Andechser Weissbier Hell
Kloster Andechs
Story by:
Bev Blackwood
Hefeweizen / Weissbier
Year-Round
Germany
Judges Ratings 96
Aroma: 24 / 24
Flavor: 37 / 40
Appearance: 6 / 6
Mouthfeel: 10 / 10
Overall Impression: 19 / 20
Description
Untreated and bottled with natural yeast turbidity, this is a top-fermented beer for connoisseurs, first introduced on Saint Joseph’s Day in 1993 (March 19).
It first attracts the eye with its light honey color. A very creamy and find-pored head invites you to approach this wheat beer from the Holy Mountain more closely. Striking fruit aromas such as banana and honey melon emerge, followed by fine cloves.
Andechser Weissbier Hell is refreshing to drink, featuring a full and soft body. In the finish, the balanced interplay of a slight honey sweetness with an elegant acidity and hop bitterness in the background quickly leads to a harmonious aftertaste that leaves you wanting more.
Beverage Profile
ABV: 5.50%
IBUs:
Served at: (40 – 45º F)
Hops:
Malts:
Judges Review
By John C. Tull
Judges Ratings 96
Aroma: 24 / 24 / 24
Flavor: 37 / 40 / 40
Appearance: 6 / 6 / 6
Mouthfeel: 10 / 10 / 10
Overall Impression: 19 / 20 / 20
Andechser Weissbier Hell by Kloster Andechs was judged as Weissbier, Style 10A per the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines.
A wonderful expression of yeast and wheat malt aromas emanate from this beer. A classic balance of banana and clove esters and phenols, respectively, is evident with a touch of black pepper in the deep background. Malt aromas are bready and “wheat-like” for a lack of any better descriptors. The appearance is somewhat cloudy from suspended yeast and proteins, more the former than the latter I suspect. The color would be medium-gold, but has an orange-like cast due to the cloudiness. A thin, fine head of tiny white bubbles clings to the glass’s edge and floats in amoebic, veiling formations across about 1/5th of the surface.
The flavor matches the aroma with a rich, wheat malt sweetness and full character backed by those same ester and phenol components that met the nose. A very faint hint of oxidation is the only slightly marring quality detectable in the flavor. The mouthfeel is medium with a sensation of fullness that is tempered with a crisp, heavy dose of carbonation that provides a contrast on the palate in the finish. This is a truly world-class example of this style.
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