German Hefes

I personally prefer the Schneider (especially the Edel Weiss) over the Weihenstephaner, and after that it gets a big cloudy.
Wouldn't turn down any of the real deals, though.

 

Schneider Original
Drunk Monk
Weihenstephaner
Julius Echter
Ayinger

 

Konig Ludwig is a gateway hefe in my opinion. The flavors seems kind of muted compared to the others.

 

Ayinger all the way!

 

My favorites; Klosterbrau Bamberg and Monchsambacher.

 

and, imo, Erdinger makes the best alcohol free hefeweizen

 

Besides the ones we all know like Weihenstephaner or Ayinger I enjoy Sly Fox Royal Weiss and Victory Mad King Weiss. Over the top hefe spice particularly the Mad King.

 

“I enjoy Sly Fox Royal Weiss and Victory Mad King Weiss.” I personally would add Stoudt’s Heifer-in-Wheat to that list.

Cheers!

 

While Kong Ludwig isn't as hearty/filling as some of the others I mentioned (nor does it has as strong of banana flavor), I find it easier to drink in the summer months than some of its heartier cousins.

 

Keithmurray: I like the breadiness/clove and citrusy aspect of Konig Ludwig. If you're looking for something a bit less filling, particularly in the warmer months, it's a solid choice IMHO.

 

Agreed

 

Flying Dog In-heat Wheat
New Glarus Dancing Man Wheat
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen
Pearl Street El Heffe
Frankenmuth Hefeweizen

 

Huber Weisse (bar none)
Weihenstephaner
Schneider Weisse

Many others fall in for a tie for the next two spots, but those are my top three.

American wheat beers don't count in this category because they fall short. Some of them aren't far off, but zero measure up to their German counter parts.

Everyone has different tastes, so whatever,....

 

Ayinger tops my list, and is one of the two beers I've given a full 5 rating to. Just that good, to me.
Weihenstephaner isn't terribly far behind.
Maisel's Weisse is particularly tasty.
Then we hit Schneider (unless we're talking weizenbocks), and then several others that fall close enough for me that I don't rank them separately.

I'm a fan of few US tries at hefes, as I find them to either be lacking in one or more areas, or to be pale wheat ales in all but labeling. Even Kellerweis trips my hop sensitivity enough for me to shunt it over to the pale wheat ale category - I believe everyone who says it has a phenol-ester profile, but as I cannot detect it at all, it's not a hefe for me. There are some decent ones out there, like Ebel's Weiss from Two Brothers, but when those are on shelves next to Ayinger, well... (This being said, I have never had the opportunity to try Live Oak or Dancing Man.)

The best non-German-brewed hefe I've had to date is Side Launch Wheat, out of Ontario. That was an impressively estery, phenolic, fluffy delight, and I would actually put that one into blind tastings with other hefeweizens were it distributed near me.

 

Hacker-Pschorr Hefe made a believer of me.

 

great balls of fire--they are all excellent. it's an honor to quaff any of them, and Paulaner was my breakthrough. Still love that banana-vanilla taste,...

 

A nearly 4 year old thread back to life! Great work @thejiggse!