Wheat beer is a category of beer that encompasses a wide range of very diverse beers. Though many different varieties exist and wheat beers can be found across the world, I will be focusing on the German wheats.
German wheat beers hold a special place in my heart, as they were the first “real beers” (secretive sips of cheap domestic pilsners not withstanding). In my travels throughout Germany I gained a great appreciation for weissbier and its many variations. Wheat beers are so named due to the wheat content of the mash (up to 70%). This loose definition leaves plenty of room for variation, as you will see.
Included in this list are some of my favorite beers from across Germany. Some of these favorites are no doubt influenced by the surroundings in which they were consumed, but they continue to hold up to tastings even now. These ten beers are grouped by type.
Hefeweizen – Hefeweizen are the original and most well-known of the wheat beers. Their color is generally golden and cloudy, with plenty of bubbly effervescence. These beers are often served with a slice of lemon or orange.
Aldersbacher Kloster Weisse Hell – This wonderful example of a hefe is brewed in Aldersbach, Bavaria. It has the typical hefe appearance, light amber and cloudy. The beer has a pleasant citrus tang that mingles well with barley, cinnamon, and clove, giving it a complex and full-bodied flavor.
Ayinger Braü-Weisse – Brewed in Aying, Germany, this hazy golden beer is delightfully effervescent, though not overly-carbonated. Its favors contain plenty of citrus and spices and it finishes semi-dry. This beer is very refreshing and an excellent example of the type.
Franziskaner Hefe-weissbier – One of my absolute favorite hefeweizen beers is this Franziskaner. This was the first beer I had when I came to Germany, and it began my love of beer. This hefe is light golden in color, cloudy, with a thick head that lasts throughout drinking. The mouthfeel is both creamy and light. The taste is fruity (citrus and melon) with the signature banana taste that accompanies most wheat beers. The finish is dry, with a warm vanilla aftertaste. This beer is brewed in Munich.
Dunkelweizen – Dunkelweizen is a style of wheat beer that is much like the traditional hefe. The primary difference lies in the malt that is used, a darker variety.
Franziskaner Hefe-weissbier Dunkel – Another Franziskaner, but this one is markedly different in taste. The color is a dark, amber red and the head is remarkably thick. This beer has a rich, full taste of malt and hops and finishes quite dry. This may be a sentimental selection to some degree, as one of my favorite memories of Germany was sitting in a dark kellerbar in Trier, drinking this particular beer and enjoying some really amazing conversation.
Erdinger Weissbier Dunkel – Erdinger (brewed in Erding, Bavaria) may seem like an odd choice, and normally I am not a huge fan of their other offerings, but this beer is quite good. This dunkel is very rich, with a creamy almost chocolate feel. The taste is decidedly chocolaty and smoky, and the aftertaste is very malty.
Weizenbock – The weizenbock is another dark version of the hefeweizen. It is made in a very similar way to the dunkel, but is much higher gravity. This gives the weizenbock the high alcohol content found in bocks.
Weihenstephaner Vitus (7.7% ABV) – This beer is a hazy amber in color. The taste is quite dry and spicy, with pepper among the most distinctive of flavors. This melds well with the semi-dry mouthfeel and the surprisingly sweet finish.
Aventinus Weizenstarkbier (8.2% ABV) – Brewed in Munich, this weizenbock is a deep ruby color, with a thick head. The aroma is intensely chocolate and the taste is spicy with a hint of banana. The finish is slightly bitter.
Kristall – Another variation on the traditional hefeweizen is the kristall. This is a very light beer which, unlike the other variations, is clear. This is due to the fact that kristalls are filtered.
Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier – This kristall is a great example of the type. In appearance it is clear and golden. In mouthfeel it is effervescent and airy. It has a wonderful light, dry, fruity taste with just a subtle hint of banana and cloves. This beer is brewed by Brauerei Weihenstephan in Freising.
Kaiserdom-Privatbrauerei Weizenland Weissbier Kristallklar – This is a truly unique kristall that just had to be mentioned. This beer is brewed in Bamberg, Bavaria and has a decidedly sharp hoppiness combined with a sour, almost bubblegum taste. The aftertaste is light and fruity, and the whole thing comes across as complex and delightful.
Berliner Weisse – The Berliner Weisse is something of an odd duck among the other German wheats. While almost every other type of German wheat beer is traditionally brewed in the South, the Berliner, as its name implies, is from Berlin. The brewing process also differs, giving the Berliner a distinctively sour taste along with a very effervescent lightness. You will most often find this beer infused with a sweet syrup (normally red or green) to counter the sourness.
Schultheiss Berliner Weisse – Admittedly I’m not a huge fan of Berliner Weisse in general, but this stems more from the dislike of the sweetened syrup that accompanies this beer most often. Though it is very refreshing on a hot summer day. This beer is extremely light and airy, and without the syrup, quite sour.
