Weihenstephaner Festbier - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

EricSonOfTom

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12oz bottle at 49 degrees into my Stone Vertical Epic Ale glass (I’d call it a modified weizen glass). 7262 is printed on the bottle. The bottle also says “Oktoberfestbier” rather than “Festbier.”

Appearance – Pours a faded, clear yellow w/ a champagne-like swirl of bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. Thin head that largely dissipates quickly, though a trace remains circumferentially along the rim. Moderate lacing.

Aroma – Apple and esters predominate. Subtle lemon/citrus. Light. Minimal hop aroma. Subtle pine essence.

Taste – Fruity and wheat taste throughout. Grain malt. Mild sour and acidic undertones. Moderately dry and bitter. Aftertaste is of fleeting apple with a subtle bitter character.

Mouthfeel – More creamy and full than I expected. Coats the mouth well.

Overall –Apple is the main thing I relate this beer to. I respect Weihenstephaner very much, and if I had only one of their brews to choose from, I’d reach for their classic hefeweizen, but this is a respectable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 21:32:51 | More by EricSonOfTom

Strix

Wisconsin

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear straw yellow, good initial head and lacing.

Grainy, malty, bready, a fairly prominent skunky note.

Crisp floral hops with a background of fresh bread, lemon and pepper aftertaste. No trace of a skunky flavor.

Mouthfeel crisp and full.

Wonder if this is getting a little past its prime, but still a nice Oktoberfest.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 01:02:54 | More by Strix

SmashPants

Australia

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: standard 500mL brown bottle, traditional German label.

Appearance: a slightly hazy golden yellow in colour, with a thin but lasting head.

Aroma: there are sweet bread and biscuit malts with an overtone of light floral hops. Note overpowering, but enticing none-the-less.

Taste: there is a good bread malt backing, but most of the flavour comes from sweet citric and floral hops. Not overwhelming, but a nice sessional.

Aftertaste: dissipates reasonably quickly, which is fine by me. This brew does go down quite easy.

Mouth feel: light to medium in body without being watery. Fair bit of carbonation per the style - brings the flavours across nicely.

Overall: a nice lager / pilsener with a few different malts and hops than one would normally see. A nice one for every now and then, I think - say, once a year in October :)

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 02:20:46 | More by SmashPants

KajII

North Carolina

2.85/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.75

[Suggested Glassware: Lager Glass]

The pour was a light golden yellow with a small (less than 1 finger) white fizzy head that quickly receded down to a very small collar and had poor spotty lacing.

The aroma was of a grain malt, herbal hops and a sweaty yeast with a light hint of caramel along with a mild fruity ester.

The taste was mildly malty with a light caramel sweetness and a strong grainy feel throughout, with the finish having a very light bitterness and a slight medicinal presence at the end. The flavor lasted an average time after the swallow with a grainy bitter taste left behind to fade into the background very slowly.

Mouthfeel was light in body and watery in texture with a mild carbonation.

Overall this was a brew that did not offer up much flavor or anything else for that matter. Although it did have a good smooth drinkability and a very light feel, which would allow you to drink a few without feeling blotted...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 17:49:21 | More by KajII

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.23/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Very light, golden amber with a huge, foamy white head on top that settles to about a half centimetre tall one. The beer is very clear and the head leaves some very small amounts of lacing on the side of the glass.

Grainy aroma right off the bat followed by some orange peel and a hint of skunk. There is some light citrus, a grassy hop smell and some sweet malts.

Grainy again, some sweet malts and a few grassy hops that the nose hinted at. There is some sweetness along with a slight bit of skunk, some honey and orange plus some caramel.

Slightly skunky, a base sweetness and light bitter finish. The carbonation is about medium and the feel is very slightly grainy, all on top of a light medium body.

An average beer, about what I've come to expect from the majority of märzen or Oktoberfest beers I try. This one is easily the worst of the five Weihenstephaner beers I have tried to date, it doesn't bring much to the table and is pretty standard for the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 16:27:30 | More by flyingpig

barczar

Kentucky

3.3/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy golden straw with a one inch thick dense egg white head that slowly dissipates, leaving sheets of lacing.

