Beer Revisited: Weihenstephaner Vitus
One New Year’s resolution I have been working to keep is to learn German. I have been using Duolingo (as recommended by Bobblehead) and am slowly working my way through the basics. After a lesson on Monday night, I can now proclaim, “Ich trinke Bier!” (I think Duolingo even prompted me to speak it. Oddly enough, though, the picture that accompanied the word featured a bottle of Rogue Dead Guy Ale and another Rogue beer. I’m sure German brewers would not be pleased.)
To jokingly honor that milestone, I decided to revisit BotW #160: Weihenstephaner Vitus, brewed by the Brauerei Weihenstephan of Freising, Germany.
A bottle has been sitting in my fridge for about three weeks. I contemplated recommending it for the LV this month, but never got around to drinking it.
Serving type: 500 ml bottle. There is a batch code printed on the back label but there is no discernable freshness date. The neck label touts the beer’s medal at the 2012 World Beer Awards, so I wonder how long this has been sitting around.
Appearance: It pours a clear, golden wheat color at first, but clouds as the yeast loosens, especially after coaxing the sediment from the bottom. Three fingers of very dense, almost white head dissipates very slowly.
Smell: Fruity, yeasty, wheaty, and a touch boozy. Bready malt is prominent, but there are touches of apple, banana, clove, lemon zest, and a little strawberry bubblegum. Yeast is also noticeable, as is a little booze.
Taste: The mouthfeel is full and creamy. There are flavors of bready malt, yeast, apple, banana, a little orange peel, lemon zest, and clove spice. It is not as fruity as it is wheaty and malty. There is a little bit of booze but not much at first; it slowly gains prominence as the beer warms, but never overpowers the other flavors.
Comparison to previous tasting: My suspicion that this bottle is past its prime has been confirmed. It is obvious after reading both reviews — this bottle is not what it used to be. Fruit and spice were much more prominent in my previous review. I suppose that is what I get for buying a bottle with a label that gloats about an award from three years ago. Despite its apparent age, it is still tasty, though.
To jokingly honor that milestone, I decided to revisit BotW #160: Weihenstephaner Vitus, brewed by the Brauerei Weihenstephan of Freising, Germany.
A bottle has been sitting in my fridge for about three weeks. I contemplated recommending it for the LV this month, but never got around to drinking it.
Serving type: 500 ml bottle. There is a batch code printed on the back label but there is no discernable freshness date. The neck label touts the beer’s medal at the 2012 World Beer Awards, so I wonder how long this has been sitting around.
Appearance: It pours a clear, golden wheat color at first, but clouds as the yeast loosens, especially after coaxing the sediment from the bottom. Three fingers of very dense, almost white head dissipates very slowly.
Smell: Fruity, yeasty, wheaty, and a touch boozy. Bready malt is prominent, but there are touches of apple, banana, clove, lemon zest, and a little strawberry bubblegum. Yeast is also noticeable, as is a little booze.
Taste: The mouthfeel is full and creamy. There are flavors of bready malt, yeast, apple, banana, a little orange peel, lemon zest, and clove spice. It is not as fruity as it is wheaty and malty. There is a little bit of booze but not much at first; it slowly gains prominence as the beer warms, but never overpowers the other flavors.
Comparison to previous tasting: My suspicion that this bottle is past its prime has been confirmed. It is obvious after reading both reviews — this bottle is not what it used to be. Fruit and spice were much more prominent in my previous review. I suppose that is what I get for buying a bottle with a label that gloats about an award from three years ago. Despite its apparent age, it is still tasty, though.
