Weihenstephaner Pilsner - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

Brenden

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Birlliant pale gold in color with absolute clarity, this pils develops a pure white head one finger tall and fluffy with some heavy density to it. As it recedes, it leaves a tattered sheet of creamy lacing behind.
The nose is all flowery, herbal and grassy hops. Crackery dry malts balance. It's gently sweet as more floral notes make their way out. I like how American brewers have improved this style, giving it more, but it has a classic sense to it.
There's actually a pithy nature to the bitterness, something I didn't expect. It remains flowery and grassy, a touch herbal, with dryness from malts edging out the sweetness that was founf in the nose. The bitterness ends up raw, leafy and green while lingering lightly in the finish. While the pilsner has been improved, this is a good one.
Light-bodied with a crisp bite, it remains lively and is pretty clean overall as well. It goes into a dry finish that's still smooth.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 20:39:14 | More by Brenden

droomyster

Virginia

4.58/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This is the first time I've seen this beer sold in northern Virginia and I'm very glad I found it, as it is on of the very best pilsners I've ever had. I put this in the same class as Stoudt's pilsner and Victory Prima Pils. Pours a clear straw colored body with a bright white head that generously laces the glass. Very fresh, clean aromas here. Nothing icky to speak of, even after it warms. I get a lot of grassiness and sweeter notes of honey and cereal grains. On the palate this beer is very lively and electric. The aromas carry over perfectly to the front and mid-palate, where they are in perfect balance, before finishing on a refreshingly dry and almost tart. I enjoyed having it with an assortment of cheeses and berries. An excellent choice as the weather warms.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 06:17:17 | More by droomyster

barnzy78

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle, pours pale golden in color topped with a frothy white head, unbelievable clarity, good head retention, and some lacing is left at the top of the glass. Grassy aroma, pilsener malt, noble hop, fresh. Tastes are sharp & crisp, grassy, biscuity pilsener malt. Exceptionally smooth and finishes clean. World-class German Pilsener.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 01:02:09 | More by barnzy78

Dan4130

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I am a great fan of Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier so I decided to get a single of their Pils. The taste is sort of reminiscent of that beer at first sample. It is a solid beer, in my mind not the definitive Pilsner, but solid beer none the less. I am glad I only got a single as it was not that interesting to keep my interest.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 02:26:57 | More by Dan4130

popery

California

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I was pretty excited to find a bottle from Weihenstephaner that's new to me, and it's even better that this is quite a nice pilsner. It pours pale yellow, a bright hay color. Quite clear. A big white head puffed up immediately and held its shape a good few inches over the top of the glass. Lots of bubbles sticking to the walls of the glass and such. Aroma is a mix of very fresh grain with some bright spicy hops. The hops are a bit milder than I'd like, but their aroma is nice. Pleasant, lightly tart flavor from the lager yeast. Malt is light and sweet. Taste has more of that light, yeasty tartness. Pretty crisp. There's some more of that quality pilsner malt sweetness, but the beer is fairly dry, particularly in the finish. Hops are spicy, grassy and floral. Mouthfeel is mildly tart and very clean. Weihenstephaner definitely shows off their technical skill with this beer. It just nails the classic pilsner flavors. It's tasty and extremely easy to drink. There's no off flavors to be found. This beer is pretty much what I wish macro lagers tasted like.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 06:21:00 | More by popery

tectactoe

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Good ol' Weihenstephaner. Never been a "big fan" of pilsners, but perhaps it's just because I haven't had the right one yet. And also because the bulk of my pilsner experience is American Light Lager macro stuff. Anyway - this one pours a light straw color, almost like apple juice but maybe even a bit lighter. Nice clarity throughout, with a foamy and cloud-like white head that puffs up big and leaves some chunky lace, even upon first settling.

The aroma is certainly crisp, and it's got that pure, lager yeast aroma to it. Very "clean" and pure on the nostrils. Lemon and herbal zest is plentiful, maybe even some lemongrass? The hops have light grassy notes alongside a solid, mildly citric character. The malt also gives off a very clean and pure aroma - bready, with a very faint sweetness. There's an ever so slight metallic character in the aroma as well, but it's not nearly enough to be off-putting. Even upon warming, this one keeps its nice aromatic profile - it gets slightly more citrusy and the grassy tones take a back seat.

