Weltenburger Barock Dunkel, Draught | 4.7% Bavaria, Germany

Weltenburger is the world’s oldest monastic brewery still in operation with a Bavarian brewing tradition of nearly 1,000 years.

In its current form it is of great historical importance; distinctive features – the abbey’s own Jurassic spring water, ancient lager cellars carved into the hillside by hand and an age-old brewing recipe in the Benedictine tradition – culminate in outstanding flavours through a technically perfect production process. 

Weltenburg Monastery is located immediately at the entrance of the legendary Danube Gorge, an area of special geological significance, in the heart of Bavaria. It was founded in the early 7th century by Irish-Scottish wandering monks, making it the oldest monastic settlement in the region. Around the year 800, the abbey adopted the Rule of St. Benedict and brewing is said to date from 1050.

Although the brewery facilities are still owned by the Benedictine Abbey, fifty years ago the monks handed over production of their award-winning lager and signature dark brews to the Bischofshof brewery, itself founded in 1649, 30 kilometers away in Regensburg.

Today, seven Benedictine monks still live at the Weltenburg Monastery and around 20 Bischofshof staff run the brewery.

Weltenburger brewery has withstood “several fires, floods, destruction and secularisation as well as a world war” in which an order to blow up the entire complex was narrowly thwarted.

At national and international competitions, Weltenburger beers have gained over 100 awards. The Kloster Barock Dunkel has won gold three times at the World Beer Cup and been honoured as the “World’s Best Dark Beer”.