Weihenstephaner Original | Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

4.11/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I expected this to be just a bit behind the favorites of this brewery: Korbinian, Vitus, Hefe, Kristal, etc. But I believe this beer more than holds its own. Very crisp and refreshing. Perfect for a hot summer day. Does all the things that a German lager does, with plenty of malt and biscuity tastes. I'd be satisfied to reach for this whenever I see it.

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4.86/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: 12 oz sleek euro brown bottle with the boasting words “Oldest Brewery in the World” on the label, freshness date is on the back label.

Appearance: Very hazy from the yeast with a pale yellow hue, varied bubbled white lace that holds a great retention and stays until he beer is gone.

Smell: Very mild lemon astringent aroma and a light cookie like malt sweetness with a trace of hops also in the nose.

Taste: Well structured and rounded carbonation cradles the delicate light to medium body, the clean hop bitterness is evident with a soft lemon like twang. Malt flavour is similar to a lightly baked biscuit from fresh milled malted grain. Both hops and malt meld together to form a perfect blend, yeast complements by adding a touch of nuttiness. Light feel of alcohol towards the end with the lingering effects of the malt, yeast and a long drawn out faded hops finish.

Notes: A lager in the raw, in its authentic natural form. This is the quintessential lager in the world. Bow down to the true lager and you will be one with beer. This is the best of the best hands down.

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4.8/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

The quintessential German lager. Had several times but felt compelled to praise it tonight in review form, after I'd sampled it out on the patio after a long day.

Aroma - grassy, a little pungent, very inviting.

Taste/feel - so clean, lightly sweet, a little bitterness, goes down so so smooth.

If it gets any better than this, I've not found it.

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4.75/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

An exceptional example of a Munich Helles Lager. The best there is IMHO. I'm an avid home brewer and have been trying to replicate this beer right down to the water chemistry for quite some time. No dice yet!

Crystal clear pale in color.
High carbonation level
Barely detectable hop aroma and flavor
Smells like a biscuit out of the oven
Tastes very slightly malty and bready with a very clean finish

It's perfect!

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4.45/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

It's good. It's more than good. Beautiful light golden yellow with a very slight head. Smells like rich malts and slightly grassy and spicy, yeasty too. Tastes like fresh sourdough bread, the absolute cleanest and crispest of lagers, as all Weihenstephaner beers are. Has an almost creamy mouthfeel and the perfect body to be quite drinkable. Perfect as a one off pairing with a meal or as one of a few in a session. Overall one of my favorites, perhaps my second favorite Weihenstaphaner offering after their Kristallweissebier.

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4.75/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Let's be honest, if you don't like this beer, you don't really like... beer. As clean and as drinkable as humanly possible. Hard to imagine how this could be improved upon.

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4.19/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

One of the best lagers I've ever had. Weihenstephaner never disappoints. Glad this comes in sixers. Slight hop bitterness, smooth cereal malt tones. Refreshing as hell.

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4.36/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Lovely 1 pint plus 0.9oz German style brown bottle. Beautiful weihenstephaner label stating 'Original Helles' though I've had the same brew marked original premium in the past. Poured into a Weihenstephaner glass.

A - faint yellow golden. Much like 24k gold. Just a brilliant bright look with superb clarity and a white head leaving ood stick.

S - bright lemon with a faint hint of fresh grass. Doughy, breaded malt valances well with a slight hint of sweetness and crisp clean hops.

T - lemon, grass, fresh fruity hops, a nice sweet biscuit malt and some faint spices balancing out a near perfect finish.

M - smooth and highly approachable lager. Texture has a ridiculously balanced feel allowing me to drink it all day. Finish is crisp and refreshing but never losing its beautiful flavor.

O - ahh.. the often overlooked Weihenstephaner.. It's an absolute genuine treat. This German lager is as it should be, beautiful and approachable allowing anyone to appreciate it's grand, unprecedented character. The Weihenstephan Premium oozes class and is a must try for any craft beer drinker as well as those who want to sample one of the world's actual great lagers.

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4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This is what a lager should taste/look like. Yeasty/bready flavor/smell with a hint of lavender? and a light hop balance. Delicate, creamy and goes down easy. This is one elegant beer. What Heineken wishes it could be. One of my top 3 lager/pilsners and I've had many.

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4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I rate this as my favorite lager in the world,incredible fruity aroma and taste.Not a wimpy beer by any stretch,the house yeast imparts a great floral-fruity aroma,love this beer in any form but am crazy about it on tapT.Weihenstaphan is one of the great breweries in the world for a reason.

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4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: clear pale gold and a couple of fingers of ivory head; sparse lace left behind

S: grassy, grainy, flowery fields; some bread and yeast...

T: crisp and clean drinking pale grains; hints at grasses and hay; something citric, maybe lemony; something herbal and rustic, too

M: lean and tight, crisp and clean-drinking, moderate bitterness, smooth and light-bodied

O: what I presume to be exemplary of the style, rounded off by my lack of familiarity thereof, presents as an easy-drinkin' beer, session-able and light, with a stable of core flavor elements

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4.29/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Light gold and clear liquid with a fizzy and fleeting white head. A few bits of lacing hang around after. The aroma is yeasty, malty, grainy and sweet with some bright notes like lemon and herbal hops. The taste is sweet and grainy with a decent amount of hops and lemon. This is just a classic and simple beer that is done amazingly well.

