Weihenstephaner Vitus - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

dorianmarley

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is murky golden with yellow tints. Massively fluffy head and nice lacing.

Nose is a musty sediment, with fresh wood, lemon, pine, and some sour candy.

Taste is candy-like, with sweet lemon, caramel malt, charred wood chips, sweet corn, and a pleasant tartness.

Mouthfeel is an interesting balance between zesty acidity and oil-slickness, with medium, grating carbonation.

Overall, it is a very good-tasting, complex wheat beer with much nuance.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 03:41:06 | More by dorianmarley

pkalix

California

4.48/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

hazy, wheaty, golden brew. beautiful head which dissipates very quickly. nice carbo bubbles rising to the surface.
smell is fruity, kind of like a belgium golden ale smell.
taste is also fruity, with some malts and balanced hops taste and a little alcohol taste.
had this many times in the past, one of my 'preferred' brews. first time to review it. like the rest of the brewery's offerings, very nice drinkability, although it tries to be a little different from the 'regular' commercial offerings. wish i were a little more coherent to give this a more deserving review.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 01:46:57 | More by pkalix

davey101

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16.9 oz bottle into a tall pilsner glass. Bargain of a beer at $2.99

A - Dark yellow/light amber body. Quite hazy with rising carbonation. Massive fluffy bone white head forms and settles down to a permanent finger high cap. Moderate lacing.

S - Mostly ripe bananas. Some light spice and tart peach juice. Some standard yeast spice, but the aroma is rather one layered. No malts or wheat present.

T - Similar to the nose. Ripe bananas, a nice peach/pineapple sweetness, and a touch of yeast spice. Barely a hint of biscuity malt. Finishes somewhat cloying and coating with some alcohol present. Light to medium mouth feel with a pleasnt level of carbonation.

O - A solid yet plain beer. Not as vibrant or excellent as their hefe, Still very delicious with a fantastic banana and peach presence.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 02:54:56 | More by davey101

Living816

3.43/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very familiar with the Weihenstephan hefe beers, so was looking forward to drinking up the family tree.

Pours a bit on the murky side. A rather off putting murky yellow that reminds me, unfortunately, of some sort of infected fluid. Perhaps you think of other things. I think of infected juices. Billowy head that peters out in a few minutes leaving but a lonely bit of foam on the hefe glass.

Not much in the way of smells. A bit tart lemon, a bit yeast, a bit banana, a bit clove, and some boozy smell.

Taste is quite alcoholy. Kind of a cheap vodka feel, taste, and burn to it. It's like a hefeweizen that is neutered. The flavors are simple to the point of boring. There's some fizz, and quite a bit more sour than I expected. This has a touch of tart going on in it. No problems with the sourness of it. But sour seems out of line here.

Mouthfeel is a medium-full with a bit much on the fizz.

The alcohol is far too dominating and the flavor profile extremely muted. Not a bad deal for $2.89 for a 500ml bottle, but probably won't be going back for this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 04:47:19 | More by Living816

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured into a New Belgium Globe.

Appearance: hazy straw yellow with a large white head. Thick lace on the side of the glass.

Smell: yeasty, malty, fruity, banana, touch of clove, and citrus.

Taste: Bananas, melons, mango, pears, white grapes, wheat, bready and slightly spicy yeast. Mild cloves and pepper in the finish.

Mouthfeel: light end of a medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Really soft carbonation, creamy mouthfeel, and super drinkable beer.

Overall: Another solid offering by the worlds oldest brewery. Carbonation is some great and i love the drinkability factor of this german style beer. Another tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 03:15:45 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

bigrzman

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

You generally do not find AWESOME beer in South Korea but I have found it. It is this lovely beer which is called "of life" in Latin.
Bought in a German 500mL bottle.

Appearance: Exceptional head, golden body that is hazy with yeast. the creamy white head lingers and laces the glass.

Smell: Malty grains, citrus, and potency(booze). lemony smell towards the end.

Taste: Citrusy hops, golden grains, malty sweetness, and banana bread. Very potent.

Mouthfeel: fizzy, citric acid, and medium body.

Overall: Wow! Get it when available.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 10:42:25 | More by bigrzman

JRed

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beautiful beer: bright cloudy golden topped by foamy rocky white head. Aroma is sharp: lemons, booze, apple skins. Tastes of banana, vanilla, clove, lemon cookie, and slight booze. Spritzy, medium bodied brew but refreshing and smooth. Gorgeous and tasty, can I ask for anything else?

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 21:46:33 | More by JRed

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a hazy golden straw color with a stable single finger of head, flavor and aroma of light pears and bananas with a solid yeasty breadiness... gentle sweetness over a medium body and carbonation level, masks the ABV level very well.
Pretty much a textbook example of a Weizenbock!

