Over the weekend I decided to pick up a couple beers after a hard day of moving. I went to the local beer store and picked up a couple brews, one of which was the 1 pint 9oz size Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Hell. This beer was anything but hellish though. Although after a quick trip to Google Translate I found that in German the word Hell means Bright. This is because they also offer this wheat beer in a Dunkel, or ‘Dark’ version.
So after cracking open the beer I poured it out and saw that it produced a full head which I am learning is especially good in a wheat beer as it releases the carbonation and can improve the taste of the beer. It’s funny to realize a “Freshman Pour” is actually something good once you move away from the college 18 packs and into good beers.
As I drank slowly through the beer I quickly realized why our fearless beer blogging leader was such a fan of this particular wheat, it was the unmistakable presence of hops. This is certainly one of the more hoppy wheats I have had with a noticeable but not at all overpowering bitter bite to it. To an IPA drinker it would seem anything but hoppy but it did have that little bit there that is not present in a lot of wheats.
This is definitely a little more full and strong beer than most wheats I have tried and if you are looking for a wheat that is a little more full flavored with a bit of a bite this is one to consider. This is a beer that you should take your time to drink and investigate some of the complexities of the flavor, it is not a beer to be rushed.