Three New Beers For Sale
I’ve been excited and trying to get Weihenstephener Beer into the shop since October! In the grand scheme of things, it isn’t the biggest brewery globally, but it is the oldest. Weihenstephen is located close to Munich. If you drew a line directly north from Marienplatz, you’d hit it pretty quickly. The town itself is dominated by 2 things—religion and Students…… and beer.
Beer and students are pretty much synonymous. In The Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan (to give it its proper name), beer and religion and inseparably linked as well. The Brewery is located on the the former Weihenstephan Abbey in Freising. Fittingly it has been developed even further and makes up the bulk of the Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf and TUM Weihenstephan Campus. At the beginning of each year, the Universities head opens a keg to mark the new academic year.
The brewery currently produces 382,341 hectolitres per annum of their 14 beers for consumption. Despite the huge amount of beer produced, it is surprisingly hard to get a hold of. Every one of their 14 beers is dripping in awards. With their signature strong beer Vitus winning world beer of the year on a couple of occasions.
Weihenstephener Kristalklar 500ml
Some people love a dirty, unfiltered beer (me included), but the Kristallweissbier has its own merits. It isn’t my favourite, but it has repeatedly been singled out by beer judges the world over for its excellence. Kristallweissbier was awarded the highest distinction in 2018 at the World Beer Awards. It has won numerous other awards in years past (some 7 international gold medals).
Kristallweissbier is rammed full of fresh citrus aromas and fine banana notes, which you’ll also appreciate in the flavour. A freshly poured Kristallweissbier almost bright with rich gold tones, though not to the extent of a Gold beer. Kristallweissbier has a strong sparkle and clean appearance in the glass.
Weihenstephen Kristallweissbier’s clarity is produced through heavy filtration. It is the only top-fermented beer brewed by the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan. All this means that it sparkles clear and fresh like a lager and unlike most Weissbeirs. My only criticism of Kristalklar is that there is a slight after taste of paprika or something smokey. It probably still won’t stop me from drinking many of them (in responsible moderation).
Weihenstephener Hefe Weiss Bottles 500ml
By this point, you are probably on your way to the shop to purchase some Weihenstephen. I haven’t even talked about the poster boy of the club. Hefe Weiss Bier. in 2016 this beer won the World Beer Awards and the World Beer Cup. It has excited for eternity but still tastes beautifully fresh. The distinctive Weissbier from Weihenstephen is the first beer that comes to my mind when you talk about Southern Bavaria. It is very similar to the Kristalklar but without heavy filtration.
When you drink it you’ll notice immediately fruity nuances of banana and cloves intermingled with very strong malt flavours. This creates a perfectly balanced beer that is light and has a really creamy character. Hefe Weissbier is naturally cloudy and has a pale amber wheat beer colour. If you don’t love an unfiltered weissbier… stay well away from this bad boy.
Weihenstephen’s wheat beer has an unreal head of white foam when poured correctly. In the UK we might call it lively. In Germany, they make their glasses taller so you can appreciate up to an inch of delicious foam. No doubt, this wheat beer is the most widely recognized product of the Brewery Weihenstephan. It close to my favourite Beer but has some way to go before it can knock Vitus off its perch.
Black Isle Brewery Frei Pils Can 440ml
Okay, I might have been a bit selfish with this blog… Weihenstephen is my favourite Brewery in the world. I should probably have led with this awesome news. We are now stocking Black Isle Brewery‘s Frei Pils. Shock, it is another German-style beer that is gracing our shelves. the German style really isn’t the reason you should get excited. The reason you should get excited is that this little beauty is GLUTEN FREE!
Thorsten, the head brewer at BI, is german (so immediately, I love everything he does). He loves maybe even adores a good Pilsner. He wanted to make a pilsner that is really great hoppy. FYI he nailed it. Inspired by generations of German brewers, using traditional techniques and only four ingredients, this is it—light, crisp and unfiltered, and 100% organic.
Finally
A few weeks ago, I wrote a little beer blog. I was blown away by how many of you read it. I was stunned by how many of you have purchased the beers I recommended. If you’ve not read the first one, you can do so here.
