Plank Hefeweizen

Brewed by Brauerei Plank Laaber
Style: German Hefeweizen
Laaber, Germany

Serve in Weizen

[Bottle, thanks Guerde] Pours clear deep amber with a nearly nonexistent off-white head. Aroma is a little odd--there is a little banana, but mainly yeast and something else that I cannot place. Taste is is pretty sweet with subdued banana and a fair amount of yeast. Medium mouthfeel with an average length finish. I think this bottle had been sitting on the shelf for a year, so I will need to re-rate this beer when I have a known fresh bottle.

UPDATED: APR 19, 2008 (bottle) Pours a semi-hazy dark amber with a large white head that quickly dissipates. Quite a strange color for a hefe. Aroma was initially very sweet with banana esters and honey, almost offensively so, but after awhile the yeast and clove made an appearance to provide some balance. Lemon appears as well. The taste is somewhat average with light flavors of banana, but mainly spicy clove along with lemon that supplies most of the flavor here. Towards the end, there’s the trademark wheaty twang along with just a light yeasty finish that’s really brief. The mouthfeel was medium, and the carbonation was lively. This was a rating from an older bottle, so I’ll have to try a fresher sample.

Pours a hazy copper forming a slight off white foamy head. Aroma of bananas, spice, yeast, and slight floral wheat in a easy carbonation swirl. Flavour is of an easy drinking hefeweizen, completely solid beer. A bit of spice, hops, coriander and bananas come in, excellent from our friends in Germany! Bought at Priscilla’s in MHC, NC.

Duane shared a bottle of this. Thanks! Hazy yellow/gold pour with a nice white head. Lots of carbonation swirling around in the glass. As Duane said, very floral aroma with a mild yeast and wheat characteristic to it. Flavors of spice, coriander, and estery yeast. Very good take on the style!

Hazy gold fluffy white head. Big fruity smell. Mild easy drinker with lots of banana, hops and yeast.

bottle courtesy of Styles. pours a moderately cloudy yellow-gold with a large pillowy head. aroma was more floral than I expected as opposed to many hefe’s with a yeasty banana nose. flavor was mild and well rounded with notes of peppery spice, hints of yeast and banana. solid, very drinkable hefe.

From bottle. Has a nice Hefeweizen aroma. Wheaty with some bubblegum and lemon zest, though a bit more acidic that others. There’s a bit of yeasty banana dusty funk and a light metallic tang, too. Cloudy dark amber with the sediment, topped with a medium foamy off-white lacing head. Medium watery body with medium effervescent carbonation; could use a bit more body. Starts with a nice mellow hiint of banana and lemony sour grass. Light sweetness but really a lot of lemon to this one, to the point of being sour. Tastes perhaps a bit stale, even, and overall somewhat watery like it could use just a bit more something. That metallic aroma didn’t manifest itself in the taste, and although this is a refreshing quaff, it’s not the Hefeweizen I would choose over Paulaner or Franziskaner. Perhaps someday I’ll get to try a fresher bottle or, better yet, on tap in Bavaria.

50 cl. bottle on 3/14/08. Massive white frothy head burst forth from a hazy gold pour, maintaining a notable presence for quite a while. Aroma is dominated by yeast, and the fruit esters are more subtle here than other more assertive examples. Spicy notes are quite subdued as well. Smooth, medium body and lively effervescence match up well to produce a satisfying, yet clean mouthfeel. Honey and light fruit flavors balance well with a very soft and gentle bitterness. An undercurrent of light sourness adds another dimension, and helps with a dry finish. A very well balanced and understated hefe, beautifully crafted.easily drinkable, and refreshing.