Weihenstephaner Vitus - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A 500ml bottle with a BB of May 2013. Picked up cheap from Booths (sell-off of short-dated stock). Been meaning to grab this one for a while - I've heard good things about it.

Poured into a tulip pint glass (closest thing I've got to a weissbier glass). Swirled slightly while pouring to suspend the yeast. A hazy golden hue with ultra-fine sediment and good carbonation. Produces a huge head of creamy white foam with decent retention; this slowly reduces to a surface layer. Aroma of sweet, fruity yeast esters with hints of banana, clove, pear, wheat, mild bubblegum, faint peach, earthiness and a twinge of coriander. A whisper of warming alcohol in the background. Superbly rounded - it smells fantastic.

Tastes of fruity yeast esters with a dry, earthy finish. Notes of banana, clove, pear, mild spice, wheat, bubblegum, dry yeast, subtle grainy malt and faint stewed leaves. Slightly sweet yet well attenuated, with a hint of warming booze in the background. A delicate earthiness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, dry and tingly, with pleasant carbonation and lovely body that borders on unctuous. Aftertaste of banana, clove, fruity yeast esters, wheat and earthiness.

Top-notch - an exemplary demonstration of the brewer's art. Looks great, with a fantastic aroma/flavour that is true to style. Yeast esters dominate, yet blend perfectly with the malt and wheat characteristics. Smooth, velvety body. A true classic - it's easy to see why it is held in high esteem. I don't often score beers so highly, but this world-class brew deserves the praise. Add this to your must-try list.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 00:56:52 | More by jazzyjeff13

Greywulfken

New York

4.61/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: hazy straw colored beer with a fat white head in a weizen glass

S: sweet malts and pale fruits, floral and spice elements

T: bread and biscuits with honey, lush pear and banana; clove and spices; juicy maltiness and delicate high points

M: creamy, rich, fuzzy, soft, and smooooth

O: this is an epic beer, full of amazing flavors and with a great mouthfeel - warning: extreme drinkability

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 00:03:20 | More by Greywulfken

bambam2517

Arizona

4.61/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle poured into a pint glass and served at 40F.

A - Translucent and hazy yellow-gold, like hay. Ridiculous amount of bright white head develops, light and creamy. Reduces slowly and leaves a nice trickle of lace down the glass as it is drank.

S - Grassy, bready, picking up the yeast and the hop character in equal amounts. Extremely bright and fresh smelling. Banana esters and brown sugar. A bit of pear ester there as well.

T - A bit of a Belgo influence going on here? Some sweetness, caramel-like, folded in with the banana flavor. Its a bit like bananas foster. Along with that though is a subtle citrus character, along with a nice yeast backbone reminiscent of bread. Excellent!

M - Refreshing, light mid-palate and a remarkably clean finish. Detecting a bit of warmth on the roof of the mouth, but its incredible to me that this is 7.7ABV and is such a smooth finisher.

O - Among the best in my book. I love it, I'd drink it all summer if it were readily available to me. It will be on hand at my place for sure!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 03:18:38 | More by bambam2517

alex_hart

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

appearance: A hazy, straw yellow with a 1 finger fluffy white head that dissipates quickly. Good carbonation visible.

smell: sweet, wheaty, bready, yeast, and a little bit of spice. very pleasant.

taste: follows much of the nose but the wheat, yeast, and bready sweetness really shine through. it reminds me almost like a lighter, softer belgian pale ale.

mouthfeel: good carbonation across the tongue with a slight lingering in the mouth. still pleasant.

overall: this is one of my favorite brews to date, and at the price point it is a MUST try if you have yet to experience it. easy drinker for both BAs and those who have not yet come over from the dark side of the force. cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 02:38:24 | More by alex_hart

dheacck11

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a lovely hazy golden straw with a hint of orange. Finger and a half of white fuzzy head, fading quickly. No lacing to speak of

Nose is big and full of banana, grapefruit, pear, oat and bread. Delightful

Taste is rich and creamy with lots of bready banana, pear, and a spongy malt. Just the softest hint of spice, maybe coriander.

mouthfeel is surprisingly thick, but also quite astringent. Only thing I don't love about this beer.

Love this brewer and their beers. This is just another excellent example from them. Perfect flavors and balance, though I do like their darker bocks a bit more. Incredible beer for the price.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 00:14:44 | More by dheacck11

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.16/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours a moderately hazy light golden yellow in color with some heavy amounts of visible carbonation and some medium yellow + hints of orange highlights. The beer has a five finger tall dense foamy off-white head that very slowly reduces to thick film covering the surface of the beer with a medium thick cap towards the center of the glass and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of wheat, banana, clove, and spices with a lighter amounts of yeast and bubble gum.

