Weihenstephaner Festbier

 Weihenstephaner Festbier.

5.8 % ABV, 26 IBU. Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, Freising, Bavaria, Germany.

I have to come straight out and admit something to one and all. My understanding of the different types of "Oktoberfest" beers has been a bit slow to come to full fruition. I haven't had a solid handle on the Festbier style until recently. Here in America, when we hear of an Oktoberfest bier, we sort of expect it to be in the Märzen style, deep amber, rich and malty. We never pause for a second to think any Festbier offering might be a lighter, golden lager. Though the Märzen was the official style of the Munich celebration of the harvest for over a hundred years, the Festbier style is only about 30 years old, and is now the only version available at the actual event. When I look through the 43 posts here in the Nib labeled "Oktoberfest", only one appears to be in the Festbier style, and that is the one from Höfbrau. No, wait, also Sierra Nevada's 2016 collaboration with Mahr's. 

I have to admit that I was disappointed to find that this next beer that I am going to drink, from Weihenstephaner, is not a Märzen but a Festbier. I thought that since they are the world's oldest brewery, they ought to present a version of the style that's been around the longest. Never mind, let's just drink it...

Clear, bold yellow color, sizable white head, slims down swiftly. 

In the nose: Clean, faintly floral, slightly hoppy. touch of sweetness. 

In the mouth: Crisp, light, with delicate malt flavors. Clean and effortlessly downable. This is why the Festbier style replaced Märzen: because you can them back with greater ease, and remain in a celebratory mood, without worry. This one is just a little hoppier than your average lager, and just a little maltier, and quite tasty and refreshing. I could go for a couple, why not? 

A full rich bodied, hoppy, seasonal lager. Especially brewed for the Festbier season. This beer truly represents the Bavarian way of celebrating. Deep gold color, great mouthfeel and lots of flavor. Prost!

The Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan, founded in 1040, is the oldest continuously operating brewery in the world. Being owned by the Free State of Bavaria, it is run as a modern company brewing beers of the highest quality successfully selling them in more than 50 countries worldwide. 

Weihenstephaner Helles Lager

Weihenstephaner Helles Lager. The Worlds' Oldest Brewery. Brewed in Bavaria, Germany since 1040. 4.8 % ABV. 16 IBU. Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, Fresing, Bavaria, Deutschland.

Before  I picked up a 4-pack of cans of this classic Geman lager, I checked to see if I'd reviewed it before. Yes, I had, on beer advocate, back in 2003, from a bottle. But, wait, the description of this one on Untappd says that it debuted in May of 2020. Well, what did I drink eighteen years ago? That was called Original Helles. So, let's take some notes on New-fangled Helles. 

Crystal clear, bright golden hue, short ivory head. 

In the nose: Lightly floral, mildly hopped, slightly sweet cereal grain aromatics. 

In the mouth: Crisp, clean, light and lovely. Quintessence of a Helles lager. Just enough malt for flavor, minimal hops, expertly refreshing. Some amounts of a sweet, grainy taste. Flavorful, even delicious. You can drink a million of these. It's a good German light lager and you can surely drink it. 

Here's what they say: The Weihenstephan Helles was first introduced on the market in May 2020 - a mild, quaffable beer with a subtle hop bouquet. Over a year was taken preparing the beer to perfection – with numerous tastings, fine-tuning and expert opinions.

And here's what I said about the Original, back when I thought I knew it all, and was so holier than thou:

Appearance: clear as a bell, pale yellow, brief white head.

Nose: plain as the nose on your face, dry, with slight citrus and honey, but pleasant.

Citrusy taste, but mild as mild can be in every way possible, mild and light, light and mild, sticking together like Mutt and Jeff, nothing can tear them apart.

Good, tasty, lip-smackin' texture, though, so, it's got that going for it.

Light'n'breezy, so, it's perfect when that's all you what, but frankly, it bores me to bits. 

As good or better than, oh, say, 85% of all the lagers in the world.

....as I get older, I don't mind the "boring"...that's the way it goes....

Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier.

Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier. Crystal Clear. 

5.4 % ABV, 18 IBU. Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, Freising, Bayern Germany.

