Weihenstephaner Original - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a slightly hazy lightly-pinkish yellow, much like slightly cloudy piss. The head is massive and beautifully stark white, with a creamy tight texture and tinny little bubbles. Carbonation appears moderate in the body of the beer, which is the faintest bit hazy, but truthfully quite clear. Lacing is in thin sticky sheets that run little lines across the glass. On the nose, the beer smells sweet and spicy, much like a Czech pilsner. Sweet sticky grain malt mixes with spicy grassy hops to tantalize the nose with varying layers. Slight caramel and biscuit can also be detected in the malt, and faint citrus plays alongside the spices. The beer tastes wonderfully bready with light spices from the hops. On the opening sip the spices tingle slightly at the beginning alongside a steadily growing bready flavor which eventually explodes in the middle of the taste, drowning out the hops momentarily with its creamy biscuit qualities before mellowing light citrus and hay with spicy zest and a faint lingering taste of biscuit. On the tongue, the beer is crisp and bubbly, though not too much so. The beers holds properly thin and drinkable in the mouth and it leaves the mouth quite clean with light droplets of saliva on the tongue. Overall the beer is quite refreshing and drinkable, with some nice malty complexity, although I do wish more of the spicy hops were able to transfer over from the smell to the flavor. A terrific Munich Helles with some nice flavor to rest alongside the easy drinkability, and a great start to my Weihenstephan experience.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:02:15 | More by Maxwell

jucifer1818

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: crystal clear, opaque, perfect for the lighter side of things
5/5

smell: grassy, grassy, grassy! Lovely light grassy hops dominate the smell of this brew, perfecting adding to its lawnmowery feeling
4.5/5

Taste: clean well carbonated, low, low hoppyness. this is the ultimate easy to drink (drinkable) brew I've ever had, perfectly fitting its style and tasting delicious at the same time

mouthfeel: like water almost, with a carbonation bite

overall: this is a 4.5/5 beer.

its clean as hell and does taste like ass the same way that American Adjunct lagers tend to do. Pure brewing skill demonstrated here from the worlds oldest operating brewery, and it comes out quite nice
Highly recommended for those trying to look on the light side of life

a must try

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 06:45:32 | More by jucifer1818

tkelley

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - golden clear body with a thin whit head and some very fast moving bubbles.

S - light malt and light euro hop smells. Not a lot going on in the nose.

T - really clean crisp taste. Nothing overpowering. Good malts and hops. Nice and easy.

M - awesome. Crisp and smooth.

O - excellent easy drinking beer. Definitely a go to for a long session.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 23:29:52 | More by tkelley

TownDunkel

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Crisp and golden yellow to almost gold. Really good looking stuff

Smell - Very clean and mellow. It is very subtle but it has a good mix of earthy hops and almost apple like hints

Taste - Not a ton of flavor here but what is there works well. Just like the smell clean and almost fuity hints but very little

Mouthfeel - Great carbonation that keeps the nice flavor around for quite awhile

Overall - A very solid lager, maybe not an everyday winner for me but nice for a change

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 00:48:27 | More by TownDunkel

CHickman

New York

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours crystal clear yellow with a 1 finger snow white head that faded quickly, leaving good spotty lacing.

Smells of grains, malt, cardboard, light lemon, grass, hay, light herbs and some light hops; very basic Euro lager aroma, which is bready and malty.

Tastes like it smells, with grains, hay, malt, cardboard, lemon, grass, light herbs, light hops and biscuit; very basic Euro lager flavor that has more malt than hops, but nice balance.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp and refreshing, with light carbonation, a watery, smooth feel and an almost clean finish that has a sweet lemon and malt pucker for a fine aftertaste.