T: Moderate to strong flavors of banana and clove with moderate flavors of wheat and yeast. Light hints of bubble gum. Minimal amounts of bitterness, almost lightly sweet.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with slightly more than moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: I'm shocked that this beer is 7.7% ABV because it drinks much easier. Very enjoyable and refreshing, a top class weizenbock though not as strong as some others.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 22:45:41 | More by dbrauneis

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle purchased from Steve's Cool Booze in Kingsford.

Pours a lovely, long hazed golden yellow colour, a heller weizenbock indeed. Head is a frothy, slightly creamy white, but surprisingly lacks some persistence. Body is quite light, but it holds very fine carbonation when tilted. Looks good overall.

Nose is very potent, and full of phenolics and esters. Big banana and bubblegum, with a pungent pear character coming through strongly as well. Some pepper, but not a huge amount of spice: very minimal clove, for example. There's also a slight vegetative, or herbal character to it, it reminds me a little of lavender: it's not a character I believe I've smelled in a wheat beer before, but it goes nicely. Overall, it's really big, and very flavoursome.

Taste is also good, and surprisingly smooth and creamy. More of those pear characters, which become a bit more like pear skin towards the back as they meld with a little booziness. Clean phenols through the centre of the palate and a slight bite of heat on the back, moderated solvent and a suggestion of earth. Despite all of this, it's quite smooth, and maintaining the illusion of sweetness without being too thick or chewy. It's quite a masterfully done thing.

Overall, yes: this is excellent stuff, a timely reminder of how good Weihenstephaner are. I love experimentation, and crazy craft formulations, but we should always remember the more traditional extreme beers. This is a fine example of how to make something big and exciting, but also keep everything in balance. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 06:46:52 | More by lacqueredmouse

SometimesIfart

Michigan

4.06/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours a murky burnt orange with a large thick white head. Left no lacing.

S - Clove and bubblegum are the forerunners on this nose. Some creamed corn-ish type scents come through as well. Coriander and floral scents finish out the nose.

T - Bubblegum and goney are the major players as soon as the beer hits your lips. The clove and honey quickly become prevelant and hay also makes a noticable cameo. Wheats tops the cesspool off nicely.

M - Medium bodied with heavy carbonation. Fits. Nicely.

O - Overall, it was a solid german beer although nothing spectacular. Would make a good summer beer. I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 04:07:13 | More by SometimesIfart

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.55/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: poured from a 550 ml bottle into a weizen glass, golden colored with a huge fluffy white head that dissipates leaving some lacing, cloudy

S: banana heavy up front, clove, coriander, spice, yeast

T: banana and clove again, yeast, grain, spice, sweeter

M: quite creamy with heavy carbonation, slight alcohol

O: an excellent weizenbock, heavier flavors than the heffe with more of an alcohol presence, the banana flavor is most pronounced

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 17:43:38 | More by M_C_Hampton

dar482

New York

4.56/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It comes with a hazy three finger head. The color is dark gold color that is very hazy. Up against a light, it’s a wonderful cloudy wheaty yellow.

The aroma reminds me of a strong hefeweizen. It’s in your face of lemon, wheat, and banana. There’s bready light yeast in there. The aroma really stands out as exceptional.

The taste is really refreshing. There’s a tart lemon flavor at first, there’s big banana bread and clove, then a smooth malt backbone. The first sip tingles your senses with some alcohol as it’s 7.7% ABV for a wheat beer. Later on, the fruit flavor is more of cooked pear than anything very citrusy and fresh. There's even a pink bubble gum flavor in there.

It’s an amped up hefeweizen, with huge similarities. The carbonation makes smooth and give it a medium body. Clean finish. While I would recommend Schneider Weisse Aventinus, this is still exceptional. It’s actually a different animal as it doesn’t have the dark color and roasted malt of Aventinus.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 03:04:27 | More by dar482

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Gave this one the Reidel beer glass.
Huge white head covers a surprisingly lightly colored yellow cloudy body. Head doesn't last forever and not much lacing, but that could be my glass too, I suppose
That fantastic aroma from Weihenstephaner yeast. Banana and clove. So yummy. Nice wheat base. No hints of the drink being heavier that a hefe in the aroma.
Oh yummy, is that's so good and clean. Just enough bigger than their hefe. Unusual in that it's not very "bock". Most grain is wheat and bread like. A little tartness and citrus flavors.
Smooth and creamy feel.
This one leaves me begging for more. This would be dangerous on a hot day. So easy to drink and offering thirst quenching qualities. Great flavors and well rounded. Deserving of it's top 250 status.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 18:49:45 | More by garymuchow

WunderLlama

Massachusetts

4.49/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into pub glass

Hazy golden color

Clean, crisp, fresh smell

Banana's with a hint of cloves. Light to medium mouthfeel

Delicious with a small hint of alcohol on the finish. Sweet with banana and slight clove taste. Definite repeat , delicious beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 03:46:27 | More by WunderLlama

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

500mL bottle into tulip.

