies a slice of the Andechs lifestyle: finely yeasty, tangy, and sparkling, it refreshes and renews the thirst for more
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by falloutsnow:
Photo of falloutsnow
Reviewed by falloutsnow from Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle from World Wide Spirits
Best before 30.08.12
Poured into a Weihenstephaner weizen glass

Andescher's hefeweissbier is a solid offering from the brewery, full of good banana, bread, and ester/phenol flavors when at the appropriate temperature and pleasurably complex. Only the nose was slightly timid, and even this opened up a bit with warmth. Definitely one of the better bottled hefeweizens I've had, this must be impressive on-tap or if available very fresh. Another one that would be nice to have distributed in North America.

Pours an enormous meringue-like head composed of small and medium-sized bubbles, which takes many minutes to reduce to a 0.5cm cap atop the beer. Little lacing is left along the sides of the glass, just a few dots and spotches of residual foam. Peering at the body, I notice aggressive streams of carbonation and the cloudy, opaque character that's due to the unfiltered preparation of the beer. Body color is a pale yellow-orange away from light, holding the beer near the window displays a dull orange center with pale yellow on either side.

Aromas are primarily of yeast combined with bread-like and sweet wheat malt. Moderate banana esters and and very faint coriander follow closely behind. Aroma becomes more expressive as the beer warms, with comforting breadiness and slight vanilla. Still, not the strongest or most complex aroma on a hefeweizen, a bit disappointing given the status of the brewery and this particular beer, but still good.

Tip of the tongue picks up noticeable, but muted, yeast, cooked wheat cereal, and cut lemon flavors. Front of the palate has a decent explosion in flavor, with fairly strong banana, sweet malt, yeast, and very light spicy phenolics. Mid-palate brings on some thicker banana and bread components with reduced yeastiness, lighter phenolics, coriander, apple cider, and a bit of vanilla. Back of palate continues to pick up pleasant banana bread flavors with a slight hint of tartness and coriander. Closes with a flash bitterness and tartness, fading to sweetness and an aftertaste that is mildly tart and reminiscent of the wheat malt, with a bit of residual apple cider and banana flavor as well. Overall, the flavors in the beer are very noticeable, complex, and enjoyable.

Solidly medium-bodied, the beer has a refreshing combination of thickness from the wheat/malt mix and crispness from the carbonation level. Very smooth initially, leading to a dry finish that complements the tart aftertaste nicely.
May 28, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I had this on draft 3/12/24 @ the Hopleaf.

Cloudy bright orange appearance.

Big off-white head; minimal lacing remained.

Banana & coriander notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Banana & coriander flavors.

Straight down the middle here; simple but enjoyable.
Thursday at 03:13 AM
Photo of JokersAce
Reviewed by JokersAce

4.19/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Better than I thought it would be. Nice light yellow opaque color that's so cloudy it's strangely dark, white lacing. Nice breadiness here. Plentiful banana bread and a thick lively feel. It's like sipping on a banana bread milkshake. Definitely a nice spice character here with plenty of a clove characteristic and I think I can taste the alcohol in a spicy way, in addition to a sort of light citrus vanilla. There actually is noticeable yeast component here in the after sip, though not my favorite I suppose it's what creates the flavor profile of this style. Pretty good.
Feb 16, 2024
Photo of ivanbrew
Rated by ivanbrew

5/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I tried the beer out of the bottle most outstanding beer in the world when it comes to weissbier cheers
Feb 06, 2024
 
Rated: 3.99 by misteil from Ireland

Jan 01, 2024
 
Rated: 4.08 by not2quick from Missouri

Sep 11, 2023
Photo of AzfromOz
Reviewed by AzfromOz from Australia

4.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Drunk fresh at the beautiful, awe-inspiring source in September 2023.

L: Thick, mango-juice orange, with a bright white, initially large but quickly disappearing, head. Lots of carbonation.

S: Cloves, weisbier yeastiness, coriander and a slight cinnamon note. Very nice.

T: Mirroring the nose, but with an added note of apricot and orchard fruit. Very refreshing

M: Soft and pillowy.

O: Drunk fresh at the site, so gets extra marks for the ambience, but a delicious weisbier nonetheless.

Cheers!
Sep 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.24 by QueenSac from Colorado

Aug 31, 2023
Photo of StJamesGate
Reviewed by StJamesGate from New York

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Hazy dark blonde with rimming cap of foam; dough starter, lemon + vanilla nose; fresh bread, banana chips, lemon creme + mild spice to end; smooth, round, slight.

