Weltenburger Kloster Urtyp Hell - Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg

steveh

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

One from the Weltenburger Kloster, a favorite, that I haven't reviewed yet.

.5 Liter brown bottle with no clear freshness date. "Urtyp" meaning prototype, so I can only decipher this to be a typical Helles, or the brewery's original Helles.

A -- Very dense and long-lasting, light cream colored head. Very hazy golden color -- not great for this style.

S -- Good bready malts with light citrus and spice from hops. Low DMS back.

T -- Smooth and quenching bready malts up front with some light, lemony-citrus character back and lightly spicy hop bitterness in the finish -- all of the above lingering in the aftertaste.

M -- Mouthfeel is soft and smooth with a chewy juiciness from good malts. Light-medium body.

O -- A very nice Helles if you're looking for a good example of the style. Very easy drinking and supplies just enough flavor character to let you know its made with quality ingredients, but not so much that you have to pay attention to each swallow. Very satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 20:57:23 | More by steveh

UCLABrewN84

California

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Hollingshead's Delicatessen in Orange, CA.

Pours a clear light orange-yellow with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, and light fruits. Taste is much the same along with some honey flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is refreshing and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2012 03:02:06 | More by UCLABrewN84

brentk56

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy lemon color verging on gold; the modest head faded rather quickly, but did leave some generous splashes of lace behind

Smell: Bready, pilsner malts; very clean

Taste: Bready, up front, with a little bit of toffee sweetness in the malt; some mineral flavors arrived by mid-palate along with just a hint of grassy hops; clean finish, with the wrap-up just like the commencement

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with crisp carbonation

Overall: A really nice helles, but you have to get a fresh body; the overall average score on this beer suffers as many reviewers appear to have gotten an out of date bottle

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 21:40:35 | More by brentk56

womencantsail

California

3.78/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The pour is a perfectly clear golden straw color with a finger or two of white head that dissipates before too long.

S: Slight skunkiness up front, but I don't get much of that after the first sniff or two. Definite adjunct quality to it, probably corn. Light floral hop notes and a hint of bread.

T: Sweet bready malts with the faintest adjunct sweetness on the back end. Earthy and floral hops to it with only the lightest bitterness. A little bit of yeast flavor in there as well.

M: Light to medium in body with a medium level of carbonation.

O: A decent Helles, but not even the best I've had from Weltenburger.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 07:03:17 | More by womencantsail

HopHead84

California

4.33/5  rDev +23%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

6/4/2011

Thanks to Arthur for the growler. Opened with Carlos at Lost Abbey.

A: Pellucid straw gold with a big white head. Lots of lacing. Good clarity and nice color.

S: Pilsner malt with notes of dough, grain, and bread. The malt is the most prominent aspect of the nose, with slightly spicy and herbal noble hop notes beneath. Very clean.

T: Pronounced Pils malt imparts grainy, bready, and doughy notes. The beer is slightly sweet, with a light noble hop presence which imparts a low bitterness and spicy notes. Finishes very clean with rich malt characteristics.

M: Light in body with medium carbonation. Mouthfeel is smooth and soft.

Overall: A very good Helles.

Serving type: growler

06-04-2011 22:37:51 | More by HopHead84

dasenebler

Maine

3.4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

.5L, best before 1/12/12.

Light, clear yellow-gold, very effervescent. Head sticks around admirably, and the lacing is solid.

The aroma is muffled, with a slightly metallic and cardboardy thing. Woody hops in the background rescue the situation.

The flavor is light and quaffable. Pretty dry for a Helles, with a swift and clean woody-hoppy finish. Lightly tangy, mineral notes throughout. Malts are grainy and dry. The well-carbonated mouthfeel could be a bit softer in its approach.

Not bad, and nice and dry for a Helles, but I'll stick with this brewery's Dunkel in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 17:29:50 | More by dasenebler

eric5bellies

Australia

4/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank from my Erdinger weizen glass

A - Pours a slightly hazy Golden colour with afrothy one fingered head that reduces quickly.

