Weihenstephaner Original - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

dheacck11

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour is a beautiful gleaming clear yellow gold. 2 fingers of light fluffy white head fading slowly.

Nose is nice a light, hints of straw and grass, maybe just a little bit of lemon. Overall grain predominant.

Taste is wonderfully smooth. Some honey and lemon initially, followed by a simple but lively crisp maltiness. Finishes with a touch of dryness, but does not overwhelm the juice flowing throughout.

Body is a lovely medium thin. Lots of juice throughout. Quite refreshing.

Been reading about about Helles lagers over the last few days. This is a great example, and really a lovely, delightfully refreshing beer. Not my favorite style, but so good to have once in a while, and great for a session or on a hot day after mowing the lawn.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 23:10:21 | More by dheacck11

Roguer

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Beautiful two finger head. Pale golden straw color, almost sickly. Decent carbonation. Head retention is solid, with very nice lacing. Very clear.

S - Pilsner-like, slightly hoppy, spices, and a strong banana or honey note. Very even and mild; wheat.

T - Smooth. The banana flavor is very mild, barely present (and might be honey). Strong wheat flavor reminiscent of a heavier beer. Mild like an AAL, but with a fuller flavor. Very pleasant. Slight astringency, but I can't taste any specific hop flavors.

M - Again, smooth. Stings the tip of the tongue smartly, foams a bit when chewing, but overall, a very nice mouthfeel. This isn't a beer to sip and savor; it's a beer for strong, big drinking, and it flows perfectly for that style.

O - This is a great and inexpensive lager. I don't quite buy into the hype, nor do I put it up there with their Hefe-Weissbier. However, this is a very solid beer for an easier drinking choice, either for a session beer or for a hot day outdoors. Much easier to drink than a Weissbier.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 19:17:21 | More by Roguer

GibbonsTheBeerGuy

Texas

4.95/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

For my first review, I'll write up one of my favorite warm weather beers. This is a perfect lager, one of the best I've ever had. Light floral nose with honey notes. Delicious, full mouth feel and crisp refreshing flavor, honey, honey. Sweet without being cloying, one sip begats another until its all gone. Love this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 16:43:36 | More by GibbonsTheBeerGuy

dar482

New York

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The beer pours out in a clear gold color with a fluffy head and lots of carbonation.

The aroma has a very Pilsner style aroma. There’s quite a decent amount of grassy hops, biscuit malt.

The flavor follows with that grassy hop flavor, but without the same type of bitterness that I would associate with Czech pilsners. It’s very darn refreshing. For those that aren’t in love pilsners, this is a good place to start. The grassiness nor bitterness are overpowering.

High drinkability, distinct grassiness, crisp flavor. A wonderful session beer. One of my favorite lagers.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 03:03:52 | More by dar482

stella77artois

New York

2.98/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 2.75

16.9 oz bottle poured into pint glass.

A - Rather average lager. Very light golden, decent amount of carbonation happening. Good, thick head that lasted a while.

S - Not much happening. Smelled like an adjunct lager to be honest, maybe not as dank.

T - Very disappointed. Am a huge fan of Munich Helles Lagers, and with the rating this brew has, was expecting to find another beer I'd love. Not the case. Not much happening in terms of taste, pretty bland. Can't believe this, but it tasted like a less offensive adjunct lager. Not as much corn filler, and maybe a bit more hoppiness. Disappointing.

F - It's only positive, really. Light in a good way and crisp. Nice amount of carbonation.

O - Quite disappointed. This brew comes nowhere near my 2 favorite (as of now) Helles lagers, Lowenbrau and Spaten. A very average beer without much going for it. Wouldn't mind trying this on tap, but I doubt I'll ever buy a bottle again.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 20:27:03 | More by stella77artois

RTitus

Arkansas

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I was very excited to see this in the grocery store because with the temperature rising I have been craving more crisp lagers. Twelve ounce bottles brown (other German brewers take note).

Poured a pretty light gold, very clear and natural looking. Thin white head that dissipated leaving a cap for a few minutes. Lots of bubbles, this looks like a great thirst quencher.

I did not get much smell off this one at first, but as I drank I started to notice a little bread and a hint of something citrus.

The taste is where this brew shines. A perfect crisp beginning with a little lemon and a sweet without adjunct bread. Bitter and sour are balanced so well. This is just excellent and shows how the style should be, why can't the macros make beer at least close to this.

So far this beer has just been an upgraded version of what most people think of as "beer", but the mouthfeel on this sets it into a category of its own. A brisk carbonation and a grainy mouthfeel gives this beer a substantive distinction. I have to say the graininess was a suprise but I liked it. It melds with the carbonation well. This beer also has a dry finish that keeps you sipping.