Aroma is grainy and slightly skunky, with subtle floral hops and bready malt.

Flavor is bready, fairly sweet, and reminiscent of corn adjunct. There's a tangy background note that is offputting. Seems lemony.

Body is fairly full, creamy, with carbonation on the high side. There's a bit of an astringent finish.

Not what I expected in am oktoberfest. Lacks malt complexity, and there's an off flavor. The more I taste and smell it, the more I think it's a yeast issue.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 04:55:26 | More by barczar

acelin

Kansas

4.45/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a German boot beer glass, for good measure.

Pours an orange/brown with a huge white head, and giant lacing.

Huge caramel smells, cracker, biscuit, dark rye bread, burnt sugar, some floral hops.

Beautiful festbier. One of the best. Can't imagine how good this would be fresh. Huge caramel malts, delicious dark bread with honey.

Mouthfeel is good. Fairly sessionable

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 17:16:19 | More by acelin

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from a liquor store in Byron Bay. From notes.

A - Bright and golden with a one finger white head. Good carbonation, good retention, minimal lace.

S - Honey, hops are there in a juicy fruit form, fruit juice, mango flesh.

T - Grain, honey, fruit hop again, mango nectar.

M - Good carbonation, medium body, nice sweetness to finish.

O/D - A nice, really easy drinking and flavourful Weihenstephaner beer. What it lacks in complexity it makes up for in drinkability and smoothness.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 04:06:22 | More by tbeckett

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a nonic pint glass on 11/22/12

7262 printed on the label

This is much lighter in color and and has more clarity than I'm used to. Sun-faded medium gold and straw colors. Two and a half finger white head dissipates slowly. Speckled trails of lace.

Enjoyable little aroma here - bread, grass, hay, apple pastry and caramel. Very clean.

The taste is right in line with the aroma, though the grassy hops have a bit more say. Buttered bread and biscuit and light fruit overtones.

The feel is fairly light, enveloped with carbonation, but the body is substantive enough to be be satisfying.

This hits the spot for a Thanksgiving afternoon sort of beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 05:31:16 | More by Ryan011235

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330 ml bottle into pint glass, bottled 5/14/2012. Pours lightly hazy golden straw color with a 1 finger dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big pear, apple, grape, light caramel, bread, toast, floral, and herbal hops. Pretty nice and pleasant aromas; decent balance and strength; but they are a bit too fruity. Taste of bread, toast, light caramel, pear, apple, grain, pepper, light earth, and herbal hops. Slight peppery bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of bread, light caramel, grain, light fruits, pepper, and herbal on the finish for a good bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a light creamy and very crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a nice Oktoberfest. Not really what I expected from this style example, considering that every other offering they make is spot on. However, there are some nice flavors with good balance; and it is extremely easy to drink. I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 05:29:39 | More by superspak

CampusCrew

Florida

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hmmmm i had to check the bottle label to make sure i was drinking a maerzen... great lager but off style, but thats ok not all maerzens have to taste the same. Poured a dark golden. Like a pilsner. Not typical pils or maerzens aomas and flavors maybe a combo of the two... never the less its a well done lager... crisp flavorful and refreshing... i would drink again and i cant beleive this is the first time ive had this...

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 01:19:51 | More by CampusCrew

UnderPressure

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear, golden straw colored. Fizzy 1/2 finger head.

Very fruity esters. Some skunk. Pilsner malt aroma.

More complex flavor than I anticipated. Full maltiness upfront. Followed by a slight hop presence.

Light to medium bodied. Smooth mouthfeel with a nice feeling carbonation. Lingering slightly bitter finish.

This beer is really similar to a good pilsner. Not what I was expecting in an Oktoberfest, but a good beer nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 21:14:04 | More by UnderPressure

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.55/5  rDev -3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Samuel Adams pint glass. Purchased at Nikki's Liquors in North Providence, Rhode Island.

A- Pours a light-straw clear body with a medium white fizzy head that reduces to a thick white ring. Low lacing. Looks like an adjunct to be honest.

S- citrus, some skunk, belgian funk, yeast.

T- Starts off spicy, cloves and wheat. The finish is slightly skunky and bitter. Good balance, it just doesn't seem super fresh.

