Miasmatic Review

It's German for Hot Dog.

Tonight I tried a Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse by Spaten-Brau in Munich, Germany. I've seen this beer around for a while, but I've never tried one. There was just something about it that made me a little apprehensive about sampling one. Half the fun of doing my weekly review is trying beers I wouldn't normally purchase. Since it was for my, and your, amusement I figured it wouldn't hurt.

There's something about the bottle that gave me the impression that this is a beer that has been sitting on the shelf since the 1930s. It's a brown bottle, with a gold foil seal around the cap. On a gold label there is a picture of a monk looking into a tankard. On the back it has directions on how to store and pour it. Interestingly you are to rinse a glass, fill it three quarters full, swirl, and pour the yeast. Since it comes in a 1 pint .9 fl oz bottle, you really do need to use the proper 26 ounce Weiss Glass.

While pouring a thick foamy head forms that doesn't seem to dissipate. It is very dense. There is minimal lacing on the glass. The coloring is that of straw with an orange tint. It is very cloudy. You can't make out the other side of the glass through it.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the bottle is that it had the scent of hot dogs. I'm not kidding, I called Ktreva into the room to smell it to make sure it wasn't just me. She confirmed that she thought the beer had a hot dog like aroma to it. After getting a couple of good whiffs I realized that it was a mixture of yeast and cloves that give it that hot dog like scent. The flavor has a subtle yeastiness to it, with a hint of clove. There is a hint of banana undertones to it. The after taste is mildly bitter with a hint of citrus.

The beer itself has a medium body. There is a moderate carbonation that gives it a little bight on the tongue. Towards the end of the beer there is a slightly grainy texture.

At first I thought I was going to hate this beer, but the more I drank it, the more it grew on me. I actually found myself rather pleased with it. It's easy to drink and as it warms it doesn't lose any flavor. I'm going to give it 6 out of 10.