Erdinger Weissbier Kristallklar

I’ve only had one other beer from Erdinger, and it was back in 2010. The beer was decent, but nothing to write home about, even when I first got into beer. I’ve also only reviewed a few beers of this style, so I was looking to expand my horizons a bit.

ABV: 5.3%

Style: Kristalweizen

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Erdinger Kristall is particularly welcome as a tasty thirst-quencher for hot summer days. This specialty wheat beer gets its crystal appearance from a particularly long filtration process, known in the industry as ‘fine filtration’, whereby the beer becomes completely clear. This gives Erdinger Kristall its sparkling and refreshing character – which also makes it the ideal wheat beer for warm summer days. Brewed in strict accordance with our own traditional recipe, Erdinger Kristall meets the highest quality standards and satisfies the most sophisticated palate.”

Random: It still cracks me up that they have a non-alcoholic beer they market as a sports drink.

This beer poured with a huge, four finger, pure white, pillowy head. It took awhile to dissipate, but left very little lacing. The body was a clear, straw-yellow with heavy carbonation. The nose had more grass than I was used to for the style. It also had banana, bubblegum and pear. The scent wasn’t as strong as I typically get from a regular hefeweizen. The taste was also a bit muted. It had pilsner malt and grass, but then went into old dusty bubblegum, like the kind that used to come in baseball card packs. A hint of banana was there and wet cardboard (which I wasn’t a huge fan of). The body was light with a lot of carbonation. It had a quick finish with the same bubblegum. A bottle of this was $3.49 ($.22 per ounce), which isn’t a bad price for an import, but this beer was just lacking in flavor. I don’t feel the need to revisit this one.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0

Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier

This was another selection that my father picked up for Christmas. First of all, I’ve really enjoyed every brew that I’ve had from this brewery. Second of all, I haven’t tried as many beers from this style that I should have. So, definitely time to pop this bad boy open.

ABV: 5.4%

Style: Kristalweizen

Trivia: According to wikipedia.com, “The brewery produces a range of pale lagers and wheat beers including Weihenstephaner Weissbier, a 5.4% abv weissbier which is available in filtered (Kristall) and unfiltered (Hefe) versions. The strongest beers the brewery produces are Vitus (a 7.7% abv wheat beer) and Korbinian (a 7.4% abv strong lager or bock).”

Random: I’m starting to get into Guy and Rachel’s Celebrity Cook Show. It’s quite interesting. I like seeing Hines Ward cook.

This one poured with a huge, three finger white head that dissipated slowly. After the head dissipated, there was no lacing left on the glass. The body was a clear, straw yellow color with heavy carbonation visible throughout. The nose was wheat, banana and a touch of clove. I really enjoyed it. The taste was definitely banana and subtle spice, but it had a crispness to it as well. The taste was really clean as well. It reminded me of a diet hefeweizen. The flavor was really full, but the body was light with heavy carbonation. The finish was quick with banana. This was just a great beer, flat out. It had a lot of flavor typical to the style, but the crispness just added to the beer. Add this to the list of beers I will definitely have again.

Untappd Rating: 5.0/5.0

Sixpoint Apollo

Today wasn’t a bad day, a little bit crazy at work. I didn’t get out until about two and a half hours after my end time, but Kate was at work anyways, so it didn’t really matter. I came home and watched some television with my sister. So, I think it’s definitely time to sample a brew. This one happens to be the summer seasonal from Sixpoint.

ABV: 5.2%

Style: Kristalweizen

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “The unmistakable flavor of a Bavarian Wheat, but with a clear golden brilliance and a Sixpoint twist. An entirely unique canned offering for the sun-worshipping ale lovers.”

Random: I’m watching “Flashpoint” with my sister. It’s actually a decent show. It figures that they cancelled it.

This brew poured with a half a finger of thin white head that dissipated pretty quickly, yet left no lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, orange color with a decent amount of visible carbonation on it. On the nose, I got some banana, clove and lemon with a nice dose of wheat. It was really nice and inviting. The taste was initially tart with lemon notes, but quickly moved into a slight honey sweetness. I also got a dose of wheat and clove at the end, but it was relatively muted compared to the other flavors. The body was on the thicker side of a wheat beer with moderate carbonation. Honestly, I would have liked a little more of it. The finish was quick with lemon. I really enjoyed this brew on a hot day like this. I would definitely have this one again.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0