Pinkus Hefe Weizen

Brewed by Brauerei Pinkus Müller
Style: German Hefeweizen
Münster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

04-Apr-08 (500-ml bottle: Purchased 23-Dec-07 for $4.49 at the Pizza Port Bottle Shop in Carlsbad, CA) Just in case the previous bottle I purchased was poorly stored or too old, here is a much fresher bottle that has been refrigerated the entire time. The beer pours a hazy, straw body, so no chunky sediment this time; the sludgy yeast stays in the bottle. the beer is initially topped by two inches of white, bubbly foam, but settles quickly to a thin layer, leaving a few spots of lace on the glass. Aromas of wheat bread and slightly funky cheese aren’t especially enticing, and of note is the lack of the common hefeweizen aromas like clove, banana, or dough. The flavor is lightly wheat with just a hint of banana and dough and a mild citric tartness, but this really comes across like a brewpub chain wheat beer. Body is light-medium, carbonation is medium-strong, and the finish is a bit stale. An overall impression: this is a pretty boring offering, especially since it’s a German import, and not even worth the time to try once. Skip it.

02-Nov-05 (500 ml bottle: $2.99 at Whole Foods in San Diego/Hillcrest, CA) Medium straw in color and sufficiently cloudy to obscure most of the carbonation bubbles that are rising swiftly toward the surface. Lots of dark, chunky sediment came forth from the bottle and now is being circulated by the carbonation bubbles. The tall white head has settled to a thin topping. Having said all this, I now have nothing else positive to say about this beer. Immediately jumping out of the glass is the grainy and very sour aroma, and I don’t mean a tart sourness, but more like sourdough. Flavor is mild and a bit offensive, again dominated by sourdough, plus a wheat maltiness in the finish. It’s minimally sweet or bitter, and missing are the banana and spice I expect in a German hefeweizen. Light bodied and actually quite watery in the finish. Wow, talk about a disappointment. (4, 4, 3, 2, 6 = 1.9)

pours a hazy yellowish-orange shade of pale brown with a small white head. the aroma is terribly faint... orange juice, watered down lemon juice, wheat/wet grain and light banana. the flavor is moderately better than the aroma... low spiciness, lemon, some mineral with banana and wheat in the aftertaste. medium body with a rather watery mouth feel.5/3/6/2/12/2.8

another chance... smells of card board, dusty grain and lemon with some faint banana. it tastes like card board and sweat. light body lacks the richness of the style. 5/3/5/2/11/2.6

500 ml natural food store Volksdorf. Light dry simple summer quencher. Lightly fruity and good flavor structure, very little spice makes this a very atypical weizen.

500ml bottle from GM Liquors; Nose is a light vegtal note with some banana esters trying to get uncovered; murky yellow with a big yelloish head; flavor is banana, orange, and pepperiness. Tastes much better than it smells.

Pour is a bright but hazy yellow with a large white head. Aroma is malts, wheat and yeast but all very light. Flavor is a bit of biscuit and wheat but not much else. A pretty light all around offering.

Murky yellow color, moderate to small head, some lacing and retention. Aroma is muted with notes of banana, clove, light yeast and wheat tartness. Medium to light bodied, fairly sweet with a light tartness. Overall bland.

Pint Bottle... Poured bright, hazy yellow with a thick white head. Looked great, but the head diminished quickly and then the beer just looked like passion fruit juice. Aroma of faint orange peel and cracker-malt. An un-obtrusive palate that’s refreshing. Flavors of cracker-like, biscuit-malts, sweet, citrusy hops and yeasty characteristics that lend to fruity esters and cloves.

(Bottle) Pours a hazy golden color with a large white head. Light malty aroma includes some citrus and biscuit. Taste is of wheat malts, sweet light fruits, and very light spice. Average carbonation, but the mouthfeel leaves something to be desired. Not a bad beer, but rather one dimensional and boring.