Friday, April 18, 2014

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.

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