Weihen Pils hits the tongue feeling very crisp, something I've come to expect with the style. Up front, there's a light fruit melody - lemon zest, apple, mild citrus. A good under-body built with toasted cereal grains and light bread from the malt. Again - I can't stress enough how clean, pure, and refreshing this beer really is. The hops join in with a slightly floral and grassy tone, inducing a mild bitterness from about halfway through, right into the finish. Picking up some more earthy notes in the finish, especially as this warms up a little. Thin body, maybe more on the thicker-side of thin, lots of carbonation, crispy and dry in the finish.

So this is how a pilsner is supposed to taste, huh? This beer was pretty damn good - but that's typically to be expected from Weihenstephan. So clean, raw, pure, and nearly perfect within its element. This would be great to pound while outside on a hot, summer day. Easy to drink and easy to come around to - a benchmark for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 18:15:53 | More by tectactoe

garve

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This reminded me of drinking beers at the Hoffbrau house....its Ok ..not like OMFG what a great beer...if you had a giant pretzel and had some hot big racked frau serving you a 2L stien you would be damnnn I like this!!! NOT bad...Not Great...satisfying OK...ehhh...I'll have anutha'

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 00:07:57 | More by garve

BucannonXC5

California

3.89/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Type: 500ml bottle
Glass: Pilsner glass
From: Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido, Calif., on Jan. 5, 2013
Price: $3.49
Misc.: Part of the bottle reads “Brewed under the purity law, of 1516.”

Poured a pale, yellow, clear color with three fingers of frothy white head. Surprised at the high amount of head. Nice, healthy layer of white lacing on the sides. Good retention on the top all the way down.

Smelled a big dose of honey up front, reminding me a bit of Honeycomb cereal. Grassy and hay. Some caramel as well.

Tasted similar to the nose. Got honey, corn, grass, hay and nickel, which reminded me of blood in my mouth. Still got that Honeycomb cereal taste. Nice sweet aftertaste.

Light body. Oily texture. Average carbonation. Abrupt, watery finish.

That’s 2-for-2 for me on Weihenstephaner’s. Just a good pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 04:17:23 | More by BucannonXC5

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11.2 oz bottle into a pilsner glass.

A: Pours a medium straw color with great clarity. The head is a two finger white color with nice retention. The head retains more strongly away from the glass, creating a 'floater'...usually a sign of a hoppy beer. Intrigued!

S: Very well hopped, which I always like. Tons of grassy, zesty noble hops overpower - in a good way - the pale malts.

T: Light malt sweetness gives way to pure grassy hop goodness. Simple, but it works here. The only real complaint I have is that the finish isn't quite as balanced as I like. As such, it's a bit less drinkable than it could be. Having said that, it grows on me.

M: The carbonation grants this a coarse, tingly sensation on the palate. It's not entirely bone dry on the finish, either. If anything, it's more a pils to savor, rather than one to chug.

O: I feel that pilsners - when they're done well - provide a great example of simple refreshment in lieu of water. This is one I feel that stacks up nicely. It strikes a middle ground between the intensity of Prima Pils and the delicacy of Pilsner Urquell.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 20:00:26 | More by ThisWangsChung

DoubleJ

California

4.33/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Saturday afternoon beer. This is the first time that I've seen Weihenstephaner Pilsner in the US. So, on to the beer:

Pours out the bottle like pale straw. In the flute, the color is closer to pale gold than straw, with a few strings and dots of lace which stick to the glass. At first, the nose is husky like many German lagers coming out of the bottle. Given time, the aroma airs out and becomes clean. Honeysuckle, fresh cut grass, sourdogh bread, that's more like it.

Pleasing, clean, and refreshing. Weihenstephaner Pilsner is simple, yet is tasty, putting out pleasant grassy notes and pleasnt hop bitterness, backed by a honeysuckle and biscuit base. The beer is light bodied with modest crispness and is a simple pleasure to drink. Another one among many excellent choices from Weihenstephaner.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 20:38:34 | More by DoubleJ

Vec2267

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - crystal clear, pale yellow, minimal white head, light lacing

S - grassy hops, bready malts

T - like the nose, grain, grass, pepper, lemon, hop bitterness creates a dry finish

M - very bright and crisp

O - a solid pilsner but nothing outstanding

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 01:12:26 | More by Vec2267

Halcyondays

California

3.2/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

33 cL bottle,

A: Pours a clear gold with a small white head, some thick lace. Good head retention.