A: a slightly hazed body. way more blond than I thought this style was supposed to be, but I could be mistaken. head is bright white and BIG. retention is great and spotted plumes of lacing left behind.

S: aroma is similar to a hefeweizen. a lot of coriander, lemon, and yeasty esters. a little bit of grain behind all this fruity smell.

T: starts with some serious sweetness. plenty of spice as well, coriander and mild pepper. some clove flavor in there. body remains mostly sweet and finish remains that way.

M: plenty of bubbly carb. medium body.

D: a good beer, but I really am not sure of the difference between this and a hefe...slightly bigger body, but I am not getting the bock presence I expected to get. regardless, still a good beer, just misleading.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 14:12:38 | More by Jimmys

mmmbirra

Italy

4.21/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Standard wheat beer appearance, though a little less hazy that most. Big fluffy white head.

Lots of spice, lots of clove on the nose. Perhaps a touch of acidity.
Vitus is crisp and refreshing, and unexpectedly dry for such a strong weissbier. The slight acidity comes through here too, and makes it even more refreshing.
Doesn't have the flavor profile of a 'big beer,' but is absolutely wonderful in it's dryness and crispness. The spice, the acidity, and the lack of residual sugar are a great combination. Dangerously drinkable at 7.7% abv.
A pale weizenbock that I find myself comparing to Gutmann Weizenbock, but Gutmann's version is far sweeter and heavier, which puts it one step below Vitus.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 19:39:15 | More by mmmbirra

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Golden straw opaque with a thick 3-4 finger head that is frothy and bubbly.

S: wheat, peppery, and a nice bubble gum backbone.

T: Definite bock flavours present with maltyness present. Bubble gum of the German wheat beer comes through and compliments well. There is a slight pepper flavour also.

M: Well carbonated, creamy on the palate.

O: This is a great weizenbock. By far one of the best I've had.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 19:13:43 | More by Kremlock

jvillefan

California

3.9/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: A very pale and very hazy yellow body with a two finger white head with lasts for a little while.

S: The spicy German yeast character is evident up front. There is a lot of bubblegum aroma in the middle from the wheat.

T: Very interesting taste. There is a little peppery spiciness, subtle lemon flavors, and rich wheat body. Unfortunately, there is a ton of bubblegum in this flavor.

M: The body was a little thin, especially given the ABV but the carbonation was great.

O: It is good for the style but I am not a fan of this style.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 03:12:45 | More by jvillefan

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is hazy and apricot hued with an inch of white head. The aroma brings banana, clove, spice. Like a stronger hefe with more sweetness and alcohol. The flavor offers a heavy dose of sweet bananas, booze, wheat. While this is good, I much prefer the standard Weihenstephaner hefe. Medium bodied with mild warmth in the finish. Pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 02:57:52 | More by Huhzubendah

mtboozeaddict41

Montana

4.44/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured pint bottle into 12oz glass

A: Beautiful musty yellow-golden color. Extremely good retention on the head leaving behind a half inch of lacing.

S: Bright esters of banana and a bit hoppy. Bready yeast also comes through on the nose as well as grass. The aromas are quite sweet and piercing.

T: Nice light fruit flavor of banana and hops. Malts are not very noticeable, not bad though. Yeasty

M: Big element of carbonation leaves a very cleansing effect upon the palate. Light to medium body

O: Very well put together beer. One of my favorite styles for sure and definitely purchase one in the future. Not to rich like many complex belgians but just the perfect amount of fruit coupled with spot on carbonation. for me, just about perfect. Reminds me of delerium tremens without the richness.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 04:41:31 | More by mtboozeaddict41

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Poured with tow fingers of head that didn't leave much on the way of lace, but retained decently. The body is a hazy yellow that boasts solid steady carbonation.

Smell: A strong banana presence backed by cloves, peaches and ample whole wheat bread scent. Good, even while cold and warming only helps bring out the scent. A little bit more impact and we have a perfect score.

Taste: There is a lot of wheat malt here, but strangely enough it is incredibly sweet and mild as it starts with a sweet banana, peach and orange taste and shifts to the more potent clove, zest and slight apple touches, ending with a fine brush of mild earthy hops.

Mouthfeel: The transitioning is exceptional, the carbonation help out the entire beer, the head was frothy but didn't overstay it's welcome, the aftertaste is a next blend of the beer's flavour and it masks it's high alcohol content perfectly.

