Know Your Weiss Beer: Hefe & Dunkel

Wheat beer has a very long history and is a style that’s found all throughout Europe. The most common and famous wheat beer style is the German hefeweiss – a cloudy beer that gains lots of sweetness and stunning aromas of clove, banana and sweet bubblegum from the special yeast. All Weissbiers are top-fermented and are brewed with a special strain of yeast that gives the beers their unique flavour.

Perfect for anytime of year, but mostly associated with a hot summers day, the Weisse beer is a perfect example of a beer that's a certified refresher. Here are a few our of favourites to help you explore all the flavours and decide which you love best.

The Pour & Glass

You have probably heard of the 45 degree tilt when pouring, but the way of pouring wheat beer is to tilt the weissbier glass much more than 45 degrees, holding it almost horizontally. Here's how to get that perfect pour.

Hefe-Weisse

The classic German wheat beer. They are brewed with a high ratio of wheat in the grain bill, whilst the yeast (hefe) hasn’t been filtered out which is why you'll notice that these beers pour cloudy. The main flavours you'll come to expect will be malty and bready to fruity, with a touch of hop bitterness. The most important flavours come the yeast, which give it the classic Hefeweizen flavour of banana, clove, and bubblegum.

Paulaner Weissbier

The No. 1 Weissbier in Germany and one of the world’s favourites. Naturally cloudy and shining silky-gold in the glass under a really strong head of foam. At the first mouthful this weissbier classic has a mild aroma of banana. Finer palates detect a trace of mango and pineapple and the balance between sweet and bitter. Beer connoisseurs appreciate the fine note of yeast and the mild but sparkling mix of aromas. It is a typical beer garden beer, which brings people together all over the world.

Available on Beermerchants in:

500ml Bottles / 500ml Cans / 330ml Bottles / 5L MiniKegs

Andechs Hefe Weiss Hell

Andechs Weissbier Hefetrüb is a very tangy and refreshing beer with with a full and soft body. The finish is well balanced, slight honey sweetness and an elegant acidity with a subtle hop bitterness in the aftertaste.

The light honey colour beer is naturally cloudy from the yeast in the beer, this gives a very creamy and fine-pored foam crown. The aroma is distinctive fruit flavours such as banana and melon followed by fine cloves.

Available on Beermerchants - £3.55 / View beer.

Hacker Pschorr Weiss Hell

Hacker-Pschorr Weisse is a centuries-old German wheat beer from Bavaria that offers a refreshing taste that is apres anything. What makes the beer distinct is the use of 60% malted wheat and 40% malted barley in the brewing process. Unlike lager, wheat beer is top-fermented at higher temperatures. The top-fermentation and wheat produce hints of clove giving Hacker-Pschorr Weisse a distinct flavour. Hacker-Pschorr Weisse has a cloudy appearance, characteristic of wheat beer. The cloudy appearance is due to yeast that is retained in the beer. A centrifuge process is used with traditional wheat beers to retain the yeast instead of the typical filtering process used with beers that are clear in appearance. The result is a taste that is authentic and perfect all year-round.

 

Available on Beermerchants - £3.05 / View beer.

 

Erdinger Weiss Hell

Erdinger Weissbier is an easy drinking and refreshing, fruity-citrus, hefe weissbier. Best served in a branded straight glass, with the sediment. Good with white sausages and cheese.

Available on Beermerchants - £3.15 / View beer.

Dunkel Weisse

The darker Hefeweizen (Dunkelweizen) uses the same special yeast strain is used in as Hefeweizen—Torulaspora delbrueckii - so you still get the notes of banana and clove, however with the addition of darker malts adds hints of caramel. Not to be confused with a other darker malt beers such as Stouts, there isn't much roastiness going on, you will still get that subtle tartness which then leads to a pretty dry finish. This style is about balancing some nice rich, malty complexity with those classic Weizen yeast flavors. Some of our favourites are: 

Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel

The unusually high content of finest Munich malt turns this dark version of wheat beer into an intensive taste experience: Light chocolate, cocoa, and tropical fruit flavors impress first. Then wheat, malt, and sparkling roast aroma. Weissbier Dunkel is a muscular beer. Unfiltered, strong, and nutty. At the same time, smooth and soft to the taste. A great accompaniment for any meal. And it even wins over many true wine fans.

Available on Beermerchants - £2.65 / View beer.

Andechs Dunkel Weisse