BBB Beer of the Week: Konig Ludwig Weissbier

Welcome back to Beer of the Week. This week I'll be discussing Konig Ludwig Weissbier. While perusing the shelves yesterday at the liquor store I was VERY excited when I came across this beauty. Not that long ago I took a trip to Germany and was fortunate enough to try Konig Ludwig Hell while visiting the Mad King's castle Neuschwanstein. That beer was easily one of the top 3 beers I had over there and not knowing how frequently I'll come across beers like that here at home I'm very excited to be talking about Konig Ludwig Weissbier. So, without any further adieu, let's get into this German hefeweizen.

Appearance: Wow, what a beautiful beer this is! As soon as you finish the pour just sit back and take in the gorgeous cloudy head sitting on top of a perfectly hazy golden straw colored beer. If you're a homebrewer looking to mimic the prototypical hefeweizen this Weissbier is a great place to start.

Nose: As pretty as it looks, this beer smells just as inviting. Banana, bubblegum, and a touch of clove are the prominent smells coming across. That shouldn't come as much a surprise if you've been around a hefeweizen or two in your day.

Taste: Perfectly delicious in every way. The thing about German beer that I find most appealing is that with so few ingredients allowed, per Reinheitsgebot, you taste everything that is in the beer. And that's as true as ever with this Weissbier. There is a wonderful wheat flavor and a very well balanced banana/bubblegum flavor coming through via the yeast.

Style: German Hefeweizen
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: Not sure, but there is very little bitterness.

Final Verdict: If you come across this beer in your travels (and you can find a few 6 packs at Total Wine and Liquor off Loch Raven now) I highly recommend you pick it up. If there was a posterboy for hefeweizen, Konig Ludwig Weissbier would be a very good candidate for that. It's smooth. It's tasty. It's a beer that should not be passed on.