On 1/10/1999 I wrote:

I purchased this beer in the expectation of a traditional Bavarian Octoberfest beer, but when I popped the cap I was surprised to see a light golden colored brew fill my Weihenstephaner Wheat beer glass. I understand that the beer served at Octoberfest these days is lighter than it was (Export now, is it?) , but Weihenstephaner Fest seems to me more of a Munich Helles.

There's good carbonation here and a fresh malty nose, the palate is soft and delicately malty with a touch of balancing grassy hops in the finish and a hint of bitterness. This is a really delicious brew and I think I was fortunate enough to get a really fresh sample that allowed the malt to really shine through.

This is a great beer to pair with food, I enjoyed my bottle with a pork roast rubbed with garlic and fresh cracked black pepper, a heap of horseradish and freshly baked sourdough bread.

Weihenstephan is not one of the original six Munich breweries (Spaten, Augustiner, Hacker Pschorr, Paulaner, Lowenbrau, and Hofbrau Haus). That means they can't offer up an "official" Oktoberfest beer. But don't cry in your beer for them just yet, because Weihenstephan can lay claim to an even more impressive title: alteste Brauerei der Welt. That means "oldest brewery in the world", and in fact they are, having obtained their first brewing license in the year 1040.

Back to the beer. The Weihenstephaner Festbier bottle itself is truly a celebration of German culture, festooned as it is with the white and blue checkered Bavarian flag. At $8.99 a six-pack, this is a bit pricey, too, but these days that's becoming the norm in the beer world. Ah well. Brewers have to eat too, you know.

Festbier has an alcohol content of 5.8% by volume, a bit heftier than your average mass market lager. I have only ever seen it in the fall, around the time of Oktoberfest (which in Germany actually takes place in September into Early October). That's probably for the best, as this is not a beer that will improve with age and is best drunk as fresh as possible.

Weihenstephaner Festbier pours to a pale golden color with a thick pillowy head of cloud-like foam and a wonderfully crisp fresh malty aroma. The palate accents soft, delicate biscuity malt and is remarkably clean at the same time. American megabrewers could learn a lot from this beer: it's refreshing, crisp, and drinkable but clean of adjunct-induced off flavors imparted by corn or rice. The finish is ever so slightly hopped, just bitter enough to balance but not nearly so much as a pilsner.

For my part, I think I'll always prefer a good Vienna-Marzen style Oktoberfest brew. That said, Weihenstephaner Festbier is a pretty darned good Munchner Helles. Perfect for washing down a plate of grilled bratwursts and knackwursts, a pile of sweet and sour red cabbage, and a giant soft pretzel slathered with mustard.

Update 9/27/2015: It's that time of year again! Fall is in the air, Patriots football is on the TV, and Weihenstephaner Festbier is in my glass. As always, this beer is a truly delightful soft malty, well-balanced lightly hopped treat. A little pricey at $7 for a full mug pour, but for a fresh German beer on draft like this one, its worth the splurge.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft



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