Weihenstephan

Weihenstephan is the world’s oldest continuously operating brewery, with documented brewing history stretching back to 1040 AD on Weihenstephan hill in Freising, Bavaria. That’s nearly a thousand years of beer-making, which makes every sip feel slightly weighted with history. Today the brewery operates as the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan and is affiliated with the Technical University of Munich — meaning it’s simultaneously one of the oldest breweries and one of the most scientifically rigorous brewing institutions in the world.

Tasting Notes

The Hefeweissbier — their most iconic beer — pours a hazy, golden-yellow colour with a towering, pillowy white head that’s one of the most satisfying sights in beer. The nose is a textbook example of the style: banana (from isoamyl acetate produced by the yeast), clove (from 4-vinyl guaiacol), and a soft, floury wheat character underneath. On the palate it’s smooth, creamy, and medium-bodied: banana and clove flavours in balance, a gentle fizz, and a clean, refreshing finish. It’s a genuinely beautiful beer.

Verdict

Serve in a tall wheat beer glass, poured slowly from the bottle with the last centimetre swirled to rouse the yeast sediment before adding. Weihenstephan Hefeweissbier is the benchmark against which all other wheat beers are measured, and it earns that status with every glass. Pairs beautifully with Bavarian food, grilled white fish, or just a sunny afternoon. Drinking history in the best possible sense.