S - Sweet malts and yeast, a little green fruit also.

T - MAlt up front with some yeast notes a little grain follows witha floral hop bitter finish.

M - Light body and medium to full carbonation

O - A Decent session beer

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 16:17:03 | More by eric5bellies

largadeer

Kentucky

4.38/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Gourmet Haus Staudt.

Crystal clear pale gold with a finger of sticky head that leaves scattered lacing.

Malty, creamy aroma. Doughy bread, little perceptible hop character. Lightly sweet, very clean.

So quaffable, clean and balanced. It's sweeter and lighter than Weltenburger's Barock Hell, though it's ultimately still a dry and crisp beer. Doughy pils malt steals the show, but there's a touch of grassy hop flavor, faint sulfur from the yeast. Finishes exceptionally clean, neither dry nor sweet. At the risk of abusing the word, it really is one of the most clean helles lagers I've tried. I'm not sure that I like it quite as much as the more dry and bitter Barock Hell, but it's an awesome beer all the same.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2011 02:02:35 | More by largadeer

MNJR

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I don't really know the difference between the two Weltenburger helles beers, except one has a higher ABV. The website has an English version, but it doesn't say much about the difference between to two helles beers. (http://www.en.weltenburger.de/urtyp_hell.htm) The Urtyp Hell is the lower ABV. It is a hazy golden yellow with a decent, foamy head. The flavor is what you want from this style of beer: clean, bright, smooth, with bit more malt character than hops. It goes down nicely. There is a slight gritty graininess in the motuhfeel, but nothing rough or bad. An all around sturdy, lighter bodied beer that hits the mark and does the job. I'd buy more, but I'm not in a big hurry to, since overall it impresses me as being a bit "normal" and nothing too special.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 23:04:03 | More by MNJR

kels

Virginia

2.88/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

This was one of the closeouts at the Vintage Cellar this month. I think I know why after drinking and reading other's reviews. This must have been sitting around awhile past its prime.

Pours a clear golden yellow with a short, thin, white bubbly head. The head retains pretty well at a 1/2 finger skim, and it yields light washes of slippery lace with each drink. Light carbonation is seen throughout the beer.

Aroma is definitely displeasing. Bubblegum meets honey meets spoiled grain. It's sickly sweet, and, while aspects of it aren't that off-style, something's definitely off.

Taste gives up a lot of lemon and wheat - a very clean and crisp taste. There's a good dose of honey sweetness, slightly cloying, with a hint of that bubblegum from the nose. Crisp green apple finishes the flavors. Well carbonated with a light syrupy film in the finish.

Drinkability is hard to rate. I can barely get past the nose to the beer, and even when I do, I don't find much worth making the trip for. I'll have to try again when a new shipment comes in and see if it's just me or if it's actually the beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 03:31:19 | More by kels

fsimcox

California

4/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear straw, golden color. White foamy, bubbly head, dissipates slowly. Maintains the frothy head very well. Some lacing, but not much.

Smell of sweet malt, with faint hints of grass, and very faint hints of citrus and hops in the background.

Clean and crisp, a mild finish with a hint of malt sweetness. A little citrus in the finish, and a sweet bread aftertaste. No bitterness at all.

Mouthfeel is clean, easy to drink, crisp, some body, and some carbonation in the finish.

Not a bad Helles. I really like a good Helles, and I would gladly have another one of these beers. Smooth and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 19:58:37 | More by fsimcox

nicnut45

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- A light golden straw color. Slightly hazy appears to be some fine sediment suspended throughout. Beautiful fine white head just coats the top of the beer.

S- A very faint light smelling beer. Smells super clean. Malts smell of pure maple syrup. Hops are very faint, I can hardly pick them up. Very true to the style.

T- Everything a helles should be. Clean malt tastes and low bitterness. The malts remind me of pancake batter though not as sweet. Very enjoyable.

