Plank Hefeweizen

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

Serve in Weizen

Plank’s Bavarian Hefeweizen kicks off my exploration of German beers. For too long I’ve passed over the inexpensive beers in the German refrigerator case, craving instead the luxury of Belgian brews. But German brewers deserve their due. While lagers were once unappealing to me, on charges of being too simple, I’ve learned that simple, in a very wabi-sabi kind of way, can be very, very good. This chatoyant, fiercely red-range beer is topped with a pillowy white head, freckled with pock marks - a pretty beer. The aroma gives off a truly seductive combination of pineapple, pine, clove, cinnamon, brown sugar, tamales (roasted corn husks?) and braised pork. Maybe a strange aroma, but definitely enticing. The flavor likewise has a slew of unlikely bedfellows: banana, chocolate, pineapple, a streak of mango and a light yeastiness all served on a bed of brisk carbonation. The flavor, en totale, is a bit light, which allows the carbonation to overpower it a little, but it remains engaging enought to be a refreshing and well developed beer.

(bottle) Hazy, golden colour with a big and minimal off-white foamy head. Slightly yeasty, moderately sweet wheat-malty aroma with distinctive notes of overripe citrus, a touch of cara-malt and spicy phenols in the background. Sourish fruity taste with a light malty sweetness; moderately dry and sour-fruity, also a bit slim finish. Interesting Hefeweizen, although it is a bit slim (10.06.08).

Copper color with a thin head. Light wheat aroma. Very heavy and strong wheat taste. Light clove and banana yeast. Good and solid, but actually a little behind their others I’ve tried.

Pours a light caramel brown color with a large off-white head. Aroma of banana, wheat, and spices. Decent flavor for a hefe, palate seems a little thick. Not too impressed with this one.

UPDATED: AUG 12, 2008 Big off white bubbles come out and create a short lasting voluminous head. Hazy golden color with a tall, big bubbled head. Aromas of wheat and mild yeast, hints of cloves in the background. Rather light and, for a lack of a better term, boring scent. Very easy drinking. Light zip that helps the thick wheat presence. Wheat flavors, with just a few hints of cloves, light mint and minerals. Actually quite quenching and crisp. Not a fresh and deep in malt flavors hefe, but not bad.

500ml bottle - Pours hazy light copper with a two finger white head. The aroma is of wheat malt, bananas, and yeast. The flavor is of light, crisp malts with a good balance of mild hops that come through in a fairly dry finish. It’s refreshing but struck me as a touch watery. I had it right after mowing the lawn and it was nice, but slightly higher rated on the hefeweizen scale than I expected (RB says 95th percentile for the style) given that to me it doesn’t really stand out.

Bottle from Total Wine. Pretty disappointing pour for a hefe, kind of a dark brown, like someone put a turd in my real hefe.. No head whatsoever.. Smell is fruity with some banana in it, but nothing like I would imagine it to be. Taste is redeeming, as the beer is fairly easy to drink, and it actually tastes much better than it smells. If I didnt have to look at it, or smell it, I would rate it higher. Easy drinking, but over all nothing really stands out here..

Pours clear/brown with a large, fluffy head,. Aroma is banana, caramel, and fruity flavors. Fruity, banana, caramel flavors with a fairly sharp hop bitterness.