Festbier
Hofbrauhaus Freising

FestbierFestbier
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Hofbrauhaus Freising
 
Germany
Style:
Festbier / Wiesnbier
Ranked #41
ABV:
6.1%
Score:
87
Ranked #17,220
Avg:
3.86 | pDev: 6.99%
Reviews:
43
Ratings:
76
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 17, 2023
Added:
Sep 09, 2018
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  6
For those special moments. With an impressively intense wort and a great malty flavour, finely rounded off with hop aromas. A tasty festive beer!
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by metter98:
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A: The beer is crystal clear amber yellow in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger off white head that left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a collar consisting of medium-sized bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of toasted malts are present in the nose along with hints of spices.
T: The taste follows the smell and is very malty, with lots of flavors of toasted malts and hints of spices.
M: It feels medium-bodied and very malty on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really enjoyed the malty aromas and flavors in this beer. It was a very good representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle
Dec 17, 2018
More User Ratings:
Photo of clayrock81
Reviewed by clayrock81 from Florida

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a seethru straw gold body with large and frothy head that quickly died. Floral and spring-like hoppy aroma. A light bodied beer that caught me off guard with its mild hoppiness but a sweet pils-malt like grassiness that really hit the spot.
Dec 17, 2023
 
Rated: 3.69 by Rollmeaway2loadout from Illinois

Nov 20, 2023
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle. Poured out a clear, golden amber color with a small, off-white head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled of bready malt, biscuity notes and some citrus. Sweet malty taste with some roastiness. Mild bitterness.
Nov 03, 2023
Photo of defunksta
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a completely clear, medium golden color with a bright hue. A moderately strong and lively head that lingers. SRM of 8. (4.00)

Aroma: Strong aromas of pale and earthy Munich malts, smooth bread milk, an earthy honey and Munich malt flavor linger.

Flavor: Strong flavors of pale Munich malts, earthy Munich malt and bread flavor. Smooth honey and faint flower. A grassy an earthy malt flavor linger. yeasty and dry on the finish.

Feel:Medium bodied, strong carbonation and yeast. Finishes smooth but dry. (4.25)

Compared to Paulaner Festbier 10/2023: Pours darker, milder head. Stonger aromas. More earthy Munich flavors. Less toasteness. More yeasty and dry.

Compared to Weihenstephaner Festbier 10/2023: Pours darker, milder head. Stronger aromas. More earthy Munich malt flavors of grass, yeast, and grains. Less sweet lemon bread notes. Winner: Hofbrauhauas

Overall: An excellent Festbier. It has a distinct earthy and grassy Munich malt flavor that is slightly different than other German Festbiers. Yeasty, dry, and one of the most authentic German flavors for a festbier. This could be among the best. (Rating: 4.13)
Oct 18, 2023
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
330 ml bottle

pours a clear light golden in color, thick white head. good head retention. aroma of doughy pale malt and mild earthy hops. similar taste, well balanced. thin to medium bodied, easy drinking
Oct 15, 2023
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Huge billowing head, speckles of lace around the edges, deep saturated gold, bright clarity.

Soft bready aroma, light apple ester.

Mellow and biscuity, fruity apple, grassy dry hops, round feel, crisp dry finish. Carb level is a touch low. Drinkable in mass quantities.

A classic lager if ever there was one. Subtlety is lost on the weak American babypalates. /Arnold
Oct 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by DrDemento456 from Pennsylvania

Oct 02, 2023
 
Rated: 3.98 by cabsandking from Ohio

Sep 25, 2023
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.71/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Being a traditionalist, I still favor the amber, malty marzen. But I've now had a dozen Festbeirs and they have their virtue.

Hofbrauhaus Freising shows why as their Festbier is balanced and encourages another sip... or gulp. However, Looks are average and they could be improved with a lasting lace and foam. Smells say "mostly malt" and deliver. Hops come in mid-palate and increase their presence for a nice semi-dry finish that pairs well with pretzels.

As a traditionalist, I give high Overall marks to this Hofbrauhaus. Freising is as quaint as a Bavarian town can be on the outskirts of a global city. However I do want to complain about not being to find the English button on their website. So all I really could gather was from all the pretty pictures. Prost all the same.
Sep 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.31 by morsa_95 from California

Mar 21, 2023
Photo of mfnmbvp
Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois

3.41/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
11.2 fl oz. bottle, bottled May 19, 22 according to their charted date (22139). My first beer from this brewery out of Germany, acquired a single bottle as part of a mixed six pack at the local Binny's. This one might be one of my last Oktoberfest / Festbier style beers for the year, so let's see what we've got.

