Schneider Weisse Tap 7

Schneider Weisse Tap 7 Original

Brewed by Private Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH
Style: Hefeweizen
Kelheim, Germany.

G. Schneider & Sohn is a brewery in Bavaria, Germany. The brewery was founded in 1872 by Georg Schneider I and his son Georg Schneider II, after they acquired the Weisses Brauhaus in Munich which was the oldest wheat beer brewery in the city.

In the 17th Century, Wheat beers had got the royal approval of “The Great” Maximilian I, a member of the House of Wittelsbach, and who ruled as Duke of Bavaria from 1597. As part of his royal inheritance he had the right to brew the stuff (as only nobility could back then), and sensing he was onto a good thing, started opening up breweries all over Bavaria for the common people, all making him some nice revenues, with the first one opening in 1607 in Kelheim. It was the very same brewery that would be obtained by the Schneider family much later in 1928.

So wheat beer was well established in Bavaria, but it did go through a stage where it wasnt as popular as before. Bottom-fermented beers, such as lagers and “dark beers”, were proving very popular and wheat beers went so far out of fashion that many had thought it wasn’t worth even brewing anymore. Not so father and son combo, Georg I. Schneider and son Georg II. Schneider who set about revitalizing the once popular top fermented brew. They first needed to obtain the correct license with the Bavarian “Hofbräuamt” (the courtly administration for brewing) under King Ludwig II. of Bavaria (1856-1886), in order to obtain the “Weissbierregal“ , giving them the right to brew wheat beer, as the first commoners ever.

Together the two set about establishing their own company “G. Schneider & Sohn“ and production started in September 1872. “Schneider Weisse“ is born and with it an instant classic as their first wheat beer is found to be extremely popular, remaining even so to the present. But tragedy happened as in 1890 both father and son died.

Under Georg Schneider III, who took over at the age of twenty, following the early death of his father, the brewery expanded and modernized, mainly down to the ever growing popularity of their beers. Business was doing well. But unfortunately the Third George didn’t live long to see the fruits of his hard work as he also died at a very young age, at 35.

As the next in line to the brewing dynasty was only six (the very young Georg IV), Mathilde, the wife of Georg Schneider III, acted as director until her young son was old enough to take control of the company. One must greatly admire how the single mother ran a business in an era when male chauvinism was alive and well, and women simply were not expected to do anything but to cook and look after the family home. This explains why a lot of her management was done secretly so as not to cause any unwanted attention to the business. Under her management Schneider Weisse eventually rises to become the biggest wheat beer brewery in Southern Germany, which was some achievement when you take into account the damaging affect that World War One had on the whole of Germany.

Georg IV took over in the inter war period and used this time to buy up some brewing facilities in Munich and surrounding areas, off breweries that didn’t survive the war as well. This and the fact that wheat beers are making a small comeback, steadied the ship for the company through the difficult times of the Great Depression and the early years of Nazism. But with the outbreak of WW2, food and water are in short supply, rationing is in place and many towns and cities are destroyed.

Massive reinvestment is needed to get the brewery back up and running, and this is where Georg Schneider V comes in. Extensive construction to the brewery, but also new and more exciting wheat beer specialties, all resulting in newer markets in Europe and to the USA with output greatly increased. All the time still using the same traditional brewing methods and original yeast strain.

In 2000 Georg Schneider VI, the sixth generation of the family, takes command of the brewery, further expanding the production range. Today, the brewery employs around 100 people and distributes its products across Germany and all around the world. The core product is TAP 7 Mein Original (formerly Schneider Weisse Original), which is brewed according to the original recipe of 1872. Georg Schneider VI renamed the Schneider Weisse product range in 2009, so as to draw attention to the fact that the brewery also produces the products TAP 1 to TAP 6, a bit of a gimmick but there you go. These taps include a Helles Weiss-bier, an alcohol free beer, an Hefeweizen Oktoberfest special (from a 1916 original recipe), a Weizen Doppel bock (Bavaria’s oldest), amongst others.

But it it without doubt that its Tap 7 is the marquee beer of the company, winning numerous awards at the Beer World Cup in 2008 and in 2012, and proving to the be a best seller in the Weiss bier world.

Review: 0,5l bottle of Schneider Weisse Tap 7: ABV: 5.4% vol

Crappy uninspiring logo, golden thingy on the bottle, but it is an iconic brand in the beer world so I guess it works!

“Mein Original“ is being brewed following the same recipe used in the original back in 1872, “TAP7“ is its modern name.

Massive amount of carbonation, wow, too much as it all came bubbling out like a fountain. What remained in the glass was a dark orange coloured beer with a white head that was pretty small all things considering, and died a death later. Also a bit cloudy. That’s what a top bottle conditioned beer does for ya!

Overall looks horrible.

Got that typical weissbier smell, was a strong smell, of the fruits, the cloves, the grains, barely and wheat.

Taste was not bad with the first mouthful, full bodied and a nice clean and pleasant crispy taste.

Very nice, I like it, ok it looks shit but bloody hell it aint bad to taste. Quaffable and very tasty beer.

Typical weiss taste with the wheat, the malts, cloves and the fruits, but on a light level, and with a nice and smooth after taste. Very tasty and quite refreshing.

The banana is quite strong in this beer I think, with some light creamy taste, to give a good balanced flavour.

Very good, I like it, recommended. So easy to drink. Can sup it and enjoy. Or devour it, up to yourself!