Omnivore Atlanta

Liquid Candy: Weihenstephaner Vitus

Brauerei Weihenstephan
Freising, GER
7.7% ABV

This weizenbock is new to Georgia, thanks to the dedicated efforts of Beer Advocate and Sandy Springs resident Justin Michels, who rallied like-minded beer lovers to lobby the Georgia distributor of Weihenstephaner beers, Georgia Crown, to add this beer to their portfolio. For Georgia Crown, it was a simple matter of adding Vitus to its order from Total Beverage Solutions, the South Carolina importer that was already bringing the beer into the U.S. Just goes to show what some good old-fashioned agitation can accomplish. Show your appreciation by picking up a few bottles.

Vitus might be described as an imperial version of Weihenstephan’s world-class weissbier, packing more body and more flavor into a fruity, tart and refreshing Bavarian wheat beer. A huge, fluffy head of cotton candy-like foam sits atop the orange-gold beer, rising a full inch above the rim of the glass without falling over, eventually settling to a finger of off-white foam that you could probably use as shaving cream. Beautiful.

The traditional banana and clove aromas from the yeast are off the chain, combining with a distinct lactose note that conjures a banana cream pie from Picadilly. Banana haters need not apply. The initial taste is of sugar cookie and grainy wheat, followed by a Juicy Fruit center of banana, pineapple, and bubble gum. Just when you think you are drinking candy, a solid hit of tangy, slightly lemony yeast and spicy hops cleans up the palate. Coriander, clove, and sage linger in the long, mildly sour finish. As would be expected from a wheat beer, the mouthfeel is creamy, but with a slick almost oily character that is perfectly balanced by the active carbonation that holds that foamy cap all the way down.

Although the flavors beg to be savored, Vitus goes down as smooth as the mellowest hefeweizen. The alcohol is well hidden, with only the sweet slickness hinting at the high gravity. A remarkable beer that really has no equal that I have had. It would pair nicely with any number of foods, from salad to dessert.

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THE BEST THING ABOUT THE MIDDLE AGES: Gruit ales

With the high cost and limited availability of hops over the past year, brewers have shown an increased interest in returning to early beer recipes for an alternative source to bitter and spice their beers. Prior to the extensive use of hops, European brewers typically used a mixture of plants and herbs called gruit, or grut. The core ingredients in gruit were sweet gale, yarrow and marsh rosemary, each of which contributed desirable characteristics, such as flavoring, bittering and preservatives. Brewers added other herbs, spices and plants, including juniper berries, caraway seeds, anise, ginger and nutmeg to create individual flavor profiles.

The primary herbs used in gruit also had another characteristic: They were noted intoxicants, inducing euphoria and stimulating the libido. Hops, on the other hand, were known to be more soporific than stimulating, decreasing sexual desire and leading to sleep. (more…)

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