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Review of Franziskaner Weissbier Dunkel

Hi guys. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be drinking the Franziskaner Weissbier Dunkel produced by the Spaten-Franziskaner-Brau Brewery located in Munich, Germany.

I’ve always been somewhat mixed when it comes to the Dunkel style, however I enjoyed the Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier fairly well, so I thought I would give their Dunkel a shot.

From the website, franziskaner.com, we find this description.

All of Franziskaner’s weiss beer products – Hefe-Weisse Hell and Hefe-Weisse Dunkel – are top-fermentation beers noted for their agreeable carbonation levels and zesty wheat flavour. The consistently high quality of our products makes Franziskaner weiss beers a refreshing taste sensation of a special sort. All Franziskaner weiss beers are brewed in strict adherence to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516.

Ok. Let’s give it a try.

This brew comes in a 16.9 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 5.0%.

It poured a deep brown to deep mahogany color with some copper/rust highlights at the bottom and around the edges. The collar was eggshell colored and sized ok. It was very smooth and creamy. The retention time was decent and the lacing was not as nice as I had hoped.

The nose brought out a good bit of banana and spicy clove. Hints of toasted grain and yeast. It smelled very earthy to say the least. At one point I got some sort of dank, musty, dirty smell that distracted me for a minute or two, but as I continued to sniff it dissipated about as quickly as it appeared.

The taste was very similar to the aroma. Sturdy tones of banana and clove. Again, plentiful amounts of toasted grain along with a yeasty/wheat bready malt accompanied by some “earth”. Just a smidgen of caramel sweetness was found as well and it was hidden deep within.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied. I found it to be a touch watery, crisp, refreshing and quite thirst quenching. The carbonation was low to medium and just a slight bit of flavor was left on the palate after each gulp.

Well, this beer was ok. It didn’t really provide anything extraordinary or outstanding in my novice opinion. It had some decent characteristics and the ease of drinkability was rather good, however I just didn’t find it to be the Dunkel that really turned me into a fan. Don’t let my assessment deter you from giving it a try though. I had no problem drinking it and I don’t think I would ever turn it down if it were offered, but if left to my own choice, I don’t know that I would reach for this beer on a regular basis. Have you guys ever tried the Franziskaner Weissbier Dunkel? What did you think about it? Did you like it? Are you a fan of the Dunkel style? Be sure to leave a comment or two and let me know your thoughts and feelings.

Thanks for reading and commenting folks. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 3.4 out of 5
Grade: B-

Review of Franziskaner Weissbier Hefe Weissbier

17 May

Today’s craft beer review is of the Franziskaner Weissbier Hefe Weissbier (Hell) from the Spaten-Franziskaner-Brau Brewery located in Munich, Germany.

I have yet to have a Franziskaner. I’ve heard much about them, therefore I’m looking forward to trying it and enjoying myself.

Franziskaner is now a subsidiary of Spaten/InBev, but from all I’ve read they have pretty much kept the original recipe, so……

While looking at the website, franziskaner.com, I stumbled upon this general description.

Without further ado…… let’s get it poured.

This brew came in a no-nonsense, 12 oz. bottle with an ABV of 5.0%.

The appearance was of an orangish/yellow color. Very cloudy with some brighter yellow highlights around the bottom. The cap was bright white, rather creamy with real nice size, decent retention and some ok lacing.

The aroma was a little more tame than most of the Hefe’s I have encountered. To me this was a good thing. It has all the typical fragrances one would expect: coriander, lemon citrus, banana, cloves, spices and hints of wheat/grain, however I judged that they seemed to be a bit more balanced, softer, subdued and cohesive. Not bad really.

The taste was very reminiscent of the smell. The wheat/grain profile was more distinct, but the spices were more insignificant. The lemon and banana flavors were accounted for, however they were neither robust nor underscored, but seemed to sit right in the middle. As I made my way through the beer, I began to get the familiar “bubblegum” characteristic, which sweetened the analysis a tad.

The mouthfeel was medium/thin, smooth, crisp, refreshing and relatively dry. Very easy going on the palate by leaving faint traces of flavor.

This was a pretty good beer. I wouldn’t say that it was outstanding, but I wouldn’t describe it as poor either. It seemed to fall right down the middle. It had everything a good Hefe should. It fit the style. I was not surprised by anything nor was I distracted by anything. It was easy to drink. Enjoyable. Perfect for warmer weather and could be enjoyed by most anyone. It was solid. That’s about it really. Would I have another? Sure. I could have a few, no problem. The low ABV allows for this to be a perfect session beer. Give it a try if you see it.

Thanks to all who have read, commented and encouraged this blog. It’s great fun.

Until next time…. Cheers!!!

Score: 3.75 out of 5
Grade: B