Wheat beer fans, your time is coming up. The hot, humid Georgia weather is steadying in the upper 80s and lower 90s, and summer is still months away. Many breweries know that wheat beers—whether German-style Hefeweizens, Belgian-style Witbiers, or American-style wheat ales—are some of the most refreshing beers on earth, and so they make their appearances around this time each year as summer seasonal releases.
But wheat beers extend into other categories as well, and some are not quite as refreshing as their lighter cousins. Take the Weizenbock, a heartier version of the style represented famously by Private Weißbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn’s Aventinus, a dark, malty, strong version of a Dunkelweizen that serves better on a chilly winter night than a sultry summer day.
Though Aventinus may be the veritable progenitor of Weizenbock, there are other takes on the style, and not all are so dark and rich. Take the example from the proclaimed “älteste Brauerei der Welt”—the “oldest brewery in the world”—Vitus from Freising, Germany’s Brauerei Weihenstephan. Vitus is a pale Weizenbock with all the same refreshing qualities of a summery Hefeweizen and all the strong, complex nature of a Weizenbock.
Look for Weihenstephaner Vitus locally at Toast Wine and Beverage in Martinez.
Review
Style: Weizenbock
Alcohol content: 7.7% ABV
Package type: 0.5-liter brown glass bottle
Serving vessel: Weißbier glass
Serving temperature: 40 degrees F
Rating: A (4.35/5)
Bright yellow and sunny in appearance, quite cloudy and with a solid two fingers of rocky white foam that fades away at a notch faster than a snail's pace to leave behind thick blotchy rings of lace on the walls of the glass.
The nose is distinctly Weißbier yet distinctly Weizenbock; an amalgamation of the two that blends well both the powerfully fruity banana and spicy clove notes of a bright Hefeweizen and the drier, spicier, and more pungent aromas of a Weizenbock. Powerfully enticing.
Full-bodied yet light and effervescent in mouthfeel, the flavors follow the nose and appearance well, deceiving with a bright Hefeweizen-like refreshing quality but with flavors more strong and hop-accented, leaving quite the same impression as the more traditional dark version of the Weizenbock style but without the same rich malty character. The finish is dry and tinged with spice, citrusy hops and a mild fruitiness but with a pronounced dryness that screams for another quaff.
Quite the Weizenbock, Weihenstephaner's Helles version of the style is much more refreshing than more traditional examples and is extremely well-balanced, never too strong in any region except for the flavor front, in which such a balance between taste and drinkability is a powerful virtue. Perhaps one of the greatest Weizenbocks around, Brauerei Weihenstephan never ceases to produce solid, well-crafted and tasty beers while remaining in strict (well, perhaps not so strict -- we are talking about wheat beer, after all) accordance with the Reinheitsgebot. Vitus is flat-out amazing, and well worth all its praise.
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