On a sad side note, I offered one of these to a friend, who tasted it and said "Wow thats good, tastes just like Miller High Life." I just stared at him.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:38:39 | More by RTitus

TeamMathis

West Virginia

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Clean, golden yellow.
Smell: Lemon and honey biscuit.
Taste: Lemon and some honey.
Mouthfeel: Almost spritzy.

This is one of the best pale brews I've had. It is immensely refreshing; a hybrid of a lager and a pils. The lemon in the smell is the first on the scene, followed by the biscuits. It is the same with the taste, except the lemon dominates most of it. You could drink this every day, but mostly on warmer days. I would probably get this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 01:58:59 | More by TeamMathis

tectactoe

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Haven't went wrong with a Weihenstephan before; it's funny how I've had many of their other brews before the "original", so I guess I finally owe it to myself to try it. It pours a straw and banana tinted yellow color with exception clarity - not quite Kristallweissbier clear, but pretty damn close. It showcases some slight volatility, producing a big, bubbly, bone-white head that maintains its slow decent into a skin and leaves some great lacing behind. This one's a beauty!

The aroma contains a bunch of maltiness, right off the bat; soft and light, yet dominant and recognizable all at once. Raw biscuits, crackers, and previous Bavarian yeast cloud my nostrils, followed up by a brief interruption of faint Noble hops; slightly leafy and musty are the hops, and while noticeable, they certainly play secondary to the extraordinarily well-crafted malt bill. Some light lemon zest and a spritz of citrus finishes things off. This beer smells very pure, fresh, and honest. I like that.

A slightly metallic toned abundance of pale malts engulf my palate after taking a gulp. Not a sip, but a gulp - this beer is about as easy-drinking as they come. The flavor is slightly more "toasted" than the aroma showed, giving off baked bread and toasty crackers as opposed to their lighter, raw counterparts. Once the stronger barley and grain flavors subside a bit, the Noble hops jump in again with their signature musk and leaf flavor, injecting a subtle dryness and a mellow, yet commanding bitterness that lasts well into the aftertaste.

Extremely well balanced is this lager, with a seemingly perfect mix of hops and malts, both sides waging war for dominance in the flavor profile while the sum of them remains controlled enough to let the drinkability of this beer shine like a star. The aftertaste is a pretty rewarding concoction of Noble hop bitterness, briefly toasted and bready malt, and crisp, clean, lager yeast. It's got a smooth yet sharp mouth feel from the high amount of carbonation. Light bodied, as most helles lagers should be.

No kidding, Weihenstephan does it again. I'm beginning to think that they can do no wrong, as there isn't a beer by them that I've tried and haven't liked. I'm starting to grow more fond of the Helles Lager style, and this is a good place to start for anyone who is venturing in that direction, as well. Can't say I like this one as much as Schlenkerla's helles lager (it's that smoke, baby), but it's still damn good and oh so insanely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 16:30:07 | More by tectactoe

Damian

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Drank from a 330 ml/11.2 fl.oz. bottle
Served in a pilsner glass
Thanks to my dad for this single.

The beer poured a hazy, straw yellow color. A tight, frothy, three-finger crown of bright white foam topped the liquid. The head quickly dissipated to a thick cap. Drips of lacing cascaded down the glass.

The aroma was crisp, bright and fresh. A dry, powdery yeastiness came through strong. Good amount of doughy malts. Somewhat crackery. A bit hay-like. Mild sulfur notes were also detectible.

The flavor profile was notable. Definitely more tart and citric than the nose. Pale, crackery malts appeared on the front end. Lemon notes came through strong in the center. More lemon appeared in the finish. Here, the lemon had a zesty, rind-like flavor. Some noble, earthy hop bitterness was noticeable as well. Overall, very clean and snappy

The mouthfeel was medium bodied and contained a fine, mellow carbonation. It definitely could have been much more crisp and effervescent for the style.

After years of drinking Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, I finally got around to trying Weihenstephaner Original, and I am glad that I did. It was immensely refreshing and surprisingly full flavored. This would be a perfect warm weather beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 16:20:48 | More by Damian

Bowdoinbeerboy

Maine

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours with a thick two finger head that slowly dissipates to almost nothing after five minutes. Carbonation is medium, the beer itself is a clear, pale yellow, looks exactly like buweiser or PBR.

The nose is at first almost musty, but with a slightly sweet, malty backbone that really becomes apparent after a few moments. The beer tastes quite light, there is a definite malty sweetness to this beer. It isn't sweet in the sickly sort of way in the manner of a BMC, but there is a malty toastiness there.