And now we reach the last bottle from the glassware pack, and it's a beer I first took notes on way back on 6/22/2003, nearly eighteen years ago. Let's see what I said then: 

Pint bottle.

Appearance: crystal-clear pale yellow color, with a large, looming chalk-white capper of foam.

Aroma: fresh and airy, a trifle citric and sour, but mostly lacking in vital weissbier aroma characteristics.

Nice, light, crisp, tangy texture/ mouthfeel, very light-bodied, good malty flavor, practically no hops that I can taste. Good flavor.

Have to admit a prejudice, though: I just can't get behind filtered wheat beers, especially when they come from an excellent producer such as Weihenstephaner. That yeast texture is so refreshing and rewarding in the best examples of the style, when I taste a non-HEFE weissbier, I can only think of what I'm missing.

There's a bubblegum taste, too, just to the left of the vanilla/clove combo we find in great (and not-so-great) Bavarian weissbiers.

In this heat, though, it'll do, but it will be largely forgotten, especially as I down it quickly in order to get at the Weihenstephaner Dunkel Weisse in the fridge!

So, that's what I said then. It was wrong to judge a beer harshly for being a great example of it's style, whether I prefer that style or not. (I say that about this, yet I'll still trash PBR, Coors, and Corona.) I still would rather reach for an unfiltered version. Ain't nothing wrong with this, though

In our golden-yellow crystal-clear wheat beer the fresh citrus flavour harmonises very well with spicy banana notes. The fine sparkling gives it a tangy and animated appearance. Throughout summer and winter, it’s a prickling experience. It goes well with fish, seafood, white meat or it can be enjoyed as an aperitif. Brewed according to our centuries-old brewing tradition on the Weihenstephan hill. 

Weihenstephaner Original Premium Lager

Weihenstephaner Original Premium Lager. 

5.1 % ABV. Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, Freising, Bayern Germany

Still closing the ranks on some of the classic German beers. This one was available, until now, in two ways at the retail store where I currently work: as a 6-pack of 12 ounce bottles, or included in the 5 bottle + glass pack that sold for $13. I'm not sure why I thought there were 12 ounce bottles in the box, but once I realized that they were 500ml bottles, and I did the math, I purchased the final pack in the store. 5 bottles which we sell for $4 each, $20 value, plus the glass, which I didn't need, for $13. What a deal. That's like getting them for $2.50 and paying fifty cents for the glass. Or paying $2.60 and getting the glass for free!

There were 3 bottles that have appeared here before, and two that haven't, this one and the Kristall Weisse. I gave the glass to a co-worker.

Now, let's drink the beer: 

Crystal clear, bright golden color, large ivory head holding down the fort. 

In the nose: Clean, slightly sweet/floral/hoppy, cereal malt. Classic German lager aromatics.

In the mouth: Crisp, clean, light, refreshing. Minor hop bitterness, laying lightly on the palate. Small sweetness, excellent balance, superb drinkability. Light, dry malty flavors. Just about perfect. Goes down so nice and easy, especially on a hot day like today. 

I've said it often that I'm not much of a lager liker, but when they're this good, it's impossible not to like. 

A good beer takes its time. The long storage makes our yellow bright lager, “Original”, a flavourful beer enjoyed with fine pored, white foam. With a mild hoppy note and its pleasant fresh spicy taste, it goes very well with salads, poultry, stews or with a hearty snack. Brewed according to our centuries-old brewing tradition on the Weihenstephan hill. 

The Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan, founded in 1040, is the oldest continuously operating brewery in the world. Being owned by the Free State of Bavaria, it is run as a modern company brewing beers of the highest quality successfully selling them in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel.
5.3 % ABV. 14 IBU.
Bayerische Staatisbrauwerei, Bayern, Germany.

Whenever I inquire about whether I've had a beer such as this or whether I need to add it to the Nib, I first search, of course, the Nib itself. In The Bitter Nib, I've posted reviews of the Non-Alcohol version of the Hefe Weizen. And the regular Hefe Weizen. Also Vitus, the Weizenbock, as well as Korbinian, the Doppelbock. But not the HefeWeissbier Dunkel.

