Weihenstephaner Vitus Weizenbock - Brauerei Weihenstephan, Freising

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.

As the Weizenbock name would imply, this beer has very strong wheat flavors. This beer is similar to Chimay's White in many ways, it's refreshingly crisp but still a little creamy and it has a nicely spiced balance between sweet citrus and sour yeast. One caveat I have about this beer is that it is while it tastes a lot like a Weissbier, it is 7.7% so you really can't drink more than one of these if you have anything important to do with your day. Just like other Bocks, you're going to have to plan ahead if you plan on tackling a whole bottle of this beer. That being said, this beer is really quite good. I was a little disappointed with this beer at first because it was so much like a light Weissbier. About halfway though the pint I really came to appreciate the style as being something more than just a bigger Weiss.

If you drink Bock beers exclusively, you probably won't like this Weizenbock. The people who'd appreciate this beer the most will probably be those who really enjoy a strong, sour Weissbier. Regardless of which group you fall into, I'd suggest giving this beer a try.