Poured to clear stemware.
Pours a light golden orange body, a bit more yellow in there than I was expecting, finger of frothy sticky soapy white head of decent retention. Leaves good scattered spotty lacing on the glass. Appears aptly carbonated. Looks nice.
A grainy, earthy, lager-ish aroma: notes of cooked cereal grains, huskiness, honeyed biscuit malt. Was expecting more toastiness / nuttiness, & brown breads here of which there is none.
Again, flavor profile is of cooked cereal grain, corn, husk, wheat. Lacking any distinctive toasty or nutty Oktoberfest flavors. Not bad or off-putting, but I would say it misses the style by a few hairs.
Body is smooth, crisp, clean, fluid. Medium-body, easy drinking.

Hofbrauhaus Freising Festbier -----3.5/5
Nov 02, 2022
Photo of Scotchboy
Reviewed by Scotchboy from Idaho

3.76/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On-tap in Boise, a delightful surprise - beautiful gold appearance with a touch of haze, frothy white head that towers over the glass and hardly dissipated, malty, bready, minor nutty complexity with notes of spicy, earthy, and fruity hops pushing through. Super easy to drink, dry finish. Lovely.
Oct 13, 2022
Photo of LesDewitt4beer
Reviewed by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

4.88/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
11.2oz bottle into a 0.3L mug.
L: Pours soft caramel candy color w a 1' eggshell white standard head w excellent retention, very good & fine carbo, random light lacing and banding.
S: Caramel, bread, ripe juicy fruits, very light alcohol as the beer warms as well as more malty breadiness.
T: Light ripe fruits, sweet flowery hops, caramel malts, lightly nutty, a hint of citrus zest, earthy grains in the finish. It has a very inviting hop zing and is gently pale.
F: Fairly clean med-bodied w a fast, med-dry finish.
O: A very well balanced Festbier with good carbo and feel. Lightly rich, earthy and easy drinking, it is world-class in it's style.
Oct 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.02 by bubseymour from Maryland

Oct 01, 2022
Photo of BitteNochEinWeissbier
Reviewed by BitteNochEinWeissbier from Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
1.5 x 333 ml Bottles
Consumed on: 06 Oct, 2022
Glass: 0.5 L Fest Mug

Look:
Clear Golden yellow color with an off-white head. Upon pouring, the head is 2+ fingers high and foamy. Even creamy. The head fades very slowly and lasts for about half of the mug. Lacing is good.

Smell:
Doughy and yeasty malts with a very faint touch of lemon. Light notes of grass are also present, as is a touch of hay.

Taste:
Mild and laid back sweet malts at the outset along with the faint lemon note. The hops jump in fairly quickly providing a refreshing mild zest and bitterness along with notes of fresh-cut hay. The sip finishes ever so lightly dry.

Feel:
Crisp and clean and also soft. The body is light-medium.

Overall:
A light and mellow Festbier. This brew is well-made, tasty, and quite quaffable. Another review(er) mentioned that this brew resembles a Dortmunder in many respects; I find that I agree.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.76/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

1.5 x 333 ml Bottles
Consumed on: 26 Sept, 2022
Glass: 0.5 L Fest Mug
Serving Temp: 54.4 F


Look:
Clear Golden yellow color with an off-white head. Upon pouring, the head is 2 fingers high and foamy.. The head fades to a very thin ring and island cover.

Smell:
Doughy and yeasty malts with a very faint touch of lemon. Light notes of grass are also present.

Taste:
Mild and laid back sweet malts at the outset along with the faint lemon note. The hops jump in fairly quickly providing a mild zest and bitterness. The sip finishes ever so lightly dry.

Feel:
Crisp and clean and also soft. The body is light-medium.

Overall:
A light and mellow Festbier. This brew is well-made, tasty, and quite quaffable. Another review(er) mentioned that this brew resembles a Dortmunder in many respects; I find that I agree.
Sep 27, 2022
Photo of Bass-n-beerman
Reviewed by Bass-n-beerman from Nebraska

3.91/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
My first German Lager Festbier in a long time, nice golden color, good classic lager smell and taste, good looking head that laster for several minutes with a bit of lacing afterwards, good beer, I might need to expand my beer circle after trying this
Sep 26, 2022
 
Rated: 4.01 by KT3418 from Colorado

Aug 17, 2022
 
Rated: 4.02 by Abstractspirit from Rhode Island

May 18, 2022
 
Rated: 3.56 by generallee from Virginia

Feb 05, 2022
Festbier from Hofbrauhaus Freising
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 76 ratings