Best wheat beer in Germany?

With the standard disclaimer that beer isn't a competition and that you can get excellent Weizen most anywhere you go these days, I will say that, for me, the beer that exemplifies the Bavarian Hefeweizen style is Hofbrau Traunstein's Gastro Weisse.

 

Even though Bamberg isn't necessarily known for their wheat beers (at least not anymore I guess), the one from Mahr's is my favorite. It's like banana cream pie in a glass.
Nearly all of the ones you can get in and around Munich are great. Depending on your palate they have sweet and fruity, to earthy, to even fairly hoppy. Do you have a particular leaning with the flavors you like?

 

“It's like banana cream pie in a glass.” I salivated when I read that.

I would be willing to bet that Homer Simpson would love Mahr’s Weisse.

Cheers!

 

I guess it also depends on where you land in Germany - not everything is distributed everywhere.

 

Good point. For those who know, what is the distribution like for weissbiers throughout Germany? I know there are plenty of people that get beers from Augustiner and Weihenstephaner in the north and western areas. I know I've seen a few in my limited experiences elsewhere (like Frankfurt). Are beers from the south pretty common elsewhere? Also, that style seems to be far less regional. I assume the Bavarians would be justifiably loyal to their versions. What is the general feeling about the ones from elsewhere?

 

Hefeweizen only became more available throughout the country within the last 15-20 years. Before that, it was more or less limited to the Weißwurstäquator. Since then, even most bigger breweries in the western and northern parts of Germany brew Hefeweizen. I'm not all too keen on the rather sweet and banana-like versions, that's why I like some of the wheat beers from outside Bavaria. They often tend to be more kind of dry and spicy. Even though being a Fernsehbier, I once again stand up for Flensburger Brauerei: their Flensburger Weizen is really good. I especially enjoy the slight saltiness it has.
From the Bavarian ones, my favorites are the ones from Kuchlbauer (somewhere near Stahly's place) and Gutmann from Titting.

 

It would help to know where you are planning on going, however my recommendation would be to go to whatever your local brewpub is and try their wheat. Here in Heidelberg, Kulturbrauerei had a really good (albeit seasonal) "Frühlingsweisse" or "Spring Wheat". Hard to find a bad wheat beer in Germany, really.

 

Here the distribution seems to mirror "regular" beers in that you find major producers easily (Franziskaner hefe hell & dunkel, Paulaner hell, dunkel, and kristall; , Augustiner, etc.), locally made wheats (Rothaus, Welde), and then limited popular brands (Schneider TAP 7, but no TAP 1 or 5 or etc; Weihenstephaner Hefe but no dark Hefe or Vitus, etc).

 

+1 Gutmann Hefeweizen. Add Alpirsbacher and Maier (Nördlingen) to that list for me.

 

Is there such thing as a discerning beer drinker in Germany? That may be a newly evolved species withing the last 4 years. Before that, beer was a food staple more or less, and depending on where you were in Germany, it could be either a blue collar drink, or a drink that untied different classes. But discerning beer drinker? That's a very reason phenomenon spotted only in 3 or 4 beer fests a year, and at a select places, such as in Franken or Oberpfalz.

Most popular styles? Pils, Pils, Pils, and Pils, and in the last 15 years, Hefeweizen among women. But that doesn't count Bayern, which is more Helles, Pils, Weißbier, maybe in that order.

 

Yeah, coming from the US - German beer culture is definitely different. I imagine it could theoretically be a bit like things were over here in the 60's and 70's...only the beers are much, much better. Most people are drinking the same kind of beer, but people have their individual preferences.
Things do seem to be regional, though. Pils is king throughout most of the country, but there are pockets where other styles are preferred.
If you're concentrating on Bavaria, you'll see draft helles, dunkel, and weissbier at most halls near Munich. Many will also have one other less common style like an export, dark weiss, or a bock of some sort. Biergartens tend to be a little more sparse with the selection, though. Most people seem to stick to helles and weiss, so that tends to be what most carry.
Bamberg is an oddball. There are literally about a dozen styles in and around town and there is a lot of variance from brewery to brewery, too. There doesn't seem to be one dominant preference and what's commonly ordered just depends where you are. It's actually a town I wish more American beer geeks would learn more about. It's a ticker's paradise if you want it to be.

 

Please, please, no. Not the tickers....

 

I was thinking it might do 'em some good and if nothing else, just teach them a little about German beers. Most really don't seem to know much at all. I can't imagine Bamberg ever ending up like the line outside of St. Sixtus or even Brussels. It might even help them to change their evil ways

 

Maybe we can agree to send them to Nuernberg. The Landbierparadies pubs should scratch their thrill-seeking itch without letting them out into the general beer-drinking public.

 

If you get to München, try Isar Bräu ( http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2937/ ). They had a lovely Hefeweizen when I last visited...

Prosit!

 

They're really close to the Waldwirtschaft biergarten. My one experience there was fairly late at night and they had already closed. You could very easily visit both along with Menterschwaige across the river. That would be 3 different weissbiers.