Drinkability: It's a little bit on the sweeter side, probably because of the high amounts of malt, which are to be expected. That being said, at 7,7, this stuff is dangerous and is like drinking liquid candy as it is far lighter and easy drinking then you would think.

Final Thoughts: It's Weishenstephaner, if you haven't accepted the fact they are the undisputed kings of wheat beer, you are living under a rock. Another solid offering by them, and well worth trying. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 02:51:42 | More by TheHammer

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This poured out as a hazy golden color. The head is white with a pretty good retention but not much lacing at all. The smell of the beer has a fruity aroma, along the lines of peach and banana. Really fresh smelling beer. The taste is also fruity (apple), there is some bready yeast flavors and a subtle spice note in the finish. I do get a slight metallic flavor that I'm not digging too much, hoping that fades as it warms up. The mouthfeel is soft, very smooth with a decent carbonation. Overall it's a good brew, I can see why the score is so high on this one because it really is a great beer. Awesome flavors and really enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 04:13:33 | More by Knapp85

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 16.9 oz bottle into a Half Acre tulip.

A- pours a cloudy burnt lemon with a huge 3" white, frothy head. Big blotches and bubbles of lacing remain on the glass.

S- big estery fruit notes, lemon, spices, clve, sour dough bread.

T- bread, lemon, clove, spices, with slight citrus rind bitterness.

M- medium body and medium carbonation. Acidic and creamy.

O- very good hefeweizen. Higher abv gives it a nice creamy mouth feel along with typical sweet citrus and spices.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 02:04:47 | More by kawilliams81

harrymel

Washington

4.41/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

bottled: unk

Initially overflowed the bottle real quick. When poured, the beer is american cheese orange with a solid quilt of fine creamy foam. Smells of clove, butter, wheat, shortbread - nice nose. Flavor is rich with wheat, a touch of nougat, some banana, spices, corn, and a hint of bread. Full bodied with tight, hi carb and an off dry finish. This is a really nice beer, can't understand how I've missed out on this one. Best weizenbock I've had.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 05:36:33 | More by harrymel

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

stylistically perfect weizenbock. pours cloudy gold, glowing brightly, with a lasting two or more inches of thick white foam. the nose is slight banana yeast, sturdy wheat malt base, some subtle sugar, and an alcohol kick. the flavor is so balanced, with a mild hop finish that gels with the yeast just right. huge dose of german wheat malt is the perfect backdrop for this drink, and it takes me, like the hefe they make, to somewhere else, Bavaria back in the day or something. its traditional, classy, and strong. actually the alcohol seems higher than necessary, and gives this beer maybe some extra weight, slowing drinkability just a tad. good late winter or early spring drink, perfect with some fresh pretzels, and actually stood up well to salmon on the grill. overall a top notch version of the style, and you absolutely cannot beat the price, under four bucks per bottle!

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 20:02:33 | More by StonedTrippin

Steamer

Missouri

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Hazy yellow color on the edges deepens to a light gold in the middle. A white, pillowy head.

S - Fruity esters with a hint of clove.

T - Strong malty flavor hits the palate then subsides leaving a sweet aftertaste in the mouth.

M - High carbonation results in a small residual explosion in the mouth giving it a creamy mouthfeel.

O - Very nice and refreshing; more full bodied than other wheat beers I've had. A pleasant surprise.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 22:37:19 | More by Steamer

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.86/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

500 ml bottle poured into a weizen glass.
7.7% ABV, "store dark and keep cool 46-52°F) 6102 on back label.

A - This highly carbonated, cloudy golden straw-colored beer pours with a fantastic white head. The clumpy pillows of foam slowly collapse leaving a sad amount of lace on the glass for a German weizen.

S - Vitus has an explosive and classic German aroma rich with dusty yeast esters providing glimpses of banana, clay, white pepper, and clove. Grainy pale crushed malt and husky straw with soft wheat balance out in the background providing an excellent, perfumy and inviting aroma.

T - Grainy pale malt provides an excellent base for soft wheat and plenty of yeast nuances to fill in. Similar to the aroma, Vitus displays a wonderful cornucopia of soft banana and clove, earthy clay and white pepper, and a dry, dusty finish.

M - Plenty of carbonation provides a lively feel throughout Vitus' duration but it doesn't keep the beer from an exceptionally soft and smooth feel going down. Though there aren't any noticeable hops to speak of, the yeast's dryness gives the beer great balance on the finish, lingering with a touch of fruit and spice which beckons for another sip.

O - World-Class from start to finish, Vitus' explosive aroma draws you right in, pressing past the foam for the first sip of the classic yeast-rich German brew. This full-flavored and deceptively light weizenbock goes down all too easily. It looks like I've found one of my new favorite, easy to find, German beers!

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 17:56:28 | More by BeerFMAndy