Andechs - Wheat Beer

Andechs Benedictine Abbey in Bavaria has been brewing beer since 1455. Their range of beers includes this 0.5% ABV wheat beer, launched in 2016 and which is dispensed from a 500ml bottle. As well as wheat in the recipe, there is barley, hops and hop extract. It is produced by a process of dealcoholisation. Careful pouring will retain the sediment inside the bottle to give a beer with a billowing white head which persists well. There is the typical ester aroma on the nose and the taste is likewise typical of wheat beers - mostly a fruity banana character but also with a touch of spice (maybe cardamom?). The mouthfeel is soft and creamy and the clean finish makes for a very palatable drink. Overall this weissbier shows what you can do when you have more than 500 years of brewing experience. 

4 / 5

Lowtide - Are Wheat There Yet?

Lowtide describe this < 0.5 % ABV American wheat beer as half wheat beer and half pale ale. It contains oats, barley, wheat, coriander and orange peel and is suitable for vegans. Motueka, Sorachi Ace and Lemondrop are the hops used. The 440 ml can releases a very effervescent and crystal clear beer whose head soon subsides. The fresh aroma suggests some citrus which is also in the gentle floral taste, softened by melon and a touch of tropical fruit. There is a thin and rather watery mouthfeel, whilst the finish is bitter to the point of near harshness. Overall the Sorachi Ace hops used puts me in mind of the Japanese beer Sapporo. A little too thin, but pleasant enough.

3 / 5

Hoegaarden - 0.0 Wheat Beer

Hoegaarden is a part of the global company Anheuser Busch InBev and this is their take on the popular alcoholic version. The beer (declared on the can as not more than 0.05 % ABV) is widely available in the UK, having been launched in 2019. The ingredients include apple extract, orange peel, sugar and coriander seeds. The hops are not specified. It pours from a 330 ml can and looks the part of a wheat beer - a hazy yellow body with a frothy white head which subsides but doesn't quite disappear. On the nose, the mellow fruitiness of the original Belgian brew is apparent. The taste is mainly of banana and apple and is quite sweet. It has a soft creamy texture and the finish is also sweet and is reminiscent of ripe banana. The sweetness probably doesn't make it a thirst quencher and it is certainly best served chilled, with a slice of fruit being optional.

3 / 5

Viru - Blanc

The Baltic Beer Company Ltd is based in London but this unfiltered wheat beer is brewed under licence in Estonia at the A. Le Coq brewery, which was founded in 1807 - so not a newcomer to the scene. The bottle is a very distinctive hexagonal pyramid shape; apparently a reference to the medieval-era defensive turrets dotted around Estonia. In the glass it is both cloudy and frothy whilst being bready and sweet on the nose. The tastes of wheat, citrus, and vanilla are all well-balanced and there is a real creamy softness on the palate. There is little in the way of hoppiness and it leaves quite a sweet aftertaste. It almost feels like you've had some ice cream or custard! A very nice brew.

3/5

Lowlander - Wit

Coming in at 0.0% ABV, this wheat beer is truly a no alcohol beer. Barley and wheat malts, and hops feature of course in the recipe but the distinguishing feature of this Dutch brewery is the use of botanicals. The company strapline is indeed "Brewed with Botanicals." This particular one is brewed using orange and lemon peels discarded from bars and restaurants. Recycling aside, the beer is a very pale straw colour in the glass. The aroma is fully orange and lemon and the taste similarly so. It is a very zesty and fruity beverage. If you drank it in a blind tasting would one refer to it as a beer? It is a beer, but maybe not as we know it.

3/5

Mikkeller - Energibajer

A wheat beer, but not as we know it - not a hint of banana flavour to be had. Clearly being promoted as a healthy option, the label declares the presence of vitamins B2, B5 and B12. In the glass it creates a decent white head that leaves nice lacework as you drink. Mikkeller have their own yeast strain (Mikkellensis) and its character is apparent in Energibajer - a tart lemony background. The aromas are well to the fore - guava, pineapple and tangerine. The mouthfeel is moderate and there is just the right level of carbonation; not too gassy, not too flat. The taste is all tangy fruit with a gentle underpinning sweetness. The citrussy aftertaste gives the beer a crisp bite. 

5/5

Franziskaner - Weissbier

Franziskaner is a very old Bavarian brewery, but it is now a part of the giant international AB InBev company. This probably explains why it is so commonly available. As is the usual case with wheat beers, when poured into a glass (which needs to be a big one, as the bottle is 500 ml) a giant white foamy head is created on the body of the beer, which is itself an orange-yellow in colour. The aroma is rather yeasty and biscuity, whilst the taste is the usual banana with just a touch of bitterness as it goes down. It is soft and creamy in the mouth. Modest carbonation means that it is very easy to drink. It's not a highly distinctive brew but still makes for a very refreshing choice, especially when served chilled.

3/5

Erdinger - Weissbrau

The Erdinger brewery in Bavaria have been making wheat beers for more than a hundred years and this is their alcohol free offering. In common with some other AF beers it is marketed as a healthy lifestyle option - highlighting such characteristics as the vitamin B content and the fact that it is isotonic (a post-exercise drink in fact). It has a golden colour and a billowing white frothy head, rather like meringue. The aroma is subtle  - rather malty and yeasty. It has a soft and creamy mouthfeel, and the taste is quite restrained, hinting at banana - which is typical of wheat beers. A very refreshing beer then, whether or not you have just run a marathon. 

5 / 5 

Rothaus - Hefeweizen

Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus (to give it its full name) is a state-owned German brewery, located in the Black Forest. This is a typical wheat beer, a style that seems commonly brewed for the AF market. It is produced by dealcoholisation. The nose is quite sweet whilst the taste is similarly gentle. The most noteworthy characteristic is banana, as is usually the case with wheat beers. There are also notes of honey and caramel. No real hoppiness or bitterness of course. Very easy to drink, particularly on a warm summer day.

3/5

Mikkeller - Drink'in the Sun

Mikkeller is a "gypsy" brewery, the company is Danish but this beer is brewed in Belgium in partnership with the brewer De Proefbrouwerij. And what a partnership. The beer is a hazy orange colour with a big frothy white head typical of a wheat ale. The aroma is slightly grassy and lightly fruity. The taste is full on tropical - peach, pineapple and apricot. This is all wrapped up in a gentle, creamy mouthfeel and ends with a crisp lingering aftertaste.

5/5

Brauerei Gebruder Maisel - Maisel's Weisse

A wheat beer from Germany, from a brewery famed for its wheat beers. This style seems to be a popular one for producing as a low alcohol version. Typical of the style, the foaming head takes over the glass if you let it. The beer itself is an attractive dark amber colour. The nose hints at a sweet fruit - probably banana and the taste confirms it, also a little biscuity and with a gentle bitterness provided by the Hallertau hops. A typically smooth wheat ale that is very easy to drink.

4/5