Weihenstephaner

The Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier was a pleasant surprise. Even though the label says this is a Kristall Weissbier, I wasn't expecting it to be literally crystal clear... and still taste like a Weiss. But sure enough, this beer has all the banana and coriander flavor of a regular Weiss but without the cloudy body. So what's the point? Why bother with finding a Kristall Weiss? Well, when it's nearing a hundred degrees outside you might not want to drink a thick wheaty Weiss... The filtered version of the Weiss is much crisper and more bubbly, it feels almost like a light Weiss. Sort of like how Bud Light is light, but with flavor. This beer is well worth seeking out, if you're able to find a couple of them. If you can, pick up a few of these and save them for a warm summer evening. You can thank me later.

Vitus is Weihenstephan's winter seasonal. It's like a traditional Bock only in the sense that it's a bigger beer with a bit more alcohol that will keep you warm through the cold winter months. Where the Vitus differs from other Bocks is that that it's based off of Weihenstephan's delicious Hefe-Weissbier. Rather than starting with a malty dark lager base like Bocks and Doppelbocks, the Vitus starts with a sweet and sour Weiss base. This Weizenbock is really a bit more like a Doppelweiss.... it has all of the characteristics of the Weissbier base but has a bumped up alcohol content. The alcohol flavor that comes through in the aftertaste is just about the only thing this beer really has in common with your traditional dark Bock beer. Rather than creamy like most Bocks, this beer is more crisp and much lighter in texture even if it is 7.7% ABV.

I have a special place in my heart for Hefeweizens. There is just something about the combination of flavors that I find absolutely delicious. Wheat beers in general and usually pretty great but they like the flavor of a nice sour Hefeweizen. In my opinion, Brauerei Weihenstephan makes one of the best Hefeweizens out there. Even better than that they make a filtered version, the Kristall Weiss, which has the same great flavor but a super crisp and bubbly texture. I like the Kristall Weiss so much I decide to try the Weissbier Dunkel to see how else Weihenstephaner is trying to improve on the Hefeweizen. I must say that the Dunkel wasn't as much of a departure from the base Hefeweizen as I was expecting, and I'm glad. The Dunkel is darker, as the name would imply, but still retains the same basic flavor profile. This beer is a little sour, a little spicy and very reminiscent of a Hefeweizen.