Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan - 1516 Kellerbier

Literally meaning "cellar beer", kellerbiers are traditionally matured in casks for several weeks and served unfiltered. They also feature a very low level of carbonation due to the tradition of the bungs in the casks being left loose, allowing the carbonation to escape as the beer conditions in underground cellars. This version from the world famous Weihenstephan brewery offers up a golden-amber color capped by a light beige head, with some yeast in suspension and a bit of sediment in the bottle, as expected for the style. After the head recedes, carbonation remains mild as a very interesting and subtly complex aroma comes forth. Look for prominent caramel notes, as well as a quite fruity impression compared to most German lagers. We picked up stone fruits and apple skins, along with light hints of baking spices and white pepper thanks to the yeast character. This brew hits the palate quite smooth and malty with lightly toasted bready notes amidst plenty of caramel. Those fruity aroma impressions decorate the flavor as well, while mild hop bitterness and spicy noble hop character deliver balancing bite. For pairing options, we'd lean toward grilled fowl, smoked sausages with spicy mustard, glazed ham, schnitzel, soft pretzels, and nutty cheeses. Prost!

From the largest hop growing region of the world, in the heart of beer brewing culture and history, comes the multitude of famed Bavarian beers. From these veteran lands springs a timeline of brewing history that has delivered some of the hallmark virtues of beer making as we know them today, and that stretches back in time for at least three thousand years. It’s our pleasure this month to bring you a traditional beer from a brewery which is recognized as not only the oldest in Bavaria, but the oldest operating brewery in the world!

If you traveled back in time to the mid-12th century in Freising, Germany, to the site of Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan (Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan)—before the days of Da Vinci, Chaucer or Genghis Khan—you'd be standing in a hop garden that was already 400 years old. Somewhere between the year 725 and 768, this hop garden was planted, and its owner had to pay tithes to the Benedictine monastery of Weihenstephan. In 1040 the monastery was given permission to brew and sell beer in Freising, at the modern day site of the Weihenstephan Brewery. And, they’ve been brewing ever since at the site of this original 8th century hop garden. The Weihenstephan monastery's rights to brew and sell beer passed in 1803 to the King of Bavaria after he purchased the brewery for production of beers for his royal court. Today, it is owned by the Free State of Bavaria and is one of only two breweries to be owned by the state (the other is Munich's famous Hofbrauhaus).

In addition to brewing fantastic beers, the owners also use the brewery to teach the art of brewing to students from around the world, as well as to carry out investigations into the processes and equipment used in practical brewery operations. It's not only science that stands to benefit from this but clearly the beer drinker as well, as all of the brewery’s beers are extremely highly regarded and the brewery has taken home numerous awards over its long history and continues to do so to this day. For more information, visit them at www.brauerei-weihenstephan.de.