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4.44/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer was seven months old, but still held up very well. Helles is one of my favorite styles of brew and there are a lot of great offerings, especially local craft breweries. That being said, this is like the poster child of what a tasty beer can be. Thick, fading head and a subtle, balanced fragrance. The color is interesting. It's just south of amber with shades of orange. The flavor is of spiced malt and resinous hops. The brew has medium carbination and a sweet and tart aftertaste that leaves me craving more.

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4.42/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2 11.2 oz bottles poured into a giant German mug that is capable of holding 2 bottles of beer.

Appearance
Crystal clear straw yellow. 1 finger of rich foamy white head. Light carbonation.

Nose
Cracker, honey, hay, and a noble grassiness.

Taste
Lightly sweet balance of cracker and honey malts. Touch of grassy / earthy hops. A hint of hay.

Mouthfeel
Light bodied, crisp, clean, and refreshing.

Overall
Balanced by the Gods. Brewed by uber-men. A perfect Helles Lager.

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4.76/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Like someone else previously said....if you don't like this, you don't like beer. Pretty much what every brewer wants to be for this style. The only downside is it is on the heavy side. It won't be a permanent fixture in my fridge but I will drink this periodically until I die. Must try.

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4.31/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

L: the prettiest pilsner of them all.

S: skunk, I've had it before but maybe it was just this bottle. Malts, fresh white bread

T: clean, bread, a little bitter/skunk. The quintessential lager in my book.

F: great carbonation, creamy. 5/5

O: a must have.

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4.29/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

500ml Bottle
$3.49
Binny's Montgomery, IL

Weihenstephaner's Original is one of the better looking beers that I have seen in a while. The 24kt gold body absolutely glows in the glass. Clarity is at or near 100% while singular, large bubbles mosey to the surface. The foam is soapy and craggy after easily forming on the pour. A finger plus of clean white crown. When you think of of "beer" this is the beer that you are picturing in your head.

The nose is clean and crisp with a near perfect roundness. Fresh cracked grain starts it off and is the main driving force. A soft sweetness adds some depth before a well rounded floral note wraps it up. That floral quality is met with a faint herbalness and a squeeze of lemon. My mouth is watering.

The flavor is exactly as the nose described. It's freshly plucked and cracked grain off the bat. A soft cereal grain sweetness pops up in the middle with that soft, complimentary floral hoppiness. A squeeze of lemon brightens up the finish. This beer has the perfect balance and it so well rounded and soft that it's a pure joy to drink.

The body sits squarely between light and moderate. There is a plushness present that is almost unrivaled. Carbonation is undetectable, you can tell it's there by the movement but not by the feel. It's an incredibly soft beer. Drinkability is off the charts high.

Weihenstephaner Original is one of the better beers I have had in a long time. I had forgotten the greatness of this beverage over the years. It's plush, clean, crisp, and all around perfectly well made. While the drinkability is sky high it's best to sit back and slowly enjoy the perfect simplicity of each sip.

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4.48/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Been brewing since 1040... Yes, I think they have the brewing process down! Weihenstephaner is THE standard.

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4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This is absolutely a new favorite of mine - I've been loving everything I've tried of Weihenstephaner's. It's a revelation to find a German beer in the 'States that I really enjoy. I have zero reservations about this beer - it's just a lovely sweet, rich, delicious lager. Fantastic.

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4.78/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Clear golden in body with white, frothy head that stays. Aroma of Hop spice, grass, and sweet, honey grain. Tastes of Hop spice, grass, honey grain, some background pear. Light bodied with medium carbonation. Delicate and nuanced in flavor.

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4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – Light and clear yellow in color with a decent head.

Smell – This is a nice, quality grain aroma with a touch of spicing.

Taste – This spicing comes out much more at the taste. It’s difficult to pick them out, but they seem to be light yet sharp. There’s a touch of medicine to this one as well, but the strong and flavorful grain covers things up nicely. The finish is a sweet sucrose-type of flavor that works nicely.

Mouthfeel – There’s some very light carbonation to this refreshing light to medium-bodied lager.

Drinkability – This is an excellent session beer and a wonderful example of the style.

Comments – This has the same flavor profile of an American macro: grain and man-made sugar. But here it is done with class using quality ingredients and the expertise of the oldest brewery in the world.

Update – I first reviewed this in 2004 with a 2003 vintage so thought that I would re-review it with a 2005 bottle. I’m glad that I did. I got a much better head than the original review so raised the Appearance from 3 to 4.

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3.75/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
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.

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3.5/5  rDev -14.4%

4.52/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Medium yellow with excellent clarity. A bright white head of compact bubbles that is dissipates fairly quickly leaving a thick ring of foam around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate grainy and somewhat sweet with a low hops aromas that are flowery and spicy. Faint DMS, no diacetyl, no esters
T: Grainy and very slightly sweet, a nice balance of low hops bitterness
M: A nice softness on the palate probably from the pils malt with a medium body and medium carbonation.
O: It take a lot to impress me with a lager and this one certainly does. Not only excellent for style but just a plain excellent beer.

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