M.F.- Not too light, not too heavy. I think this beer could benefit from a bit more carbonation to maybe bring more scents up to the nose.

D- This is one of the most drinkable beers I have ever had. I should have bought more. I wish they made this in six packs.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 20:57:40 | More by nicnut45

flagmantho

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 500mL bottle into a Pilsner glass.

Appearance: clear, very light straw-hued body with three fingers of foamy white head. Definitely helles, but the head seems to retain well and leaves a nice lace, so I'll call it good.

Smell: a hint of sweet malt, which I like, but mostly rather plain and uninspiring. Not bad, not great.

Taste: even moreso than the aroma, there's just not much here at all. Slight malt flavor and a touch of grain, but the overall flavor is quite watery. What flavor is there is good, but there's very little of it to go around.

Mouthfeel: body is very watery; there's no heft to it at all. The carbonation is low, but nice; it reminds me of club soda. I like club soda, mind you, but what I want to be drinking right now is a beer.

Drinkability: well, it's not an exciting beer, but it's entirely inoffensive and does possess some refreshing qualities. Quaffable, but not really worth going out of your way for.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2010 03:19:13 | More by flagmantho

appenzeller

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Light gold with a frothy white head, very slight floral/honey aroma. This is a very light, crisp, straightforward helles. Balance is good, malts are citruslike but feint, hops are subtle and floral. I suspect this may be a beer that serves well when fresh on tap, but it's simply too refined/subtle for even a helles and pilsner fan like me to find satisfying. It's like a "light" version of a helles . . . a step too far.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 07:32:24 | More by appenzeller

Offa

California

3.83/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a pretty good, but rather sweet, basic helles bier.

Gold, it has a small white head slowly shrinking.

Aroma is light cooked barley, yeasty bread dough, apple and herbs - definitely a helles but not as characterful as many.

Taste is grain, herb, mineral, with lemon and apple dominating the finish and aftertaste along with some grain. Overall, it's a bit on the sweet side.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2009 06:41:24 | More by Offa

czfreeman

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Following the Lowenbrau Urtyp with this one, little exploration of the style.
Pours clean, nearly clear golden hay color. Light bubbling streams in the glass, produces a really nice head, foamy, light, leaving good lacing.
Smells light, bicuity malts, light bread, hop bitterness, touch of green citrusy hoppiness, overall bready with a squeeze of citrus, fits my idea of a Helles to a Tee. Really light punch of hops almost recalls a British Bitter. This is some really good stuff. Most other Helles are more of a focus on th quality and complexity of the malt, yielding a predominantly bready aroma, this one is really a feature of fresh grassy hops, providing a light lemony tang that is really enjoyable
Flavor reminds me of the Augustiner Helles, with an added Hallertau punch. Light bready malts, sweet citrus, a clean amount of carbonation, bitter mineral quality, finishing with a cleansing amount of Hallertau bite. Coming back to this beer several times really provides a fresh zippy bite of Hops, I've had several bottles prior to reviewing and everyone seems to be a little different
Mouthfeel is clean, light and ends with a pleasently bitter bite. This style is so great as it can pair with light appetizers, seafood, as well as heavy entrees with its cleansing properties. Good example of a classic style

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2009 20:04:07 | More by czfreeman

rtepiak

Poland

3.95/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

a crisp helles... not too fruity... a hoppier version of the barock hell. a split hair from a good pilsner. foam creeped out of the bottle while i got the glass. clear golden... almost green. nice hay nose. with a very sublet sweet. very light... very well balanced. palate of like honey, protein, hay, and soft mint finish with a honey malt undertone. breadier than the norm. fruitier than a pilsner. sweet finish with a nice body. smooth. simple.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2009 06:08:18 | More by rtepiak

Halcyondays

California

3.03/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500 mL bottle,

A: Pours yellow with an unispired white head, no lacing.

S: Heavy bread malt, cereal, light DMS.

T: Definite grain, saltine crackers, a bit of sweet malt, almost corny in the finish. No real hop character.

