Weihenstephaner Vitus 500ML

Weihenstephaner Vitus 500ML is a 7.7% ABV weizenbock from the world's oldest brewery, served in a 500ml bottle. Named "World's Best Beer" at the 2011 World Beer Awards, this single-bock wheat beer stands apart through an extended cold lagering process in historic monastery cellars that produces a remarkably round, refined character uncommon in the style.

Quick Facts: ABV: 7.7%  |  Origin: Freising, Bavaria, Germany  |  Style: Weizenbock (Single-Bock Wheat Beer)  |  Brewery: Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

Production & Heritage

Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan traces its brewing origins to 1040 AD at the Weihenstephan Abbey in Freising, Bavaria, making it the oldest continuously operating brewery on earth. Vitus is brewed strictly under the Reinheitsgebot (Bavarian Purity Law) using only water, Hallertau hops, wheat and barley malt, and yeast. What distinguishes Vitus from standard wheat beers and even other weizenbocks is its extra-long, cold storage period in the monastery's cellars — a lagering technique that smooths out the higher alcohol content and creates a specialty the brewery describes as having "a round character based on the extra long storage time."

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Dried apricot and ripe banana lead the nose, followed by warm clove spice and bright citrus peel. Beneath those primary notes, subtle hints of bread dough and white sourdough crumb emerge as the beer warms in the glass.

Taste: The entry is deceptively light for a 7.7% beer — loads of banana and a gentle vanilla sweetness greet the palate before giving way to spicy clove and nutmeg at mid-palate. A bananas foster richness builds toward the peak, balanced by a faint bubble gum sweetness and enough wheat-bread malt backbone to keep everything grounded. Despite its bock strength, Vitus drinks more like a noble, fruity wheat beer than a heavy strong ale.

Finish: Full-bodied and effervescent, the finish carries lingering clove spice and underripe banana. The carbonation lifts the mouthfeel, leaving a clean, sparkling close that belies the beer's considerable strength.

How to Drink Vitus

Pour into a tall weizen glass at 46–50°F (8–10°C), swirling the final ounce to rouse the yeast sediment before topping off. The traditional Bavarian approach — no garnish, no ice — lets the complex aromatics speak fully. For a Wheat Beer Shandy, Vitus pairs well with fresh lemonade, where its banana and clove notes create a more complex twist on a simple summer drink. In a Beergarita, the apricot fruitiness complements lime and triple sec for a surprisingly cohesive hybrid. A Beer Float using vanilla ice cream leans into the existing vanilla and bananas foster character for a rich dessert serve.

Best For

• Introducing craft beer drinkers to the weizenbock style
• Pairing with a traditional Bavarian dinner spread
• Gifting to a beer enthusiast who appreciates brewing heritage
• Celebrating Oktoberfest or seasonal German beer traditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Vitus taste like? Vitus delivers pronounced banana, dried apricot, and clove spice with a vanilla undertone, all carried by a full-bodied yet effervescent mouthfeel. Despite its 7.7% ABV, it drinks more like a refined, fruity wheat beer than a heavy bock.

How does Vitus compare to Schneider Weisse Aventinus? Both are benchmark weizenbocks, but Vitus leans fruitier and lighter on the palate with prominent banana and apricot notes, while Aventinus tends toward darker, more vinous flavors with plum and dried fruit from its use of dark wheat malt. Vitus finishes cleaner and more effervescent, making it the more approachable of the two for drinkers new to the style.

Is Vitus good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — its complex fruit and spice aromatics, balanced sweetness, and sparkling carbonation make it an excellent standalone sipper, especially when poured slowly into a proper weizen glass at cellar temperature.

Where is Vitus made? Vitus is brewed at Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan in Freising, Bavaria, Germany, on the site of the former Weihenstephan Abbey where brewing has been documented since 1040 AD. The brewery sits just north of Munich in the heart of Bavaria's hop-growing Hallertau region.

What foods pair well with Vitus? Weisswurst (Bavarian white sausage) mirrors the beer's clove spice beautifully. Roasted pork belly benefits from the carbonation cutting through richness. Banana-based desserts like bananas foster amplify the beer's natural fruit character. Aged Gruyère or Comté cheese contrasts the effervescence with nutty depth. Thai green curry plays off the clove and banana notes in a surprisingly harmonious pairing.

What sizes does Vitus come in? Vitus is widely available in the standard 500ml bottle, which is the traditional format for Bavarian wheat beers.

Is Vitus worth the price? Vitus positions as a premium import weizenbock, and its pedigree — from the world's oldest brewery, with multiple international gold medals — delivers strong value within that tier. The extended cold lagering and Reinheitsgebot-compliant brewing make it a benchmark expression of the style at a reasonable price point for an imported specialty beer.

Why Vitus?

Few beers carry the weight of nearly a millennium of brewing tradition behind every bottle. Vitus earned the title of "World's Best Beer" at the 2011 World Beer Awards and has collected gold medals at both the European Beer Star and the Australian International Beer Awards, placing it among the most decorated weizenbocks in production. The extended cold lagering in Weihenstephan's monastery cellars — a step most competitors skip — gives Vitus a smoothness and roundness that makes its 7.7% ABV nearly invisible on the palate. For anyone serious about wheat beer, this is the reference point against which the style is measured.