Style: Weizenbock
Brewery: Weihenstephaner
Origin: Germany
Size: 50cl
Alcohol: 7.7%
Price: 27kr
Systembolaget: 89824
There’s something truly lovely about sitting down to a well-made wheat beer. All beers can be satisfying, but the combination of distinct wheat characteristics really can make the genre quite fulfilling. Weihenstephaner (or Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan to give it its full name) is considered one of the oldest breweries in the world, being founded in 1040 (though the documentation for this has been disputed). Since then it was risen to become one of the leading beacons of the wheat beer market and are one of my top 5 breweries of all time.
The Vitus is one great example of the great beers they brew. It even won an award at the 2011 World Beer Awards. It pours with a hazy straw complexion and is complimented by a long-lasting frothy white head. The classic wheat beer aromas come flooding out of the glass, with ripe banana and cloves in the forefront, accompanied by hints of apricot and vanilla. A nice round body coats the mouth with a sparkling effervescence while the dried fruit, banana peel and cloves hit the palate directly. As these subside, a slight spicy warmth from the alcohol takes their place, lingering for a while.
This is not just an amazing wheat beer, but it is understandably a world-class beer. If you’re looking for the first entry into the world of wheat, you could do no better than to start right here.