Brewery: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
Country: Germany
Size: 50cl
ABV: 5%
Price: 24kr
Systembolaget: 1687
It must be said I like my heavy, thick beers. Cracking open the deepest black 12% imperial stout with the consistency of treacle is truly a pleasure. On the other end of the scale though I do enjoy a good wheat beer too. Wheat beer can be so refreshingly light yet full of complexity at the same time. Perfect in the summer sun, winter cold and everything in between. This is a beer I’ve bought multiple times before because it’s a bit of a classic to me. I knew I would have to include it in a tasting at some stage and it finally fitted in well to this blind test.
The Franziskaner was dull amber with a big, big head that frothed up in the glass really nicely. It had the “classic” wheat beer look to it with its medium body and lots of tiny bubbles rising through it. The cloves popped out through the head straight away, reminiscent somewhat of Christmas. Wheat, overripe banana and lemon came through nicely too. It smelt sweet, light and delicious. This continued into the tasting, with the big heady wheat at the forefront. Cloves and hints of bubblegum came through nicely and backed up by a hint of fresh sweet grass and citrus. It was fresh and led to an easy herbal after taste. It coated the tongue well and left a pleasant sweetness in the mouth.
I knew how much I liked this beer before the tasting and I’m glad I put it into the selection. It has all the characteristics I was looking for to showcase a great wheat beer. The big wheat notes coupled with the banana and spices work together so well. Definitely worth a try if you haven’t tried this before.