M- This is where this brew shines. Light, crisp, refreshing and highly drinkable.

Overall I was only mildly impressed with this beer. I guess I had super high expectations considering their hefeweisbeir is one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 19:34:10 | More by gcamparone

bmike86

Iowa

3.1/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I picked up a 6 pack of Weihenstephaner Oktoberfestbier from Hyvee Liquors in Des Moines, IA.

Appearance --- light pale golden yellow color. Carbonation bubbles flowing steadily through a slightly cloudy complexion. Minimal white head

Smell --- mainly malts, but also some hops

Taste --- does not really look or smell like a marzen, and somewhat resembles a marzen in taste

Mouth feel --- smooth, slightly carbonated, light to medium bodied, hoppy finish with semi-sweet aftertaste

Overall --- from the Weihenstephaner offerings, I am usually impressed… but not with this one. It seems merely average. This beer is indeed unique, it looks, smells and tastes as if it was a baby/offspring of Paulaner’s Oktoberfest and their Wiesn. It is worth a taste, but not sure if I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 15:36:40 | More by bmike86

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

11.2 oz beer was poured into a pint glass

Appearance: This beer poured a minimal head that has reduced to a thin layer. It is a golden straw yellow with great clarity and bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: Malty and sweet, some grassy notes

Taste: same as above

Mouthfeel: smooth, full bodied, crisp, medium carbonation

Overall: I was expecting more maltiness, nutty notes and color to the beer. This beet is more along the lines of a pilsner or later. A bit dissapointkng and think that things may have been bottles incorrectly at the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 01:29:51 | More by Flounder57

RickS95

Indiana

2.7/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I'm giving it a 2 for looks for one reason only. The head is stellar. The beer itself is a click darker than Budweiser. Looks nothing like any Oktoberfest I've seen. Very clear, looks like ginger ale. The head, however is a looker. A couple fingers of white bubbles, good retention. Looks like cotton balls. Thin white lace left behind.

Smells like Budweiser. Nothing to indicate it's an Oktoberfest.

The taste is slightly redeeming. Very much a stock pilsner, but there are some spices in there. Very yeasty with some pepper accents, but mostly standard pilsner malts.

It's light to medium bodied, fairly crisp, with just a hint of some spices. Slight hop presence in the finish.

Overall, it would make for a world class pilsner, but it's fairly lacking for an Oktoberfest. Not sure how they call it a festbier because it just isn't. But nonetheless, it's not a bad tasting beer, just nothing like I was expecting. I'm glad I bought a six pack because it'll make for good drinking, but I wouldn't call it a marzen.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 02:18:37 | More by RickS95

heygeebee

Australia

3.43/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a two finger head - very pale straw. Very nice clingy lace.

Aromas of malts and a little something I cannot put my finger on maybe a little lemonade?

Taste is very bready malt driven, quite sweet and just a little hop presence. Hides the 6 percent very well.

Mouthfeel is crisp and light easy drinking

Overall too easy to drink at 6 percent

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 10:13:11 | More by heygeebee

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a darker straw color with fantastic clarity. The carbonation isn't as evident as I might have thought it would be, but it's there. The head is a rocky-looking, three finger white color that becomes one fingers high after a short period of time. As it recedes, a nice amount of spiderweb lacing is left on the glass.

S: Very zesty noble hops in this one. It actually isn't that malty in the aroma apart from a very faint caramel sweetness. Far more of a pilsner than a marzen.

T: The initial flavors are quite sweet - almost overly so, but not quite. This gradually transitions into a crisp, pleasantly biting hoppy finish. The sweetness is only slightly caramel based, but does enough to mesh with its faintly buttery midtaste. This really isn't much of a marzen, but it's a DAMN good sticke pilsner.

M: Crisp and well carbonated, but not extremely dry. This causes some sweetness to linger on the aftertaste - which makes it seem thicker than it really is. Perhaps it's not as easy to drink as other oktoberfests, but the way the flavor profile reverts from sweet to bitter and back again, it does a good job of keeping the palate guessing.

