Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock

Brewed by Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn
Style: Eisbock
Kelheim, Germany

After reading some of the ratings for this beer I am starting to think I may have just had a bad bottle... but as my bottle was $6 and I will not be buying another due to the one I had... here goes: Poured a dark brown color with a red tint, small head that went away in under a minute. Aroma was earthy and sweet... mixed with booze. I thought the strongest flavors in this beer were olives and licorice... which was unique. However, I also thought it was very watery and too sweet... and had no body or depth. I could smell the alcohol but it tasted more like watered down booze. The bottle states this one as 12% alcohol but I can’t say I felt a thing.

Bottle. Pours a murky brown. potent aroma. Notes of banana, bubblegum, raisin, vanilla, alcohol. Like a sweet banana laden glass of port. Enjoyed smelling this over and over again. alcohol is a nice compliment and never overpowering. Definitely a sipper. Great beer.

11.2 oz bottle. Pours deep brown in colour, clear, with a modest head. Big aroma and taste, with a bit of toffee, alcohol sneaks through the flavour.

11.2 oz. bottle from Grape & Gourmet (bottle 2009/11134). Muddy brown pour with a thick off-white head. Unassuming aroma of bubblegum and bready yeast. Sugary sweet flavor of banana, wheat, and sugar. The sweetness is really intesified over regular Aventinus. Moderate alcohol warming but nothing of great significance. Overall a very good beer but I give a slight edge to the regular Aventinus.

From the Bottle at the GBBF, Earl’s Court 06/08/2009 Big fruity aroma. Some carbonation. Small beige head. Dark coloured and very strong in alcohol with a crisp and slightly dry malt finish.

2008 bottle. Pours a deep cloudy brown with plenty of yeast at the bottom of the bottle. Head is deep tan to light brown and plenty thick and creamy, died off to a thin skim over the course of a few minutes. Smell is vaguely clovey with hints of bananas and a strong malty backing. Also a faint hint of yeast. In the mouth very thick, very creamy feeling. Starts out pretty bitter and then gets plenty of spices. Not as much yeast shows through in the flavour as the amount of yeast that was in the bottle. There’s lots of dark fruity notes, dates, cherries, and the like. Plenty of alcohol warmth in the finish. Wonderfully complex, and very thick. Carbonation is low, but appropriate. Very nice beer.

BOTTLE NUMBER: 2009/01404 This one pours a darkly shaded, golden brown color. Almost a fingers worth of dark tan colored foam forms the head. It recedes to a thin, spotty, surface covering. The lacing is spotty as well and fairly slick. There’s no denying that this one has a good amount of booziness to it. At 12.00%abv though, it’s no real surprise. It’s loaded with dark fruits, especially cherries. There is a delicious yeastiness, combined with a good deal of wheat, that smells like pie crust. This is the nose of a ’maltbomb’, as far as the sweetness presence goes. Somewhat like I’d expect a pie made from maraschino cherries and rum to smell like. This is one of the best smells that I know of, for a malt forward brew. Deliciously enticing. Everything from the nose is still here. It’s now joined by a wonderful gingerbread presence though, which is beautiful. It has a nice level of spiciness. The high abv, while not entirely hidden, is not nearly as noticeable as the nose prepared you for. It has a nice warmth going down, but not the heat that was expected. Full-bodied, getting close to thick. It has a medium-to-high level of carbonation, which gives it just a touch of roughness that works against the creaminess that it has. Just slightly shy of perfection. The high abv is hidden well enough and this one tastes very nice, if you don’t mind the sweet/maltbomb side of the spectrum. I could drink several of these at one sitting, and I have several times. This is one of my ’go-to’ beers. It’s recommended, if you’ve never had it. It could become your new dessert beer, if nothing else.

11.2oz 2008 bottle. Pours a dark red/brown with a small off-white head with low retention. Aroma has intense fruitiness, phenols, banana, caramel, dark fruits, cotton candy. Flavor shows all the same characteristics as the aroma plus a pronounced sweetness. Alcohol is relatively well hidden. This was pretty good.