Weihenstephaner Original - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

doktorhops

Australia

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ahhh, Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan - mighty bastion of the brave Germanic beers (and 'oldest brewery still running', yeah yeah we know that already). Weihenstephaner Original Munich Helles somehow slipped between the cracks of my own beer tasting knowledge only to rear its delightful head (not a beer euphemism) coincidentally during Oktoberfest [least likely coincidence ever]. Well here you are Mr. Original, let's see if you truly live up to the Weihenstephaner name!

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a stein.

A: Clear pale golden body with an (I kid you not) inch sized cappuccino froth white head. You can see some major carbonation action going on within the glass so it is little surprise the head sits proudly on top.

S: Interesting with its bold musty yeast upfront, appreciable grain base (more malt than corn aromas) in the middle and honey sweetness with subdued cut grass hops to finish.

T: Waited for the head to drop a little before tasting, not a fan of getting beer foam in my nostrils. Yeast really dominates the flavour, still musty but with a big bread dough wallop, followed by that honey, then the malt base and ending with a long dry grassy hop finish. Uniquely German in its own Helles Lager ways with that big yeast taste that you don't get with other Lager styles, and which can be off putting for people unfamiliar with Munich Helles.

M: Almost as hearty as a thick beef stew in the body and light in carbonation (surprisingly considering the prominent head).

D: The only if that would make this beer any better is if it was served in a masskrug by a buxom German girl wearing a dirndl... well one can dream. That aside it is a highly drinkable, likeable Helles that is true to the style "Prost!".

Food match: You could almost make a sandwich with the bold bread flavours in this brew, or in the least forego the slice of bread at meal time. German food is an obvious choice of course. Quiche would also pair well.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 07:09:45 | More by doktorhops

mxchap

California

4/5  rDev -0.7%

05-21-2013 04:10:54 | More by mxchap

johntfox

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

05-20-2013 23:48:31 | More by johntfox

BobaFret

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.7%

05-20-2013 23:07:29 | More by BobaFret

sumpjh

California

4/5  rDev -0.7%

05-19-2013 12:12:25 | More by sumpjh

RTitus

Arkansas

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
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

Photekut

Azerbaijan

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

05-18-2013 22:44:49 | More by Photekut

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.25/5  rDev -19.4%

05-18-2013 01:16:28 | More by ThePorterSorter

TeamMathis

West Virginia

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
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

aty11b

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%

05-14-2013 01:15:23 | More by aty11b

clark25

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%

05-12-2013 14:53:57 | More by clark25

ZachRusk

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

05-12-2013 02:41:14 | More by ZachRusk

memphischas

Tennessee

4/5  rDev -0.7%

05-10-2013 23:18:30 | More by memphischas

Stugotzo

Florida

4/5  rDev -0.7%

05-10-2013 22:26:57 | More by Stugotzo

JakeDebus

Maryland

4/5  rDev -0.7%

05-10-2013 14:59:21 | More by JakeDebus

Ciocanelu

Romania

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%

05-10-2013 10:41:11 | More by Ciocanelu

Riverared

Alabama

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%

05-08-2013 02:20:49 | More by Riverared

JakerLou

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%

05-05-2013 20:25:39 | More by JakerLou

kjkinsey

Texas

4/5  rDev -0.7%

05-05-2013 17:45:03 | More by kjkinsey

PsychicBubblegum

California

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%

05-04-2013 04:38:16 | More by PsychicBubblegum

jazztoloc

Mexico

5/5  rDev +24.1%

05-04-2013 02:21:10 | More by jazztoloc

tectactoe

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
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

Eaglefan344

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

04-29-2013 00:01:03 | More by Eaglefan344

MN_Beerticker

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%

04-28-2013 15:06:33 | More by MN_Beerticker

KingSlayer

Mexico

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

04-28-2013 02:28:00 | More by KingSlayer