I am not a big lager fan in general, but this is a delightful beer. Shows you what a traditional munich hells is suppsosed to be! Very nice, I would try it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 22:57:51 | More by Bowdoinbeerboy

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.21/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Weihenstephaner Original has a very thick, fluffy, white head and a brilliant, golden, bubbly appearance, with lots of little white chunks floating about and a good amount of lacing left behind. The aroma is of sweet, bready, biscuity barley malt, and the flavor is similar, with a nice hop bitterness in the middle-to-end of the sip. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Weihenstephaner Original finishes crisp, clean, refreshing, and highly drinkable. Overall, this is a great beer, and I rate it very highly. Lovely!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 20:54:40 | More by RonaldTheriot

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Clear light gold. No orange. It's, well, exactly the colour of my piss. Big popping white head which lasts a while.

S: Just a grainy malt smell. Nothing else.

T: A pleasant, clean grainy flavour which reflects the nose, balanced with just the right amount of bitterness. Slightly tangy. Half way down I get a suggestion of the signature Weihenstephaner Hefe flavour. Soft bread and gentle lemon & lime in the aftertaste. Towards the bottom it gets more bitter and somewhat astringent, but on the whole it's a balanced brew. Very refreshing and drinkable.

M: Very light and soft but in no way insipid. I get a lovely bit of creamy head at the end of every sip.

O: Wow, a pale lager that I actually enjoyed. Very mild and friendly tasting.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 07:11:42 | More by Hoppsbabo

MaximalC

Illinois

3.36/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours a transparent straw color with a modest white head composed of bubbles of various sizes. Aroma is mild, smelling of honey, Saaz-like hops, and a faint sourness I can't put my finger on. The taste is similar to the aroma, with a gentle sweetness and proportionate hopping. Some golden delicious apple/peel begins to manifest as the beer warms. The flavors are very mild, but balanced. Mouthfeel is fairly thin, but suits the style well enough. Carbonation adds just a touch of creaminess to keep it interesting.

This is surely drinkable but entirely ordinary, and nowhere near the league of Weihenstephaner's vastly superior offerings. I find it odd that the brewery's "original" brew is by far its most average, but most things would seem that way compared to their weissbiers.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 00:39:13 | More by MaximalC

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Probably had this a few times before, getting to review it finally.

A- Poured from the bottle into a pint glass with a pale straw, crystal clear appearance. A cap bubbles up to about two fingers in size with a texture somewhere between foamy and creamy. Head retention is nice and the bubbly ring leaves a few small rings of lacing.

S- A good blend of things here. The aromas are strong and I get notes of citrus peel, peppercorn, fresh cracked grains, Euro hops (herbal, grass, spice) and lager yeast breadiness. I would say the citrus zest and grassy spicy hops stick out the most to me but it is well balanced overall.

T- Seems even more balanced here and well-crafted indeed. Good contributions from the malts, hops and that secret thing Germans move from batch to batch in line with purity laws, err yeast! An array of flavors including lemon zest, herbal grassy hops, peppercorn, light caramel malt sweets and yeast dough.

MF- Lighter end body but does not at all feel thin, per se. Silky and slightly creamy consistency supports the flavors. High-end carbonation and a very slight bitterness.

Solid and refreshing, drinks very easily. I still prefer the Hefeweiss but this beer is unique in it's own way and you can tell it was carefully crafted. Not a bad place to start if you are just getting into German beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 01:44:08 | More by cbutova

elchingen

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

330ml Btl served into a Pilsener Glass.

A: Pale golden color. Beautiful white seafoamy head. Great retention. Thick and lovely lacing down the glass. Neverending small carbonation bubbles lifting from bottom of glass. Quite appealing.

S: Doughy yeast aroma, some slightly damp barnyard. Traces of lemon zest and fresh grain.

T: Clean, grainy, refreshing. Fresh cut grass, a dash of pepper, clove, mild citrus. Bit of tarty twang on the dry, ever so lightly hopped finish.

M: Noticeable carbonation, however more creamy than crisp. Finish lingers longer that one would guess as pepper & hops stick with you.

O: Perfect summer thirst quencher & I can see why this is considered a textbook example of a classic Munich Helles Lager. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 00:32:51 | More by elchingen

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

A- Crystal clear pale straw colored body with a huge foamy bone white head.

S- Lager yeast, hint of citrus, fresh grass, lightly toasted grains.

T- Traditional lager flavors, really everything in the nose comes through and makes for a very drinkable beer.

M- Creamier than I expected. Not a crisp and carbonated lager, but more of a smooth, creamy and mellow mouthfeel. Medium-low carbonation and medium mouthfeel.

