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Germany
 scrapes in  decent  good  excellent  sublime
Erdinger, Weissbier 
One of the most ubiquitous of the German wheat beers, Erdinger has a medium gold colour, with lots of swirling yeast haze in the glass. The nose is really quite clean, crisp and citrussy, with a little hint of yeastiness and grass, but
rather neutral overall. On the palate the texture is creamy and dense, and this is a very smooth, sleek, tasty beer that is nevertheles a touch non-descript. A good wheatbeer, and I enjoyed it, though not very distinctive, and
one for those who don't like too much of wheatbeer's "elastoplast" character. 50cl. 5.3%ABV. Majestic �15.48 per dozen, though widely available.
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Löwenbräu Oktoberfestbier
This has a light yellow/gold colour and foamy, dense white head. On the nose it is very crisp, citrussy and fresh, with sweetness, some background spice and a nettly, hoppy edge. On the palate it is particularly creamy-textured and
thick, with a caramel sweetness at first, then a nicely sour raft of herbal and underripe pear flavours fills in. There is a bittering dryness on the finish, though a little biscuity richness keeps it quite full. A very nice lager-style beer,
though perhaps a little too sweetly flirtatious. 50cl 6.0%ABV. �1.29-�1.59 Majestic, Sainsbury's, Morrisons whilst stocks last. 
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Paulaner Oktoberfestbier
Light-medium yellow-gold with a dense, creamy white head. Intense, sweet citrus nose, with notes of tangerine orange and orange peel, a yeasty creaminess and a slight wheatbear character. Like the Löwenbräu, this Oktoberfest lager
has plenty of body and texture, with a slightly more rounded, smooth and harmonious palate of earthy and fruity flavours and a nice bitter tang into the finish. Perhaps less complex than the Löwenbräu, but a more
substantial beer too. 33cl. 6.1%ABV. �0.89 Majestic whilst stocks last
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Paulaner Original Münchner
This beer has a very pale, pure gold colour and a medium-density white head. The nose is terrifically grassy, with notes of nettles and and just a little high note of wheat-beery bite (though in fact this is 100% barley). On the
palate it is beautifully refreshing, with a dazzling palate of citrus and hop flavours that are clean and crisp and a big streak of lemony acidity into a hoppy finish. Really nice beer in a summery, bright style. 50cl.
4.9%ABV. �24.00 X 20 Majestic
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Paulaner Bavarian Wheat Beer
This beer pours a cloudy light gold/pale yellow colour with quite a creamy, thick head. The nose is phenolic, with a big, sharp, clove and elastoplast aroma. There's a clean hop character beneath, and a sense of crisp
fruitiness, but that yeasty medicinal character is dominant. On the palate this has a nice full texture and is more focused on fruit: crisp, underripe pear and a lemony acidity, with still that slightly medicinal edge, which
adds a nice component in the mouth. There's a hint of caramel warmth in the quite long finish. A complex beer. 50cl.
5.5%ABV. �25.00 X 20 Majestic
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Schneider & Sohn, Aventinus Doppelbock (Germany)
Dark, nutty brown colour with a very thick, pillowing cream head. Lots of clove and spice on the nose with a big bite of oily, grassy hops and a flood of smoother, malty notes. On the palate that great power of clove and spice-cupboard flavour has real attack, with a fabulous weight and texture and a creamy sweetness emerging to play against the hops, spice and chocolaty background. Very focused and long, this has terrific complexity too and is sensory overload in a glass. However, it is also a brilliant beer. In 13 Asda stores, but being rolled out to more in 2005. 8.0% ABV, 50cl, �1.54, Asda, Onlyfinebeer.  |  |
Waitrose, Bavarian Dark Wheat Beer
Given the information on the label that this beer is brewed in a Bavarian brewery dating from 1567, I tried a bit of web detective work, but couldn't turn up the brewer's identity. The beer is a rich brown, cloudy colour with quite a tight white head.
the nose has the spice and floral aspects of many wheat beers, but there is an extra dimension of chocolate giving support. On the palate it is quite thick textured and creamy, though the flavour is a touch weak; it has some tart,
hoppy flavours and bright fruit that is enjoyable, but it falls away rather quickly. 50cl. 5.3%ABV. �1.25 Waitrose. 
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Weihenstephaner, Kristall Weissbier (Germany)
This "Kristall" beer has no yeast in the bottle, so pours a lively, bright gold. It has a huge, foaming white head. It has a classic wheat beer nose with notes of clove and Christmas spices, a touch of iodine or seaweed and fresh, citrus fruit. It is quite full, smooth and creamy on the plate, with a clean, fresh profile and a lot of sweetness in the finish. This is a light style of weissbier and a tad too inoffensive perhaps, but very resfreshing and nice to drink. 5.4% ABV, 33cl, �1.30, Asda, Tesco.  |  |
Wernesgr�ner, Pils Legende
This beer from the former East Germany is a true Pilsener, best served nice and cold. It has a pale- to medium-gold colour and moderate white head. The nose is quite deep and honeyed, with malty notes and nicely muted hoppiness.
On the palate it is very dry, but generous and full in the mouth. An initially soft, sweeping fruitiness is quickly given some real bite by clean, crisp, hoppy bitterness. Quite long, this is lovely stuff. 33cl. 4.9%ABV.
Majestic �18.00 per 24.
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