Weihenstephaner Original

Summer has started and the pale lager is flowing! Cool crisp suds that can turn down the heat and compliment just about anything you can concoct on or near a hibachi. Nothing says summer like downing a tall glass of lagered golden refreshment on a hot June afternoon with a plate full of BBQ in your lap. Now don't let the ads fool you into thinking any beer will do. Pale lager has one of the widest qualitative ranges in alcohol so picking the proper pale lager can prove to be quite precocious. If beer simplicity is your desire and all you need to do is to 'wet the whistle' or wash down some potato salad most micro-brew pale lagers and a few macro-beers will do just fine. If however your beer tastes run a bit deeper and you want something with some serious flavor look for the blue bottle with the ridiculously long name.

The Weihenstephan Brewery (Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan in German) claims to be the oldest continuously operating brewery in the world. With a documentable brewery licence dated 1040 AD, I'll take their word for it! Weihenstephan is traditionally known for its delicious, world class hefeweizen. Its "original" style, the Helles Lager, usually plays second fiddle to its more notable brethren. While both are fabulous beers and stylistically near perfection, the Helles is my favorite. To me, it exemplifies what a light lager should be.

Lager in its purist form. Made from simple ingredients in an ancient facility with time honored traditions. A truly magnificent beer that makes American adjunct lagers seem juvenile and petty. If you call yourself a bud/coors/miller man/woman go, now to your local liquor store purchase this and promptly pour it into your head. If this does not cure your condition I fear your television has poisoned your taste buds and you may need professional assistance.

Weihenstephaner (vine-shte-fa-ner) Original pours a glassy straw like color that forms a white pillowy soft head from good carbonation levels. Very light nose. A faint grainy biscuit matched with a mild grassy citrus hop over a distant yeast. Light yet serious and intriguing. The taste matches the nose. Clean and crisp, the lager washes down with ease. The perfect balance of grainy malt and herbal hop are a joy to experience. Let this beer warm up a bit out of the fridge! The essence of banana and honey come out on the nose and through the taste. I know it's a lager but it really blossoms as it warms. Perfect dry finish with a slow fading malt. 87 fresh pretzels found in my 2 pairs of freshly laundered lederhosen.

cheers