Kloster Andechs is an active Benedictine Monastery located outside Munich, Germany. Andechs has a long history of brewing and is still considered to be one of the best of Munich’s breweries. They’ve recently started appearing in the United States delighting fans of German beers and Monastic beers alike, which I count myself in both camps. If you’d like to learn more about Kloster Andechs and its history, you can do so at “The Brewing Monks: The Benedictine Breweries.” You can also learn more about history of monastic brewing by reading “The Brewing Monks: A Brief History of the Trappist Order and Monastic Brewing.”
This is the monastery’s Weissbeir Hell, or blonde wheat ale.
Appearance: Cloudy blonde/gold, off-white head,
Aroma: Spicy, banana, melon notes, herbal notes, fruity.
Taste: Wheaty, Spicy, light banana, cloves on the finish, spicy slightly sweet finish.
Overall Impression: This weise has a really nice spicy-fruity balance that’s backed up with a refreshing carbonation kick. The medium-long finish is very pleasant and pretty complex, which is a nice bonus feature. It’s definitely a balanced beer with the banana notes not being too strong. It’s more on the spicy spectrum. There is, however, a lot of nice fruitiness that isn’t quite as common in other German weissbiers. This beer is worth picking up, especially at it’s ridiculous pricing. I paid about $3 for a 500ml bottle.
Availability: In limited locations as their footprint in the US grows. They’re imported by S & H Brands.
5.5% ABV
6 thoughts on “Kloster Andechs Weissbier Hell”
Andechs is exclusively available in NYC at http://www.zumschneider.com
Excellent! We just got them in Oregon a few months ago.
What? Wha? $3! That’s nuts!
I know, right? I could be that as part of their monastic lifestyle they’re just looking to make a “living” not a lot of “profit.”