Let’s face it, friends. When you’re the Alteste Brauerei der Welt (Oldest brewery in the world), you sure have a lot to live up to. That’s exactly the claim to fame of Germany’s Weihenstephaner brewery, however. Located in Friesing in Bavaria, Weihenstephan can trace its history of brewing all the way back to the year 1040 when a brewing license was granted to a local monastery. That means Weihenstephan will celebrate its 1000^th anniversary in 2040. I’d love to be there for that, though I’ll be 76 if I do. Time will tell.

Luckily, you don’t have to live in Germany to enjoy the wonderful Bavarian-style beers made by Weihenstephan. Their products are readily available in the United States in bottles and on draft. Recently, they even partnered with Boston Beer, makers of the Samuel Adams line of brews, to release Infinium, a hybrid Hefeweizen that approaches champagne in complexity.

The classic Weihenstephan Hefeweissbier was the first beer I ever enjoyed from this brewery, and is still one of my favorite examples of Hefeweizen. Most recently, I enjoyed the beer on draft at my local Taco Mac, and it was simply wondrous. I may actually prefer this beer in the bottle, however, as hefeweizens are among those rare styles of beer where bottles can be preferred to tap. That’s because of the yeast sediment that comes in each bottle. Still, you can’t lose either way.

Weihenstephan Hefeweissbier pours to an attractive hazy yellow white color with a very thick head of rocky foam and a delightfully spicy nose of bananas and cloves. Taking a sip, the crackery wheat is refreshing and tart, and makes the perfect stage for the aforementioned spicy clove and banana to play on. A hint of vanilla is present, too. The finish delivers more of that tart wheat character that makes this a beer you could easily sip all day.

Drinking from the bottle, you’ll want to pour all but a third into your glass, then swirl the remainder around to rouse the yeast from the bottom of the bottle. Once you pour the remaining brew into your glass, you’ll notice that the beer becomes a bit more murky, and the taste a bit more spicy. Then too, the yeast is good for you: it’s an excellent source of B-Vitamins. This is part of the fun you miss out on with the draft version.

I just love Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier in the dog days of summer, but I enjoy it any time of year. It’s especially charming with plate of German wursts, buttery spatzel egg noodles, sauerkraut, and red cabbage.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

 



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