O- Exceptionally drinkable, really the prototypical German beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 23:45:34 | More by stephenjmoore

IsaacCraft

4.56/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

I'm new to beer, so I'm still developing my palate and finding out what I like. This beer is absolutely exceptional. Very smooth and delicious. You experience just a hint of sweetness at the first sip before the bitter flavors kick in. It is very balanced and nota at all overwhelming. I really enjoyed it and will definitely buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 15:47:15 | More by IsaacCraft

Arno

2.43/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

A: straw golden color with a large foamy white head.
S: Can't put my finger on it. Almost like warm milk with dough, quite stale.
T: Better then the smell suggests. Like a pilsener, but then the stale flavor kicks in at the end.
M: Quite bland and low carbonation.

O: Not my beer. It's just like a regular pilsener, but with a little weird but quite a bland taste. I'm just don't get why this is so highly rated.I know many better beers which are half the price. I prefer their white/wheat bears.

Bros: Be more critical so there's actually a reliable rating. And i'm not referring to this beer, but pretty much any review has 90+. You even communicate beer karma rules - so might be worthwhile to consider this yourself as well. Be more detailed in the rating is all i'm saying. 100 means it's perfect. And what's the benchmark? My benchmark is i've never had the perfect beer - so 100 is pretty much impossible, unless i really feel like heaven drinking a beer. This beer made you feel in heaven? You can like it, don't mind me, but be realistic ...

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 22:27:24 | More by Arno

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.19/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

500 ml bottle was poured into a pilsner glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a crazy two finger head that has reduced to a small layer and left some nice lacing on the glass. It is a golden straw yellow with great clarity and bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: Bready, grainy, grassy, sweet pale malts, and a little pepper spiciness to beer.

Taste: The taste is along the same lines as the scent and there is some bitterness to the beer that is traditional to the style.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium to low carbonation, medium bodied, and crisp.

Overall: Pretty solid beer and now I know it is considered one of the best within this style. Awesome beer to enjoy with dinner.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 03:00:38 | More by Flounder57

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

500 mL bottle. Thanks Thorpe.

Pours a crisp, clear straw golden color with a large foamy white head. Nose is bready and floral, with grass, straw, light citrus and dough. Crisp body, with a doughy grain flavor and a light grassy lemon citrus finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 22:57:02 | More by yourefragile

BierStein711

Illinois

4.41/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle poured into pilsner!

Three finger off-white head, vigorous carbonation!

Smells of fruit, barley, yeast, bread, and hop.

Tastes, fruit, citrus, barley, yeast, breads, and a bitter finish

Mouthfeel: thinner

Overall, not a bad beer at all! I strongly endorse this one. This is the kind of beer you want on a summer afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 14:45:21 | More by BierStein711

BucannonXC5

California

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | 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 golden clear color with 3-4 fingers of frothy white head. Average lacing. Above average retention.

Smelled skunky malts, including corn, cereal (Cheerios), hay, bread, honey and grass.

Tasted a lot smoother and lighter than the smell. Got corn, Cheerios, honey grass and a bit of lemon.

Light-to-medium body. Thin texture. Average carbonation. Abrupt finish. Clean and refreshing.

Not a bad beer, I guess my first of the kind, although it reminded me more of a light lager than anything else. Weihenstephaner is just so good. I’m 3-for-3 now with two more to drink in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 05:10:13 | More by BucannonXC5

Profchaos20

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a Nonic Pint Glass(reviewed on 9/2/12, just got around to posting).

A - Poured a pale straw crystal clear, with a half finger head which dissipated immediately into a patchy thin white cap.

S - Crisp and light, with a little malt and grassy noble hop smell.

T - Malty breadiness with a spicyness that's exaggerated by the carbonation level. Finishes with a slight bitterness towards the end. Refreshing.

M - Light, clean, and crisp. Medium to high carbonation.

O - A tasty light very drinkable helles.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 03:13:20 | More by Profchaos20

AmitC

Indiana

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 11.2 oz bottle into a snifter.

Pale straw to some light golden color. Thin head of white color. Good lacing. Not much staying power with the head, which disappears pretty much soon. Mine is not clear. Some suspended particles. May be a bit dated, i don't know.

Aroma is full of grains and some noble hops. Very pale lager like.

Taste: Grains upfront and some what sweet malty taste. Balanced by the rail of some noble hops afterwards. Dry finish.

Mouth feel is light to slightly medium. Moderate carbonation. Very easy to drink and sessionable beer.

Style Rate: This one probable defines the style. So a 4.5.
Personal Rate: 3.75

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 03:04:05 | More by AmitC

acelin

Kansas

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

Poured into a weihenstephaner glass.

Pours a light golden hay color, with a minimal white head and minimal lacing. Decent for a lager I suppose!

Smell is of pale malt - so cracker, blonde biscuits. Light noble hop smell.

Tastes like a very clean, very light grainy malt with minimal hops.

Mouthfeel is good, perfect session beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 17:18:27 | More by acelin