A classic German beer that is a definite session beer and a very above average (yet still basic) lager. It’s quite easy to drink, readily available and inexpensive – a winning combo and a solid overall beer that basically set the style guidelines.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 02:45:44 | More by CHickman

Philousa

California

3.53/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is a clear and bright golden yellow. Helles indeed! Creamy one finger head doesn't stick around long, but leaves a few ovals of foam on the glass. Aroma is overwhelmingly reminiscent of apple cider. Sweet through and through. I'm sure the Hallertauer and other Noble hops add to the sweetness, as I get some nectar as well. I also get some almond nuttiness. The taste is a little more subdued in sweetness. Apple again and the slight nuttiness persist in the flavor, but then it drops out and becomes more savory. The hops balance everything out well, floral and nectar qualities accompany the bitterness. The bitterness is sweet at the same time. It's hard to describe, but they somehow negate and compliment each other at once. The feel is very drinkable. Watery but creamy. Finish is slightly sweet.

I get a lot more of the nuttiness as it warms. No wonder Germans like "warm" beer! This one is good. I'll have to keep an eye out for it next time I go to a German restaurant.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 01:23:13 | More by Philousa

jadpsu

Georgia

3.35/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

World's oldest brewery, and over 1000 years old. Wow!
Pours a pale straw yellow, with a pure white head that has superior side glass lacing and good head retention.
Aroma is of grain and grass with tinge of Euro skunkiness.
Taste is grainy, grassy and with some maltiness. Clean, but nothing stands out.
Do not see a great price value.
Has a dry finish. Nothing here that supports a price point of over $30.00 a case.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 02:51:09 | More by jadpsu

acevenom

Louisiana

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a glass mug. Pours pale golden with a tall, white head and plentiful visible tiny bubbles. The head retreats, leaving some lacing on the side of the glass. This is the typical helles lager smell. There's the bready and biscuit type malt with some grassy hops. The taste absolutely follows the nose. There's a solid malt profile here that has some biscuit notes. The noble hops add some grassy and spicy notes. The taste absolutely follows the nose. There's a solid malt profile here that has some biscuit notes. The noble hops add some grassy and spicy notes. This is an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 00:24:36 | More by acevenom

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

11.2oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass.

A: Pours straw yellow and very effervescent. Rocky and pillowy white head forms an impressive three fingers atop the beer and doesn't budge. Patchy clumps of lacing.

S: Sweet and bready with a light graininess- textbook use of Pilsner malt. Light aroma of grape skin. Hay. Grassy and slightly herbal hops make for a very evenly balanced nose, Very clean. Spot-on for the style.

T: Straw, biscuit and bread unfold on the palate. Pervasive grape skin fruitiness. Hops kick in mid-palate with grassy and herbal tastes and balance the beer perfectly. Drying finish of equal parts grain and grassy hops. Very clean, very crisp. Excellent.

M: Medium bodied with a nice, firm malt texture. Very creamy, filling in the mouth, and extremely smooth. Moderate carbonation provides just a bit of a lift and scrub. Great.

O: This is king of the Helles as far as I'm concerned. There is no flaw in this beer. A simple but pleasing style executed to perfection. It appalls me that this sits on the shelf. Put down your harpoons and halt the whale hunt long enough to drink and appreciate the truly great beers that are regularly at your disposal.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 00:23:19 | More by ryan1788a5

FLima

Brazil

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lots of foam that is quite persistent overtime. Appereance and aroma what is expected from a Munich Helles Lager. Light body with good carbonation. Flavor of malt and raw grains, which keeps constant without any unwanted mutation. High drinkability, actually as high as it gets.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 02:24:28 | More by FLima

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

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle served in a mug glass.