Looking on BeerAdvocate, it seems that I've previously reviewed, on their website, the Kristallweissbier, the Original Helles, and the beer I'm concerned with in this very post. Was my review from February of 2003 good enough to copy and paste and re-use for this review? I'm going to just say no and write new notes, soon. I'm still searching, though.

I will look elsewhere. What about on Untappd? Untappd tells me that I checked into this beer on January 18, 2020, on tap at ...wait? Acadia? Where I work? That means that I ordered this keg, hooked it up myself...now I remember how I complained about not getting the proper tap handle for it, and yet I never once decided to do what I've done so many times in the past, and taken a photo of the beer, while using my old notes from 16 1/2 years ago. Rats, I could have saved a whole $3.99.

January, huh? I remember. Teaching my co-workers how to say Weihenstephaner, easily moving this brew, happily pouring it...ah, January, 2020, you were such an innocent time, you seem so far away...

Ah, well, it's just as well. Let's write some new notes, eh.

Semi-clear, caramel-toned coloration, fine ivory-hued froth atop.

In the nose: Malt, spice, banana, citrus, dark fruit, cola. Mellifluous melange.

In the mouth: Smooth, clean, beautiful mix of cocoa, creamy, citrus, banana, clove, orange and lemon, minor hops, moderate malt, and a whole lot of yum a dum dum.

You don't see a lot of dunkel weisses around, do you. If you do see one, and it is good, then you should drink it. You will be richly rewarded. Lovely dark wheat beer. Smooth, delicious, cocoa-tinged, dark fruit-infused...ever-so-sweet and extra-consumable.

Say, what did I say in February 2003?An impressively foamy, bilious head tops a beer with a dark brown, almost pruney, or figgy hue. Aroma is lively and satisfying: citrus, notes of vanilla, banana, cloves, rich, deep, dark. Reminds me of Belgian abbey dubbels, a favorite. Taste is sharp, dry, with a hasty finish, that leaves you yearning for more. A very sociable beer: not too difficult to drink, and not in the least forgettable. Slight bitterness, medium body, and as for flavor, I feel like it's close to a lighter version of a barleywine, crazy as that sounds.

I'm still not sure what I think of what I thought.

And what do they say? Our dark wheat beer is impressive with its creamy white foam. A fruity-fresh sweetness and hints of mature bananas harmonise with delicious flavours of roasted malt, sparkling and full-bodied with a light caramel taste on the first sip. An excellent accompaniment from hearty meals and game to chocolate and nut desserts. Brewed according to our centuries-old brewing tradition on the Weihenstephan hill.

This is a great Bavarian beer. And you should drink it.

Weihenstephaner Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverage

Weihenstephaner Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverage. Contains less than 0.5 % Alcohol.
Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Wihenstephan, Freising, Bayern, Deutschland.

Well, if I'm reviewing shandies and radlers and hard seltzers and ciders, why not an NA beer? It hasn't happened before in the Nib, so let's kick it off with this one from the makers of one of my favorite Bavarian Hefe Weizens.

Clouded, bright golden, large ivory head. Looking just like a true Bavarian wheat, so far.

In the nose: citrus and spice, notes of banana and wheat.

In the mouth: All of the flavors are here, and nearly none of the alcohol. Light-bodied, fruity, slight spice, malty. If I couldn't have any booze, I sure wouldn't pass this up. Not terrible at all.

Our golden-yellow, alcohol-free wheat beer tastes like a premium wheat beer: tangy, fresh and full-bodied, with hints of cloves and honey as well as a fine yeasty spirit. The unique wheat beer taste is achieved by a method developed in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich-Weihenstephan: the top fermentation is not interrupted and the beer has time to mature, only after the maturation the alcohol is carefully withdrawn. It is a first-class thirst quencher after sports or a good companion to light summer dishes, sweet and sour dishes, or fruit sorbets. Brewed according to our centuries-old brewing tradition on the Weihenstephan hill.

Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier Bavarian Style

A few years back, I admitted my shame that I hadn't posted any reviews from this, the world's oldest brewery, the State Brewery of Bavaria, in good ol' Freising, Deutschland. Weihenstephaner. Say it with me: Vey-hen-steph-ahn-ur. Now, fast: Veinstephahner. So, I sat down with a bottle of the Korbinian Doppelbock, and then the Vitus, to redress this great wrong.