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 17:10:32 | More by WastingFreetime

Kromes

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: A hazy yellow color with a thick, fluffy white head that dies down to a thin line of bubbles.

S: Banana, bubblegum, alcohol, wheat, and citrus.

T: Initial flavor is sweet and with a good bit of clove spice and citrus. The bubblegum type fruit flavors kick in and ride with the citrus and spice into the finish. The finish is sweet with a good bit of burn and a very slight hop flavor.

M: Very smooth feel to it. For being 7.7% it is easy to drink. Very refreshing feel to it with the higher carbonation.

O: Lighter than most other Weizenbocks that I've had. I like the absence of the dark fruit, cherry element. Light and refreshing like a Hefeweizen, only much stronger.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 22:35:51 | More by Kromes

Mora2000

Texas

4.23/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy straw color with a large white head. The aroma is full of cloves and bananas with a little bit of toffee thrown in. The flavor is very similar. I get a lot of strong banana and clove notes, as well as a little bit of pepper. There is a very creamy mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A very nice weizenbock, one of the best I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 02:33:07 | More by Mora2000

rickyleepotts

Arizona

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I haven’t had the Vitus, but I have had beers from the Weihenstephan portfolio. The pilsner is their most popular and is readily available. I was intrigued to learn that this one has only been around since 2007. I also found it interesting that folks who fast can drink this beer. Heck, if it’s good maybe I will fast and live on Vitus! It has been a while since we drank, so I am excited to get the ball rolling. Let’s dive into the Vitus.

In the Glass: The beer pours golden brown with a thick foamy head. I didn’t really know what to expect here, but I was surprised to see so much head. The beer has a weak lace that quickly drips back into the beer.

Nose: It smells like a good German beer is supposed to. There are a ton of malty notes on the nose, and then it begins to smell rusty and seasoned. I still can’t believe that this beer has only been in production since 2007. The label and the history of this brewery would beg to differ.

Flavor: The beer starts off with those same rustic flavors that I was picking up in the nose, but then the sweetness kicks off. I am left saying, “Holy cow,” when I sit the glass down. I had no idea what this was going to taste like, but am glad to have found what was inside the bottle!

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is nice. Considering how much head there is on this beer, there isn’t a lot going on in the mouth. No bubbles and it isn’t overwhelming as you swallow.

Aftertaste: I wish the aftertaste lasted longer than it does. The beer is so sweet as it slides across your tongue, and is still in there a few seconds later… but quickly fades. The beer is cheap, but with such a big ABV you need to be careful. You never taste the booze in this one.

I have had the pilsner, and while it’s good… it’s not great. This beer is surprisingly incredible. The sweetness, which I am starting to like more and more, just continues to impress from one bottle to the next. I could drink this beer again and again. If you like a tasty sweet beer, grab a bottle of Vitus. Bottoms up, people!

Weihenstephaner Vitus - The bottle says: NA

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 04:55:32 | More by rickyleepotts

BlindProphet

New York

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Weihenstephaner Vitus (Weizenbock)

A longtime favorite of mine, Weihenstephaner’s weizenbock is as well suited for a hot summer afternoon as their classic hefeweizen, unless you plan on spending the whole day sipping on it. Although it hardly tastes stronger than their hefe, the Vitus is no session beer. At 7.7%, a few too many could cut your afternoon short.

Pouring the 500ml bottle into a weizen glass, it takes just a gentle tilt for a foamy white head to form over this hazy, straw colored brew. Take care not pour to this one too quickly. Banana and bubblegum are the first to hit the nose, followed by a hint of clove and a yeast sharpness, which is softened but not completely overpowered by these milder aromas.

As the head would indicate, this is a highly carbonated beer. Medium-full bodied, it froths on the tongue with a fullness that defies the light sweetness of its flavor. Again I immediately taste banana, but the clove is far more present here than on the nose. Alongside these predominant flavors, the breadiness of the malt and the tart, fruitiness of the yeast also stand out, leading into just a slight bitterness for a very smooth finish. The taste of alcohol is conspicuously absent.

All in all, this is a truly excellent beer. Not only is it complex; it’s light and drinkable--a great choice for warm weather and the kind of beer even the most casual beer drinker can appreciate. And did I mention it’s 7.7%? Kick back and grab one, because my only real criticism is that I haven’t got more left.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 16:14:41 | More by BlindProphet

MaximalC

Illinois

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

Pours a hazy golden color with a mountainous, rocky white head. Honestly, the gentlest pour is all you need to make a fluffy head that most beers couldn't produce when poured with the utmost vigor. A solid bouquet of banana and cloves serves as a worthy harbinger of what's to come. Banana bread, clove, and wheat meld together to great effect, and the mouthfeel is exquisite. The bountiful carbonation accentuates the spiciness nicely and serves to temper a fruitiness that could become cloying if left unchecked. One really has to search for a fault, but if I'm being picky, there is a very slight metallic taste in the finish, but it's negligible. This weizenbock is more weizen than bock, and that serves me just fine. It's velvety, delicious, and perfect on a hot summer day. One the finest brews from an outstanding brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 02:47:02 | More by MaximalC

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Finally found a bottle while shopping at Sam's Quik Shop.

