Review of Michelob Dunkel Weiss
Posted By Zach Monday, 13 October 2008 15:38
A friend of mine were looking for some beers on a recent Thursday night, so I figured I would give this Michelob seasonal a shot. I have enjoyed a few of Michelob's past offerings in the craft beer arena. For whatever reason, A-B seems to be using Michelob as their test bed for these types of brews. I guess maybe they figure the Bud Light drinker isn't necessarily open to trying more complex beer. Either way, they have done a good job so far.
Read on to see if Michelob has another good brew or they should stick to making the macrobrews
Taste: A- The first bottle of Dunkel Weiss actually rates a bit lower, but as I discovered, the instructions on how to pour the beer into a glass actually works. For the 2nd one, I enjoyed it in a glass and even got a nice ring of head which added to the experience. This beer is a dark wheat and you can certainly tell. It has a nice hoppiness, but not too much and it certainly isn't bitter. This has enough flavor to enjoy a couple, but after that you'd probably want to switch as it would be wasted later in the night. Overall, a very smooth beer.
Packaging: B The Dunkel Weiss packaging isn't anything special, but it is above average for one reason, the Michelob bottle. As far as the label, it is nice enough with a pleasant red color and some wheat to indicate it is a wheat beer. It does have some instructions on how to pour the beer, which should be followed. As mentioned above, the Michelob bottle is the highlight. While some may not care, I really like the embossed cursive Michelob and the extra ridge in the neck. This may not mean dick when it comes to flavor, but it is certainly more fun than the same old standard bottle.
Value: A I believe I paid $6.99 for a sixer of the Dunkel Weiss. While it is more than things like High Life and Pabst, it certainly stands out against other craft beer which is pushing 8 or 10 bucks these days. I guess that is one advantage of giants like A-B producing craft beer, they can keep the cost reasonable.
Drunkeness: B- I suppose this section isn't really relevent to a beer like this, but there may be some out there who like to get blitzed while enjoying quality beer. It comes in at 5.5% which is more than your typical macrobrew, but lower than some of the malts we have enjoyed. I wouldn't recommend getting hammered on this beer as it would just be a waste of your hard earned coin, but if you are enjoying 2 or 3 to start the night, might as well be buzzed before pounding down that 40.
Overall: B+ While I could easily give this beer an A, I'll stick with a B+ as it isn't quite one of my favorites, but still solid. If you are looking for a nice alternative craft brew and are a wheat fan, I would certainly recommend this offering from Michelob. If you don't enjoy wheats or darker beers, I'd stay away and maybe try the Michelob Pale Ale for something different.