A: Pours a pale yellow color. Clear. Forms a big bubbled aired white head. Medium retention and some lacings left

S: Sweet grains, bready Lager yeasts and flowery hops

T: Slightly sweet upfront. Crispy cereals, sweet malts, bread, Lager yeasts, citrus hops

M: Extremely smooth and delicate Helles. Light body and decent carbonation. Balanced jops bitterness aftertaste

O: Extremely drinkable. My new favorite Munich Helles Lager.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 01:09:33 | More by eduardolinhalis

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from bottle into a sampler shaker. Poured a pale golden yellow with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, fruit, spice, and wheat. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, spice, and wheat. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a fairly good brew. I was really quite impressed with what I found going on in this one for the style. It was very refreshing and inviting for the palate. This fact made it extremely easy to drink and I could see this one being enjoyed in fairly larger quantities without too much trouble. A solid offering from this brewery that I would not hesitate to suggest to anyone out there.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 10:48:26 | More by thagr81us

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.78/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tall lager glass. Golden color with three fingers of head; puffy like a cloud. Lots of beautiful bubbles floating up.
Fresh cut grain smell.
Soft metallic taste, bitter throughout but not off-putting. Some mild maltiness to it as well, bready.
Crisp, yet soft and smooth texture. Lot of carbonation and medium body.
Overall, delicious and good for you.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 02:27:58 | More by Fatehunter

T100Mark

California

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

11.2 ounce Euro bottle poured into a 16 ounce mixing glass. The label is a little different than the one on the BA photo (mine says "original premium").

Appearance-Honey color. Nice, fine cappacino like head that never completely disappeared. Minimal lacing.

Smell-It smells the way you would imagine a great lager would smell.

Taste-The malt/hops balance is perfect. The flavor is substantial. A wonderful German lager.

Mouth-Good. The flavor comes on quickly.

Overall-The prototypical German lager. Not too big. Easy drinking. Delicious. It's a shame Budweiser doesn't taste like this.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 02:04:45 | More by T100Mark

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Here's an update to a previously reviewed beer. That one had been skunked. This seems to be far more fresh.

Rocky head with plenty of chunky lace on the glass. Crystal clear with yellow straw color. There's a steady stream of fine bubbles continuously rising.

The smell is a combination of dry-ish malt and raw grain.

The flavor is similar to the smell. The taste is soft with a strong graininess to the tongue. The swallow is chewy malt. The aftertaste is slightly sour. The body is full for the style with a good level of carbonation.

Old review--
Very impressive head--long lasting and rocky as it abates. Nice spotty lace on the glass. Light straw in color and crystal clear.

This appears to have skunked. Behind that, this is a mostly malty smelling brew.

The flavor is an improvement from the smell. It is mostly creamy light malt flavors. Light on the hop, the aftertaste is mostly sour. Very good body for the style with an appropriate amount of carbonation.

I wonder what this would be like fresh--it has all of the makings of a wonderfully subtle and refreshing lager.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 22:39:06 | More by smcolw

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From: Binny's, Champaign, IL
Date: "0132" stamped on back label
Glass: Ayinger willi glass

Weihenstephan's Munich helles is a clean, malty, and subtly German-hoppy lager. Fairly undemanding in flavor and aroma, this would be an easy-drinking respite from warm weather, American hop-forward beers.

Pours a 2cm tall head of small bubbles of a fairly clean, white color. Retention is about average, slowly reducing to a thin cap atop the beer's body with some larger bubbles around the perimeter of the glass. Body is a transparent, bright yellow color, with light bringing out pale yellow tones. Carbonation is visible, rising up from bottom center of the glass.

Aroma is sweet, slightly soapy, of very pale malts, slight soil and mineral, lemon rind, and a bit of wet cardboard. Slightly floral and grassy European hops are present, but are fairly subdued.

Tasting opens with sweet and grainy malt flavors. Mid-palate finds a well-balanced mix of pale German malts alongside mildly bittering European hops. Back of palate continues the pale German malts with bitter European hops, the malts overpowering hops here, yielding a sweet grain flavor. Aftertaste is of pale malts with little residual hop bitterness.