S: Bready pils malt, definite German malt smell. Grassy, floral noble hops.

T: Pretty similar to the nose. Clear hoppy flavour with a nice semi-bitter finish. Pils malt is solid, some husky grain character though which I wasn't too excited about, nothing to go crazy for.

M: Crisp, biting carbonation in the finish. Creamy at times. Refreshing clean finish for the style. I really like the hop character at the end.

O: A solid pils and what I can find from the Internets, it's fairly fresh. First time I've seen it in the Southland. Worth a pickup, but the regular Helles lager from these guys is the superior brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 23:31:09 | More by Halcyondays

UCLABrewN84

California

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear light yellow with a foamy white head that settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. A foamy latticework of lace coats the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt and some herbal and grassy aromas. Taste is much the same with a mild bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 00:18:59 | More by UCLABrewN84

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a crystal clear medium straw yellow in color with moderate to heavy amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall dense bright white head that slowly reduces to a very thin film covering the entire surface of the beer with a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of bready malts along with grassy hops.

T: The flavors of this beer start out with some bready malts and just a hint of honey-like sweetness followed by the grassy hops. Moderate amounts of bitterness which lingers through the finish.

M: Just heavier than light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp and clean.

O: Very easy to drink and sessionable - enjoyable because of the moderate bitterness combined with the lighter body and bready malts.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 19:48:31 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is crystal clear straw yellow in color and has a moderate to high amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high bright and dense white head that died down but consistently left a thin head covering the surface and lots of lacy rings of bubbles running down the sides of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of grassy hops in the nose. As the beer begins to warm up, some notes of bready malts become evident.
T: The taste is similar to the smell, except the malts are more prominent and also include notes of grain. There is a light amount of bitterness, which particularly lingers through the finish.
M: It feels a little more than light-bodied and very clean on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I found this to be a very solid pilsener beer that delivers a nice amount of bitterness (it really stands out given the light-bodied nature of this beer) and is easy to drink. This is a perfect choice to open up your palate with before a meal.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 00:51:05 | More by metter98

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

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

Pours light gold with a big white head. Some lace, good retention.

Some mineral and hop notes, some grassy sweetness, light malt.

Nice crisp brew, with light malt, good firm herbal bitterness, some grassy notes, clean finish. Fantastic.

Lighter bodied, nice carbonation.

Great German pils. Malt and bitterness balance wonderfully. More than solid and very worthy.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 23:16:48 | More by OtherShoe2

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-light golden with a nice white head

S-fresh hoppy grains. Smells quite good. Strong scent.

T-comes in with a very bitter taste of grassy grains. Some honey. The flavors are faint. The bitterness is strong. The after-taste is slightly off with some hint of plastic.

M-high carbonation with a bitter dry finish

O-this isn't terrible, but besides the bitterness it has an adjunct quality to it. Definitely one of the hoppiest planets I've ever had. I recommend others to at least give this a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 00:45:43 | More by AdamBear

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From: John's Grocery in Iowa City, IA
Date: "7112" stamped on bottle
Glass: Standard US pint glass

Pours a >2cm head of white foam that's composed of small bubbles and appears densely packed into a thick mass, quite frothy. Retention is about average, the head dissipating in a minute or two to a thick cap atop the body, but leaving a few substantial clumps of lacing. Body is a clear, pale, golden yellow color, with actively visible carbonation streaming from the bottom to the top, along the center and sides of the glass.

Aroma of noble hops, lemon citrus, lemongrass, flowering herbs, and a slight hint of ditchweed. The hops are, at this point, far surpassing any pilsner malt I can detect. Very fresh smelling, overall.

Taste is, Front of palate picks up noble hop bitterness and flavor, lemon citrus, and lemongrass. Mid-palate notes more pilsner malt and graininess (with associated sweetness) alongside lemon rind and lemongrass notes. Back of palate is where pilsner malt and graininess dominates over the hops, though these are still present. Aftertaste is of faint pilsner malt with stronger overtones of noble hops and lemon derivatives.