But, in the intervening 3 1/2 years, I plumb forgot to return to their biggest hit of the bunch, the Bavarian Hefe Weisse. I procured a bottle, and lo, and behold, I took notes on it way back in March of 2003. Here's what I said then:

Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier Bavarian Style. 5.6% ABV. Premium Bavaricum.

Hazy gold/pale orange in appearance, pouring an enormous, bilious white head.

Aroma is shockingly fresh, floral, citrus, lemon, orange, lively, and lovely.

Light and playful upon the tongue, brief finish, light body, slight texture.

No lemon required, unless you're a certified lily-gilder. Refreshing as a beer can be!

It's still true, all of it. Especially about the lemon. Folks, leave the fruit bits out of your beers. Just....just don't do it.

Weihenstephaner Vitus Weizenbock

Weihenstephaner Vitus Weizenbock, 7.7% alc./vol. Brewed and bottled by Bayerisch Staats-Brauerei Wehenstephan, Freising, Germany. Since 1040, The World's Oldest Brewery.

This must be a "blonde" version of a weizenbock, for I normally encounter darker ones than this. Is this a more authentic Bavarian approach? Hazy golden hue, lush, blooming white head. This is real Bavarian wheat beer, here.

Aroma: Gorgeous! A lot of the citrus-y notes of a typical wizen are here, with more spices. Lemon and wizen yeast notes first, with spices (coriander, clove) thereafter.

Taste: fresh and delicious on the tongue. Zesty, refreshing, and easily consumable. I have to admit that I'm a bit perplexed, for I'm not getting the darker flavors normally found in a weizenbock. Paler malts at play here, I suppose, but then why call it that? Some of those flavors are creeping up, but the don't dominate, just finding their footing on the tongue, and letting the paler malts push it.

The alcohol is popping up just a bit now, we're feeling a little warm now. This golden weizenbock is giving us the hefe weizen flavors, just a shadow of the weizenbock tastes, and the bigger buzz a bock or weizenbock should give. Easier drinking, less complex, yet still delightful. I like it, but might not reach for it over another weizenbock.

Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock

What? I haven't gotten around to anything from Weihenstephaner, the world's oldest brewery? What the--??? Come on! Let's take care of that right away. But, first...

My computer problems only got worse. Instead of random errors, I was unable to turn on the damned  computer. I bought some beers Friday, and when I brought them home I chose to drink the one that I'd already written about, long ago. Took the photo, then turned on my 10-year old eMac that I keep around just because. I plug in my iPod, which it doesn't recognize, though it does acknowledge it's camera, and proceeds to download all the photos, getting around the the Korbinian about 800 pics and an hour later. I tried to import it to a flash drive, and that device went unrecognized, too. But not an external hard-drive. So is this what my beer reviewing will be until I get the Mac Book Pro fixed, writing and importing photos on the 2004 dinosaur, putting them into the hard-drive, then transporting it elsewhere? Some one else's computer? The library? Well, if I have to, I guess...

A quick trip to the Apple Store, problem found, part replaced, everything's fixed and I'm only $18 poorer. Good to know that I've got a back-up plan, though, eh?

So, on to notes on Korbinian Doppelbock from July, 2003: (with exclamation marks edited out)
Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock,
Brewed and bottled by Bayerische Staatsbrauwerei, Freising, Germany.
7.4% ABV. 16 IBU.


Clear, dark brown color, and a big, bursting pinkish brown head.

Nose is a complete and utter gas. Far-flung aromatics: spices and fruit, sour cherries, grapes, sweet, rich,and invigorating.

Lush mouthfeel, luxuriating, the cares of the world drift away, or they'd better, for there's nothing that should interfere with the enjoyment of this phenomenol brew..hangs heavily in the mouth, and you want to extend any invitation and elongate it's stay, so welcome is this delicious presence in the mouth...hedonistic, even...

Medium body, delicate and delicious finish, stong malt presence. Drinks down a bit rummy, a trifle winish. Very complex and extraordinarily tasty. This one washes over you and makes it all better, like a hot bath.
One of the best doppelbocks on Earth, hands down.
-----------------------------

Almost 11 years on, was I warranted to spew such exaggerated praise? I think so.