Body is medium-light to light, with spritzy, lightly tingly carbonation. This results in a crisp, slightly foamy, flowing mouthfeel: the beer never lasts too long on the palate. Hops are noticeable in the spiciness they provide to the mouthfeel. Finish is semi-dry.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 05:02:18 | More by falloutsnow

Mojo

Alabama

4.4/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours up a crystal clear pale amber with about two fingers worth of head and a little bit of lacing. The nose is bread, earthiness, and sweet apples. Mouthfeel is close to perfect with just the right amount of carbonation. Taste is fairly mild, but complex just the same. An understated sweetness giving way to an understated bitterness on the finish and no lingering aftertaste. I've had this bottle for a couple of months and just kept passing it over. It is easily one of the finest offering I have tasted as of late.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 04:13:49 | More by Mojo

mjurney

Texas

4.98/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Clear, straw color. Tons of fine carbonation rising. Nice fluffy bright white head.

Clean and crisp aroma. Grassy, sweet biscuits, a little spiciness.

Body is clean and crisp, yet full of bready goodness. Bready, biscuit, grassy, slight lemony, spicy towards the finish.

Probably the best Munich Helles Lager I ever drank.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 19:20:30 | More by mjurney

pburland23

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 11.2 oz. bottle into my Gaffel stange. I know this isn't a kolsch, but I thought it would look and drink real nice from the stange.

Appearance: Tight streams of bubbles race up the glass which is filled with a bright, clear golden color. There's about half a finger of bright white head which given all the carbonation seems inclined to stick around.

Smell: Grassy malts with some sweetness. A little floral kick from the hops. Very crisp and clean smelling beer.

Taste: Very similar to the nose. Mildly bitter with loads of grassy malt goodness, a little spice from the hops. Very well balanced.

Mouthfeel: A light bodied beer. Very crisp, clean and drinkable. Good carbonation.

Overall: It's definitely overshadowed by other Weihenstephaner beers, but this is a very good Helles lager. Worth checking out. I go on German kicks occasionally and I'll be back for this beer the next time I crave something German.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 23:26:52 | More by pburland23

cradke

Texas

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: gold with a little head. little bit of head.

Smell: esters, barley and some nice hops

Taste: again with the esters, more barley and some stale hops. pleasant and nice.

Mouthful: really nice plesant feel. good corbonation.

Overall: nice and refreshing, though probably my least favorite weihenstephaner

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 01:49:11 | More by cradke

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4.68/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The world-renowed Weihenstephaner Hef has a tendency to overshadow the other beers from this brewery and that's a shame, because there are some other good ones in their catalog. The Original is one of them, decidedly more rich than their pilsener and one of the best overall lagers I've tried. The beer has great clarity and perfectly pure taste. Try one!

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 17:58:38 | More by TheRealBigC

thierrynantes

France

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

Beer bottle (50 cl.) purchased from V&B Nantes, and tasted in 2012.

Appearance : pale golden color with white foamy head.
Smell : hoppy and grassy aromas.
Taste & mouthfeel : mild spiced hoppy flavors with a light malt finish.
Drinkability : a good beer in the Munich helles lager.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 18:35:56 | More by thierrynantes

Cavanaghty

Maine

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

Wanted to try this in Germany, but it will be a while before I am able to go there, so i had to settle for an imported bottle in the mean time.

Poured from bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: Beautiful Crisp Golden Amber color. Head overflowed from the glass and was white with great lacing on the glass. The head lasted a long time, most likely due to the good carbonation I noticed.

Smell: Light hops and only hops.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Light bodied and well balanced. All I could taste was hops with a light pine like and hops after taste.

Overall: Excellent brew as expected. I cannot wait to try it a bit fresher in Germany when I get a chance.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 00:32:02 | More by Cavanaghty

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16.9 oz bottle, 5.1% abv. Clear straw color, with a foamy white head. Retention is decent, but there are some spots of lace.

Cereal grains and bready malt in the nose. Grassy and herbal hops in the back.

A bit sweet up front, which is a bit surprising. Cereal grains, and hints of bread. Slight herbal hops provide a slight bitterness at the end, but nothing that lingers long.

Lighter body, with soft carbonation. Fairly clean overall. Easy to drink. Maybe not my favorite German lager, but not bad.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 02:35:01 | More by Bierguy5