Imperial Hefeweizen

I don't know the difference between White and "true" Zinfandel either. But I know if I handed someone a Dunkel who typically enjoyed a Dunkelweizen (and expected one) I doubt they'd enjoy it.

 

Aren't you from Wisconsin??

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/40956/

 

As it has been said before, I would classify Weizenbock as an "imperial" hefeweizen.
The masters of the Weizenbock is easily Schneider. If you are looking for what crazy things can be done with a weizen style beer, look no further than their TapX series. A personal favorite of mine was their Porterweizen, which is exactly like it sounds. If you are looking for a more hop forward style, Tap 5 is the perfect example of what a hoped up weizen could be.
Otherwise, I would say that something like their Eisbock is a "double" weizenbock if you will.

 

Local place has what they label on their chalkboard beer menu as an "Imperial Hefeweizen."
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/42276/190503/
To me it tastes like a pretty standard Hefe, just a bit stronger & higher ABV.

 

Bah, cinnamon is so passe. What it needs is hazelnut coffee, cocoa nibs, maple syrup, and coconut, aged in both apple brandy and Pappy Van Winkle barrels.

Boom! Watch that hype train roll in andalsowatchitbecomeundrinkablebeyond3ouncesshhhhhhh.

 

I think there should be a recommended training course for new craft drinkers. New drinkers have never drank liquid tons of AAL in their youth then moved on to german, english and belgian beers and their hundreds of years of history. Now they jump into imperial, double dry hopped, adjunct filled, barrel aged everything. Sounds like a new Other Half beer. Half the time in this site I have to apologize for liking traditional representations of a particular beer style.

 

It's what happens when a brewery tries to dial in a system.

"Oh man....we didn't calculate the malt correctly....and our yeast over-attenuated."

What to do?

Call it "Imperial." If it didn't attenuate enough? Call it "Session."

 

Don't feel bad. I just made a similar mistake this past new beer Sunday when my Weihenstephaner weizenbock was not at all what I was expecting. You might get a kick out of my confusion. Live and learn!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-627.493090/page-4#post-5303603

I made this same point in the post linked above. The head is different but the beer itself looks very similar. Some great marketing opportunities for Weihenstephaner there if they want to get into the long lines, beards, and twitter game

 

Like everyone else has said, its a thing already. You could also delve into the realms of wheatwines too if you feel so inclined.

 

Ramstein Double Platinum Blonde is the closest thing I've had to an imperial hefeweizen. Tasted like a hefeweizen on steroids but not quite a weizenbock.

 

Not a wheat beer at all, but I always thought Victory's Golden Monkey tripel tasted exactly like an imperial hefeweizen would.

 

I grew up with Miller, Pabst, and Old Style. I then got stationed in Germany for 2 1/2 years and learned about what beer really was. When I came back to Wisconsin I could only find Sprecher, and then Hacker. The traditional beers are great, but I also like to try a micro-brews take on a traditonal style. Urban Chestnut, from St.Louis,and New Glarus in Wisconsin makes some great German beers. It's good to be able to try new beers and choose what you may, may-not like.

 

I don't k ow if there is much difference between a weizenbock and imperial Hefeweizen, but I just had my first imperial hefe, sallyweiss from Nebraska brewing, it was aged in wine barrels and I really enjoyed it.

 

For your consideration below is how the Brewers Association Style Guidelines defines the Weizenbock style. Note the part of “…are gold to very dark”. There is no requirement that a Weizenbock be Dunkel (Dark).

Cheers!

“South German-Style Weizenbock

South German-Style Weizenbocks are gold to very dark. If served with yeast appearance may appropriately be very cloudy. Balanced clove-like phenolic and fruity-ester banana elements produce a well-rounded aroma. If dark, a mild roast malt character should emerge to a lesser degree in the aroma. No diacetyl aroma should be perceived. Hop aroma is not perceived. Medium malty sweetness is present. If dark, a mild roast malt flavor should emerge. Hop flavor is not perceived. Hop bitterness is low. Balanced clove-like phenolic and fruity-ester banana-like elements produce a well-rounded flavor. Carbonation is high. No diacetyl should be perceived. These beers are typically roused during pouring and because yeast is present, the beer will have yeast flavor and a characteristically fuller mouthfeel. Body is medium to full. During competition, entries will be roused unless instructed otherwise by the entering brewer.

Original Gravity (ºPlato) 1.066 - 1.080 (16.1 - 19.3) ● Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato) 1.016 - 1.028 (4.1 - 7.1) ● Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 5.50% - 7.50% (7.00% - 9.50%) ● Bitterness (IBU) 15 - 35 ● Color SRM (EBC) 4.5 - 30 (9 - 60)”

 

So you meant to call Weizenbock a Dunkel? It's not, it's a Weizenbock. And BA's definition is misleading because Weizenbock can vary in color.

On the other hand (and probably muddling the issue even more), a Dunkelweizen is just that, a Weizen beer that is dark in color, but not at all similar to a Munich Dunkel.

Finishing off all of the merry-go-round of discussion, there really is no Imperial Hefeweizen style. Just sayin'.

 

Since there's really no style that is considered an "Imperial" Hefeweizen, how should one expect it to taste?

The only true "imperial" style is Imperial Stout, and that really only garnered its name because it was popular with the Russian Imperial Court of the day.

 

At the risk of being repetitive:

"My favorite pale Weizenbock is Weihenstephaner Vitus."

Cheers!

 

Bears repeating, though. It really does taste surprisingly like a ramped up hefeweizen, and doesn't really have that heavier malty quality that many of the others have.