4 4 4.25 4 4.25

Nilla wafer nose + zesty, crackery body. Not especially heavy on esters or phenols, but summery + easy. Quality, if a different take.
Jul 28, 2023
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
500ml bottle. Label is stamped 'L2712'.
Unfiltered, deep gold colored body. Initial pour brought forth several inches of puffy white head, which takes a couple of minutes to recede enough to resume pouring. Leaves behind some scattered spots of lacing.
Aroma is malty, but has yeast esters of bubble gum, cloves, and minor banana notes.
Taste is sweet and rich, with flavors of bubble gum, cloves, and some banana. Also some orange-like citrus, both a little sweet and with a little bite. Solid malt base. Sweet and malty in the aftertaste.
More thick than medium mouth feel. Coats the mouth and throat. Excellent carbonation.
Yummy wheat ale with tasty yeast esters.
Jul 12, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by PvtSnowball from Florida

Jun 29, 2023
Photo of Vlad11
Reviewed by Vlad11 from England

4.44/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
apricot, peach, honeydew melon, double creamy, vanilla, some bitterness and a bit dry end. Hints of Nelson hop taste/NE style beer vibes. Excellent. Bottle from a dimple glass, big head and aggressive pour to lower the CO2, at 7C
Jun 24, 2023
 
Rated: 4.14 by cabsandking from Ohio

Jun 19, 2023
Photo of BillyNoonan
Reviewed by BillyNoonan from Ireland

4.44/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours beautiful cloudy,hazy dark gold. Tangy with immediate notes of banana and kind of biscuity finish. Really refreshing and inspiring. One of the best weissebiers out there!
Jun 17, 2023
Photo of Mr_Brown
Reviewed by Mr_Brown from Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours hazy dark gold. Thick beautiful foam retains for a long time. Taste of banana, biscuits, vert classi weissbier taste. quite "vollmundig" aka full body. Very pleasant. All the best attributes of hefeweizen are present. The best thing however is really short sharp finish, a bit bitter, which balances the sweetness. Arguably the best hefeweizen I tried.
Jun 10, 2023
Photo of Gatch
Reviewed by Gatch from Massachusetts

4.59/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Enjoying a half liter in their Braustuberl, which is pretty packed for a German holiday weekend but also surprisingly touristy. Much busier in the food and beer lines compared to Weihenstephaner and much larger outdoor seating area with a similar a la carte ordering system. This is I think the last major beer from them I haven’t tried so I was happy to order it. Super hazy, yeasty, and funky. Not too heavy on the banana and other typical Hefe flavors which is why I like this so much. This brewery is popular for a reason and their beer is seriously consistent.
May 28, 2023
Photo of defunksta
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: Pours a mostly clear, light golden color with a largewhite head. SRM of 8. (4.00)

Aroma: Strong aromas of orange citrus, bubblegum, light floral notes with her bready yeast. (4.00)

Flavor: Strong flavors of orange citrus, bubble gum, banana bread. Some yeast, clove, and spice and then dry on the end. A light bite on the finish, but overall smooth. (4.25)

Feel: Medium-bodied, strong carbonation. Bready, soft, and smooth. (4.50)

Compared to Ayinger Brauweisse 4/2023: Pours similar, similar head. Similar aromas with slightly more orange citrus and less cloves. More orange citrus and flower on the flavor. Slightly cleaner and smoother and less rich and spiced than Ayinger. Similar though.

Compared to Andechs Weissbier Dunkel 4/2023: Pours lighter, milder head. Stronger aromas. More bubblegum, rich bread and sweet banana. Less dry grains, brown bread. Sweeter.

Compared to Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier 5/2023: Pours darker, similar head. Milder aromas. More sweet German bread malt/spice and banana bread. Less citrus, flower, and yeastiness. Slighter sweeter and more bready.
11/2023: Slightly more bread and malty. Less yeast and flower crispness. Similar.

Overall: An excellent Hefeweizen. Smooth bready malts with light orange citrus and flower with a classic yeasty finish. Some sweet banana bread. Slightly smoother and less rich than Ayinger. Incredibly smooth and complex, yet still all the things of a Hefeweizen. Very similar to Weihenstephaner which is the GOAT. Slightly more bready and smooth, but similar. (Rating: 4.25)
Apr 16, 2023
 
Rated: 5 by aswaller from Minnesota

Jan 02, 2023
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle Date: L0112

A - Super hazy medium golden orange color with a dense one finger thick , creamy head resting on top and lots of tight, vibrant carbonation.

S - Bready dough, light spice, and banana.

T - Big bready presence with banana, cloves, and citrus and finishes on the sweeter side with very low bitterness. Long lingering bready banana cloves on the palate with a small shot of citrus underneath.

M - Big medium, chewy body that finishes on the wetter side.

O - This is a pretty fantastic beer that's worth checking out. Recommended.
Dec 10, 2022
 
Rated: 4.22 by beverage-enthusiast from Washington

Dec 07, 2022
Weissbier Hell from Klosterbrauerei Andechs
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 588 ratings