Weihenstephaner Vitus Beer Review

Tonight I'm straying from my bulk of American beer reviews to give you my thoughts on a beer from the other side of the Atlantic. I'll be reviewing Vitus from the Weihenstephaner brewery in Freising, Bavaria, Germany. Weihenstephaner (pronounced vine-schte-faw-ner) is a southern German brewery that has been in existence, in one form or another, for nearly 1,000 years and now lay claim to being the oldest brewery on Earth. I can't think of an older brewery, so I have to concede the point. They were originally a monastic brewery but a few hundred years ago they became the official state brewery of Bavaria, back before German unification which didn't happen until the reign of Otto von Bismarck in 1871. Today, the brewery is a Bavarian-endorsed company that operates as a private business. They're no longer state-controlled. They are a fairly common brand whose beers can be found in decent beer and liquor stores as well as bars and restaurants the world over. I find their various wheat beer offerings to be their best efforts (they produce a truly exemplary hefeweizen, the Hefe Weissbier). Given this, I am tonight reviewing Vitus, a weizenbock.

Weizenbocks are a somewhat interesting style. They are a wheat ale that exhibits most or all the same flavors as a typical hefeweizen, but they are brewed to the alcoholic strength of a typical bock; that is to say, stronger than your average hefeweizen. Whereas most hefeweizens are 4.5 - 6% abv, weizenbocks range from 7-10% abv. Vitus is 7.7% abv, for those of you keeping score at home. Since the alcohol is ramped up, what one should expect is a fuller-bodied, more intensely flavored hefeweizen. Let's call it an imperial hefeweizen, yes? For more on the hefeweizen style, please see my style overview. That being said, let's get to work.

The beer is bottled in Weihenstephaner's usual 500ml (16.9 oz) bottle. Many foreign brewers use this half liter size but it is less common in stateside breweries. I like having this size option at my disposal. Sometimes it is just the right amount of beer. I deviate from my usual strong pour and instead pour gently down the wall of the glass, correctly anticipating a huge, creamy white head. I'm also using my weizen glass, as it is historically and culturally accurate to do so. When in Rome, right? The beer itself is a significantly hazy, slightly murky but still beautiful medium gold, or maybe dark straw. The tall, slender glass really shows this beer off and allows the ample head room to form. After a couple minutes, this bodacious carbonation settles into a quarter inch that is solid throughout. Appearance: 13/15

My nose's first forays into the glass reveal major clove spice notes, backed by sturdy banana flavors. I smell lemon, bubblegum, maybe some mint. Yes, definitely mint. Spearmint, if forced to elaborate. All of these are well within reason in a weizenbock but they're presented in such a way that keeps me interested. I like what I smell so far. Nose: 22/25


Banana takes the driver seat, forcing the nose's clove to ride shotgun. Crisp lemon darts about my tongue. There's still a minty flavor present and I rather enjoy it. Its actually more pronounced a mint flavor than other similar beers I've had and I really enjoy it because it provides character to a style that can occasionally become too straightforward. Bubblegum is still there, but its sweetness is a little more vague than the other fresh, bright summertime flavors here. Moderate alcohol content is well hidden beneath the appealing sweetness, offering only traces to my tongue when I really dig around for it. All around good stuff. Palate: 47/50


The mouthfeel hits a bullseye, managing to be both full of spritzy carbonation and creaminess for days. Medium body is supremely easy going down. I can't imagine how I'd improve it. Mouthfeel: 10/10


OVERALL: 92/100


Really great beer from Weihenstephaner. While their Hefe Weissbier is a king in the world of hefeweizens, this weizenbock is really good but not quite the best. For my money, I go to Schneider's Aventinus when I'm looking for a weizenbock. But this is a tasty beer that's affordable enough at $5/bottle for you to do a side-by-side comparison. As always, cheers!