O:I really shouldn't complain about how it isn't very marzen-y, because I'd have NO trouble drinking a pitcher of this in a biergarten. Actually, my only complaint is that I'm not sure I'd pay $12/6 pack for it again, given its nature.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 19:32:10 | More by ThisWangsChung

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear golden yellow with three-finger, white head that lasted several minutes and left a nice film. Nice lacing. Not the color I was expecting though.

S: Hops and fruit.

T: Light sweetness and light to moderate bitterness. Mild flavor really. Hops again, which is not what I was expecting.

M: Medium bodied with lively carbonation.

O: Different than what I was expecting, which put me off at first, but this is actually a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 23:01:37 | More by SolipsismalCat

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a green bottle (shame, shame) into a traditional stein. The pour is light in color and crystal-clear with a mammoth white frothy head. Excellent retention. Nose is sweet and toasty malt, but quite faint.

Nice medium body, firm mouthfeel, and clean malt flavor. Sweet and bready flavors up front are punctuated by more than enough peppery hop notes to aid the drinkability and enhance the flavor. The beer goes down shockingly fast.

I'm going to have to buy more of this stuff. It's a nice, easy-drinking fest beer that has no objectionable qualities whatsoever. I would like a darker, amber color and stronger malt flavor, but this is still very nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 22:47:13 | More by deadonhisfeet

Kiwano

New York

3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - straw yellow with light lacing

S - slight honey smell

T - nice malt with honey overtones but not too sweet then slight bitterness at the end

M - lively carbonation

O - nice sweet with malt and bitter at the end balance - Overall nice.

Poured from bottle to glass.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 02:35:49 | More by Kiwano

happy4hoppybeer

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Surprisingly light color for a Marzen/Oktoberfest, deep golden yellow, with a beautiful thick head that is very nice to look at. The head is about a finger thick, with luscious deep lacing to the glass. The light color is the only thing holding back the appearance.

Faint nose of malt, sweetness,light hops, maybe some nuts. Very light aromas here. But pleasing all the while.

Clean, crisp taste of same with very thin body. Finishes watery.

Not a great Marzen/Oktoberfest, I have definitely had much better, and this one is overpriced as well. But nonetheless enjoyable, and good to have a lot of, overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 17:42:25 | More by happy4hoppybeer

vkv822

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev -3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz : tulip

Clear golden yellow with a foamy white head.

Grassy hops, with cracker, pale malt backing.

Grassy hops again, lightly sweet, bready malts.

Medium body, prickly, active carbonation. Crisp.

Hard to rate this one, as it is not what I usually find in a Marzen, but still a well brewed, enjoyable lager.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 08:03:10 | More by vkv822

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A beauty to gaze upon.
I was surprised to see this beer so light as compared to other Festbiers. This beer pours with a deeper golden color. An almost massive head sits on top, tall at the very least, with a bright white color and quite dense. The beer's brilliant clarity makes see the gentile carbonation quite easy.

Another surprise was an abundance of hops. Totally unexpected by me.
Malts have a sweet doughy aroma with only hints of caramel while hops have a spicy and floral bouquet.

Taste is quite good with the malts being crisp, clean, bold and only hints of bready dough and sweet malts. Spicy hops come through from saaz no doubt as well as floral from hallertau. This beer is easy drinking and flows quite nicely. Farily clean aftertaste with only a hint of hoppy bitterness.

A good beer in my opinion but I think it is a little out of style. I think it is more of a pils, a full body pils.
But, what ever. It won't stop me from drinking more thats for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 11:46:01 | More by micromaniac129

Dools9

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a shaker pint.

A: Clear, golden straw color. Nice, bright white, creamy two finger head holds on for a while, pretty good laceing. Looks nothing like what I would expect from a traditional marzen, but nonetheless good.

S: Lagery, bready malt, lots of straw and cereal. A good dose of toasty biscuit and hay.

T: Plenty of biscuity, bready barley malt, lager yeast kick on the end. Some vague apple and pear fruitiness. Not much in the way of hops but there is a lingering floral hop flavor, pretty clean all around.

M: Lighter bodied, and a bit creamy.

O: Not too bad, maybe not your more traditional German style Oktoberfest but it stays relatively clean and doesn't go overboard with the sugary malt sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 18:46:38 | More by Dools9