M: Pretty good body, not watery. Smooth and crisp, good carbonation.

D: A fair Helles, but there are much better versions out there. Fine enough to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2009 03:57:06 | More by Halcyondays

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

When in Leavenworth in the fall, drink lots of German beers. This is good example of the style and a great beer to start off the evening session. Very light with a huge head this is a malty take on the helles style. The finish is dryish and I found quite refreshing. Good beer that has more flavour than the colour suggests

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2008 16:12:13 | More by canucklehead

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

.5L brown bottle, typical of other German beers. Pours out a straw to golden yellow with a lovely one inch head. Tons of bubbles make their way to the top.

Smell is light, sharp and crisp. Slight malt and a very slight trace of hops come through. Taste is kind of what I expected. Grass, malt and something slightly peppery comes through.

Overall, a very drinkaable beer with a light mouthfeel. Easy to drink and lower in alcohol, which is a nice break. I would buy this again but not before trying something new.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2008 21:32:48 | More by CharlesRiver

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.9/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

50CL bottle poured into my 50cl Paulaner Seidel.

A- Golden honey colour with a rocky 2 finger head that dissapates very quickly to leave a thin
crown.

S- Sweet caramel munich malts, some biscuit.

T- Sweet malts in the beginning, a bit sugary, syrupy grainy finish, doesnt taste very fresh.

M- A little flat, syrupy

D- This bottle was 2 months after best before date so not the best example. Too syrupy sweet
and lacked in carbonation. Will revisit with a
fresh offering later.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2008 11:52:04 | More by seanyfo

LungeRehm

Germany

3.93/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got it from a friend who brought it from the south, have never drunk it before. Serving type: standard 0,5l bottel, poured into a Pils mug

A: Large-bubbled foam which quickly fades but keeps a 1cm layer on top of the beer; bright golden color. Strong carbonation at the start, quickly vanishing.

S: malt slightly dominates the hops, both are not very distinct.

T: Heavier than a Pils, just as this style should be; flowery, citrusy hints at the same time. Very moderate bitterness.

M: slightly creamy which I found a bit surprinsing, feels like it's overly cabonating in the mouth, fresh bready taste with a citrusy finish.

D: Would recommend this beer, it's a well-crafted, but not exceptional one. A bit too much citrusy, almost sour final note like in some Hefeweizen.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2008 20:54:26 | More by LungeRehm

ElGordo

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the 500ml bottle into a Pilsner Urquell stange. Body is a deep golden color, topped by a tall, wispy white head that leaves some good lacing on the glass. Sweet aroma of bready malt, a good bit of caramel, and a hint of mild, fruity hops. Palate is mostly sweet, bready malt up front, with notes of caramel and just a hint of toffee. Some mild fruity hops come through towards the finish, leaving a bit of lingering bitterness on the finish. Body is light and ever-so-slgihtly sticky. This low-alcohol offering is definitely quaffable, and I'll probably be having more than a few of theses during the summer months.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2008 07:43:01 | More by ElGordo

MichaelGreene

California

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light yellow, flowery smell.

Nice dry bitter beer. Not too much to say about this, not too many flavors, or anything to speak about. Just a good simple beer. What can I say, I would drink this on a hot day anytime. It was really good. Just simple.

Poured into my Pils glass. Not really much of a head to start with, but a thing ring stuck around. Light carbonation, I prefer a little more.

But again, a good beer, worth trying out and worth buying again. Simple but it works.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2008 06:27:12 | More by MichaelGreene

HappyHourHero

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Light, soft floral aroma. Tall bright white head pops it way eventually stabilizing as a thin film leaving some nice lace. Transparent pale golden beers holds streams of briskly rising bubbles. Moderately light, crisp mouthfeel. Faintly sweet malt with equal doses of spicy hops and fresh dandelions ends with a grassy/herbal finish. Crisp beer with refreshing flavors. Simple but effective. Quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2006 19:10:46 | More by HappyHourHero