Description
Weihenstephan can be traced all the way back to 725 AD, when Saint Corbinian and his twelve companions founded a Benedictine monastery on Weihenstephaner hill and discovered the art of brewing (whether this was on purpose or by happenstance remains unknown). In 1040, the beer brewing became legitimate when Abbot Arnold obtained a license to brew and sell beer from the city of Freising. Between 1085 and 1463, the Monastery had burned down four separate times and was destroyed by plague, famine and a massive earthquake, prompting the constant reconstruction of the Monastery. And, as if that’s not enough strife to endure, the Monastery was continuously plundered and destroyed first by Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian and later by the Swedes, the French and the Austrians. Weihenstephan never gave up and continued to rebuild, all the while refining its beer craft. An important milestone occurred in 1516 when Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria introduced the Bavarian Purity Law, mandating that only barley, hops and water could be used in the production of beer and therefore drawing attention and acclaim to Bavarian beer and specifically, Weihenstephan. In 1803, the Monastery was dissolved, transferring all possessions and rights to the Bavarian State (which still owns the brewery to this day), hence its use of the Great seal of the Bavarian State as its corporate logo. Weihenstephan operates in partnership with the Technical University of Munich and is considered the center of world brewing technology. And while Weihenstephan is touted as the world's oldest continuous operating brewery in the world, it is also extremely modern considering its affiliation with the ‘Harvard of Brewing’. It must be the unique combination of centuries-old tradition and modern innovation that allows Weihenstephan to produce such consistently solid and addictive beers such as this spicy, fruity, full-flavored ‘Vitus’ Weizenbock!
Tasting Notes: Rich, fruity and spicy aromas of baked apples, honey, pears in syrup, cloves and allspice greet you on the nose and are followed by flavors of yeasty dinner rolls and dense banana bread on the smooth, medium-bodied palate. Overall, this Weizenbock is very complex, with a nice balance of fruit and spice. ABV: 7.70%
