Holiday Picks: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel

To continue my holiday picks, I decided to step away from strong, warming spiced ales and pick out a brew that has recently become a favourite of mine. This beer is so good I can’t believe I’ve overlooked it my previous Brew Reviews.

I first stumbled upon this beer a couple of years ago during a raid of one of the finer LCBO locations. I was living in Cooksville at the time and my nearest LCBO was pretty ratty without any impressive selection. So, whenever I was in a vicinity of a newer, finer LCBO store, I would take full advantage of their selection and experiment with any beer that caught my eye.  During one particular LCBO raid, I discovered…(drum roll)…WEIHENSTEPHANER HEFEWEISSBIER DUNKEL. Don’t let the name scare you even if you are puzzled by how to correctly pronounce it.

To pick apart the ultra-long name of this beer, I will begin from the end: Dunkel (pronounced doon-kel) means “dark” in German. As the name suggests, the beer is dark in colour and is made from roasted malt. Next is Hefeweissbier, which means, “yeast wheat beer,” because it is made from wheat instead of barley. It is also unfiltered, which means the yeast is intact. Finally, Weheinstephan is the name of the Bavarian State Brewery that produces this delicious beer.

The pour:  Fluffy white head of beige colour that looks like you could eat it with a spoon. The colour is a captivating hazy chestnut colour that is very deep in the centre and translucent around the edges. Lots of bubbles.

The nose: Wheat and subtle aroma of cloves.

Body and Mouth-feel:  Full bodied and very gentle on the palate. Malty with overtones of cloves, caramel, dried berries. This beer feels smooth and creamy with an absolutely incredible taste that reminds me of summer. Whenever I drink this, I find the flavour to be so enjoyable that I can’t help but sip this beer and slowly savour every sip.

Finish:  Smooth finish with no offending aftertaste.

The reason this beer is appropriate for the holidays – other than the fact that it is delicious – is that its fruity taste is refreshing and reminiscent of summer…which most of us tend to miss during these miserable days of winter!

After every sip and each bottle, I re-establish the fact that Weihnstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel is simply excellent. It lacks the depth and complexity of other wheat dark beer, but the delicate balance of its taste is a great achievement in and of itself.

Author: Artem

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