Body is medium-light to light in weight, with lively, yet not prickly carbonation. The resultant mouthfeel is crisp and fast-flowing. Finish is dry.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 05:05:32 | More by falloutsnow

ccrida

Oregon

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my Yuengling pils flute, Weihenstephaner Pilsner is clear pale gold with a white, fluffy head leaving foamy lace.

Smell is bready grain and herbal hops, mild.

Taste is clean and classic. A firm, earthy, bitter hop snap over the mildly bready cereals.

Mouthfeel is dry and very light body.

Drinkability is pretty high, this is a text book session pils. A bit more bittering than usual gives it a nice earthy backbone, but it's otherwise rather simple.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 05:52:50 | More by ccrida

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a .5 liter bottle into a pilsener glass- pours a clear light yellow color with two fingers of white foamy head. Great retention, beautiful lacing. Just a little anemic looking.

Smell is perfectly appropriate- definitely a little bready quality to the nose, some yeast, some noble hops. Very well balanced.

Taste is fantastic- light, slightly bready malts up front, followed soon after by crisp noble hops towards the mid palate to finish slightly dry.

Extremely refreshing. Very light body, moderately carbonated, moderately dry, great long finish. This is a wonderful pilsener- nothing fancy about it, just great, drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 00:15:28 | More by Hopdaemon39

hosehead83

Ohio

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

Poured from bottle into a standard pint glass.
Clear yellow gold in color, with a voluminous head of bright white foam.
Aroma-Pilsner malt, bread
Taste-Cracker,bready pilsner malt, crisp noble hop prescence, rather dry finish. Classic German Pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 18:13:33 | More by hosehead83

daledeee

Iowa

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 16 oz bottle.

Pours a very light gold and is quite clear. Large white head.

Nose is grainy and lemon.

Taste is a good dose of hops and lemon with a nice malt to finish it out. Definitely a little more than our macros offer.

Carbonation is pretty bubbly. The finish is pretty malty. Overall well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 00:28:36 | More by daledeee

Infamous7100

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours to a pale golden strawlike hue. Crystal clear with a huge billowing head. A beauty.
S: hints of biscuits and breads but accompanied by a bit of lemon or citrus notes.
T: the brew does well to follow the nose here. Starts with a bit of matly sweetness at the front but does well to blend toward the middle to back with some bitterness. Pretty good.
M: decently carbonated slightly slick and creamy. Doesn't finish as dry as most pilsners. A bitterness lingers in the after taste, but not annoyingly so.
O: A nice crisp and refreshing beer and worth a pick up. Perhaps expected a bit more out of it due to it being a Weihenstephaner product, but it will stand up to most pilsners out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 18:39:59 | More by Infamous7100

flagmantho

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 500mL bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: pale golden hue with a light effervescence and a big 2-finger head of frothy white foam. A nice lace is left on the glass as it dissipates.

Smell: grainy malt aroma with a hint of noble hops. Pretty decent.

Taste: more of that grainy malt flavor with a big strike of hops right at the front, dissipating toward the end. Bitterness is low. Actually not too bad.

Mouthfeel: light body with a decent carbonation which results in a refreshing prickliness. It works for this beer.

Overall: perhaps not the best Pilsner I've had, but it is certainly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 03:09:06 | More by flagmantho

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle poured into a footed pilsner glass.

A: Straw yellow with perfect clarity. Rocky white head boasts great retention. Lacing is very patchy and clumpy.

S: Sweet pilsner malt, biscuit, dough, and grain. Grassy and lightly herbal with hints of citrus zest, specifically spritzy lemon and lime leaf. Par for the course on the nose.

T: Biscuit and grain are interrupted by hop tastes of lime leaf and lemon peel with a grassy and slightly herbal backing. Grape leaves too. Fleeting hint of sulfur. Dough and bread fight through the hops and make it to the forefront for a moment. Dry finish with tastes of cracker malt and mildly oily and citrusy hops.

M: Light in body, moderate carbonation with a seltzery feel. Slightly creamy.

O: Not the best in the Weihenstaphan lineup, but not bad. Feels a little undercarbonated.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 03:42:13 | More by ryan1788a5