It seems it was a long time ago when I started my journey through the German Hefeweizens. I started with Schneider, moved on to Franziskaner, then tried the Paulaner on the recommendation of a reader, which brings us to today. One left to review, and this happens to be the top rated German* Hefeweizen, according to RateBeer, Weihenstephaner.
This long journey could not come to a quick and easy conclusion. On my trip to by the final installment in my review of German hefeweizen, I hastily grabbed the bottle that was labeled original, and proceeded to checkout. When I arrived at home I was greeted with a tall, crystal clear pilsner. No sense in putting good beer to waste, so I went ahead and drank it.
The Weihenstephaner Original Premium is a very nice beer. A clean, dry pilsner with a spicy hop aroma, it goes down smooth and finished with a bright hop flavor. These could go down so smoothly on a hot summer day. This was a rather fortuitous mistake on my part as I probably would never have tried this beer otherwise.
So back to the beer store I went, this time to grab the Hefe Weissbier. The hefe pours a cloudy orange with a big peaky head and tons of clove in the aroma. The flavor is fruity with a really nice spicy finish. This is a very thick beer that feels hearty in your mouth but remains light and refreshing. I was reminded of a Belgian golden ale while drinking this, but with a softer tastes and less alcohol. Weihenstephaner is an assertive, flavorful yet sessionable beer, which is exactly what I like in a hefeweizen.
So I’ve tried the major hefeweizens and have come to my final conclusion. The Schneider still ranks as my favorite of the bunch, but Weihenstephaner is a close second. I think part of the reason I like Schneider more is that it has all the qualities of a hefeweizen that I look for while staying within that definition, while Weihenstephaner is a bit more wild. Also, Schneider is much easier to pronounce and spell. Paulaner comes in a respectable third, and I am just not a fan of the Franziskaner.
*actually brewed in Germany
