Franziskaner Weissbier (Kristall Klar)

Brewed by Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu (InBev)
Style: German Kristallweizen
Munich, Germany

Sparkling, golden hue, a spicy, peppery, malty aroma and a palate where soft banana and malt notes come together nicely with a smooth dry finish.

Drinkable clean and crisp.

(10Feb2003--500mL bottle) Considering one can commonly find it at Safeway, the Club Weisse upholds a high level of quality. Frothy, pillowy head, medium-sized bubbles, persistent and white. Active and persistent carbonation. Light golden in color, no haze. Typical banana aroma, not cloying. Tart flavor spectrum; distinct lemon peel. Also banana/bubblegum. A strange metallic dryness nicely balances any residual sweetness, though it is a bit strange.

Bottle, weisse glass. Crystal clear pale yellow with a white head. Aroma or slight banana and clove, otherwise mostly malty and helles-like. Flavor is malty and crisp. Banana and clove is barely noticable. Basically a lawnmower beer with a touch of character that is easy to drink.

Pours gold with a white head. Smells of straw, some hay, some sparse hoppy hints. Tastes fruity with some underlying straw hints and citrussy splashes on the finish.

Looks great, and has a lovely wheat beer nose, but on the palate it lacks the complexity of the "hefe" version. It’s good stuff, clean and refreshing, but it comes second to its big brother.

500 ml bottle. Very clear very clean. Huge head that kept forming from a constant stream of bubbles coming off the bottom. Aromas were weak, almost like a pilsener. Flavors were still pilsenery, but the hefe flavor came through a bit. I just think something is missing... oh, it’s the yeast...

Bottle at Schönefeld airport, Berlin. Clear golden with lots of bubbles and a big, stable white head. Spicy banana aroma. In the mouth clove is more present, banana flavours still there, though. Refreshing.