Pour looks like a hefe, honestly. Very cloudy yellow with a thick white frothy, bubbly white head.

It just smells like their Hefe, loads of bubble gum and banana. It smells sweeter, with more of the honey malt coming through, and I like it. So much damn banana....

The taste is just pure banana, honestly. Theres not much other to it. Others get some kind of flavors that take away from the yeast, but this one really just accents the yeast so damn well. The yeast really tastes like banana, and thats all. Theres a bit of spicy clove that really just balances things out totally.

It shouldnt be this drinkable for nearly 8% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 01:31:52 | More by VncentLIFE

Grohnke

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Weizenbock style study for BJCP. (BA / BJCP)

Look: Very robust, condensed, moussy long lasting head. Dark straw / light gold. Slight wheat haze (3.5 / 2)

Strong clove, light banana. Light Alcohol. Bread-like malt. No hop. (3 / 7)

Heavy spicy clove, mild fruit (banana and apple). Grainy sweet wheat and bready malt background. Supporting hop bitterness, no hop flavor. Slight tartness on the long, dry finish. Very well balanced. (3.5 / 15)

Medium-full body, with high carbonation. Creamy. Light alcohol warmth ( 5 / 5)

While a very impressive and enjoyable beer, it did miss out on some key aspects of the weizenbock style (In studying, i am reviewing according to BJCP style guidelines). The color was truly light for the style, and the aroma and flavor lacked the bock-like qualities inherent with weizenbocks. It did however have a wonderful balance of spicy clove, fruit, malt and alcohol. It drank more like a double hefe, if such a style exists. It pains me to grade this the way I did, but again, i was adhereing to BJCP guidelines, and have to judge accordingly. It really is a great beer, and thus gets the 9 on the overall, regardless that it falls out of style (subjective component) (4.5 / 9)

( 3.75 / 38)

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 03:52:51 | More by Grohnke

WesM63

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16oz bottle into a Weihenstephan Hefe glass.

A: Pours a cloudy straw color with a rocky 3finger white head. Plenty of retention and lacing are present.

S: Smells of yeast, clove, banana and some spices maybe a hint of some pilsner malt.

T: Spot on the nose. Yeast, clove, banana some pilsner malt and spices.

M: Full body, medium carbonation.

O: I think I've finally covered all of Weihenstephan's offerings. All of them are spot on for the style, this is no exception. Perfect for this hot Ohio summer night.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 03:26:47 | More by WesM63

TheDinger

South Carolina

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

Poured from bottle into Weizen glass. Fantastic burnt wheat/orange pour with a monster 3 finger pillow head that hung around a bit. Smell is very fruit forward and floral. Banana, cloves and perhaps a hint of vanilla. Taste is much like the Weih Hefe, but with more power and brunt. Very complex flavors and a great combination of fruits, phenos, malts and wheat. Like a hefe on roids! Feels is somewhat heavy carbonation and dry. Very smooth and coating. Overall- Another great offering and much like the Hefe. New to this style, so don't have a ton to compare it too. I will say, if you like the Hefe, you will like this. Complex and refreshing with a great blend of malts and fruits. A definite must try-

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 03:25:55 | More by TheDinger

gabedivision

New York

3.93/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured to a weizen glass from a 500ml bottle

Pours a hazy burnt orange, with a giant 3-4 for finger head, lots of disturbed yeast cake floating around the glass. Buttery banana and vanilla slam the nose, a nice citrus profile of lemon and orange peel, and hints of spice, clove maybe some ginger. On the tongue, sweet grain, banana- lemon, vanilla bean, clove spice on the finish. Light bodies, massively carbonated, yet very buttery and smooth, sweet sugar open up all the taste buds, starts moist with a fine dry finish. Overall; fine beer, easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 02:15:01 | More by gabedivision

Danny1217

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy yellow color. Two finger white head. Excellent retention. Smells very rich. Wheat, banana, clove. Very floral and fruity. Taste is similar. Light fruits, spice, yeast. Like a hefeweizen, but thicker and more powerful. Thick mouthfeel, medium carbonation, smooth finish.

I love this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 21:51:57 | More by Danny1217

cervezango

Bolivia

3.95/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

smells like dark fruits initially and a little eggy, some hoppyness

poutrsed out it looks hazy blonde like a hefeweisen, lokts of yeast in here, smell changes to predominantly yeast, some cinnimon roll and banana bread in the taste suprisinely sweet, had a friend who does not like beer try it and he like it, it is very sweet.
i wish it had more hops to balance off the sweetness, kindoff buttery which is redeeming, but not as complex as i expected

nonetheless is beer is solid and defenately worth the purchase.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 15:15:57 | More by cervezango

Arno

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

appearance: Hazy pale yellow color with a huge thick foamy head. Lovely and delicious looking.

smell: Full and rich smell of banana, yeast and wheat. Bubblegum sweetness, fruits, flowers. Great smell!

taste: All the great things i smelled. Full Banana bread flavor, bubblegum like. Some fruityness and floral stuff going on. Wheat and yeast. The only slight letdown is the bit of metal like bitterness it has. Like the cap rusted a bit through the beer or something. It's only with the first few sips though, seems to blend in better later on. Does give it a bit of freshness to it though.

mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied with medium carbonation. Does fit with all the flavors. Not very "light" though, but the flavors balance it out with freshness.

overall: One of the best white beers i've had. It tastes like a better version, more strongly defined, as the regular Hefeweiss of Weihenstephaner. It's packed with flavors with only the bit of metal like bitterness as a slight downside.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 11:11:02 | More by Arno

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Light yellow/golden tan, monster 3+ inch head and tons of lacing.

Smell - Wheat, yeast, banana, lemon, some sweet fruits like orange, peach and grapefruit. Added spices and sugars are present along with a slight bready/saision aroma.

Taste - Nice sweet yeasty kick with lots of fruits, banana and lemon. A nice sugar/spice mix adds some sweetness. Plenty of wheat mixed in with the fruits. There is a underlying warmth from the alcohol in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Nice and refreshing and easy on mouth. Tounge gets the yeast, wheat and fruits, were the tounge gets more sugars and spices. Finish is light, fruity and smooth.

Overall - As usual with this brewery, fantastic, a pleasure to drink and easy to enjoy. One of the best weizenbocks out there. Try this one, world class beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 03:01:42 | More by wvsabbath

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

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

Finally got around to having one of these this week after buying a few Weihenstephan offerings up in Boonton. I'm a big fan of this style and even though this seemed more like a Hefeweizen to me, this was still enjoyable and true to style. Even the alcohol in this came out of nowhere, since I couldn't taste it at all!

This had a great pour to it with a cloudy, dark golden hue and an extremely fluffy head to go along with it. Not a lot of lacing to be seen but it did slide down the edge of my pint glass after every sip. Lots of wheat and booze in the nose but the taste leaned more towards the banana, clove, and bubble gum. The sweetness associated with the latter stuck around for a while, into the aftertaste and coupled with the high amount of carbonation, made for an easy drinking session. There was a decent amount of sediment too which took quite a while to swirl into the liquid.

Of course, this was surprisingly strong but nothing that detracted from the experience of this beer. I do prefer my Weizenbocks on the darker and more fruity side but like anything else from Weihenstephan, this is about as good as it gets for the particular style and a must-try for anyone who likes his or her beer unfiltered.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 20:39:01 | More by JerzDevl2000

markmiller

New York

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I love the feel of a Weizen Glass. Poured nice and generous deep into the glass producing a cloud of tight and creamy head. That delicious hazy liquid golden hay color you expect from a wheat beer is revealed.

Typical banana esters and strong yeastiness dominate the nose. A touch of spice, mostly clove. A little bubblegum, too.

This beer's taste follows the nose to a T. Banana and clove and sweetness come pouring through with a lick of that bubblegum and yeast. The tiniest twinge of tart is there, but quickly dissipates.

Mouthfeel is medium, I thought it might have been overpoweringly full, but it balanced nicely on the swallow.

I'm fully impressed by this one. It was delicious and a joy to drink! Be sure to pick this up if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 02:21:37 | More by markmiller

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Been wanting to try this baby for ages. Found a bottle in Yongsan, Seoul.

APPEARANCE: Liveliest head I've ever had on a beer. Can't turn my back for a minute without it spewing out of the bottle.

SMELL: Banana and German yeast.

TASTE: Like the blue labelled Hefeweissbier with an alcoholic kick and more pronounced banana. Mouthfeel is wonderful, as can be expected from a Weihenstephan. Lots of the ethereal German yeastiness in the finish.

OVERALL: It's sublime, and accessible too. Even my Philistine girlfriend likes it. I've always found regular Hefeweizens a bit on the delicate side, so this is exactly the one for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 02:07:34 | More by Hoppsbabo