Schneider Aventinus

No 505
Rated: 18.08.2008
Bottle brown, 500 ml
Appearance: Pours hazy fat brown, pastel in hue, gently carbonated body with ridiculously huge, off - white, brown, pillowy - frothy head, very vivid and form very regular near the beer base to rocky at the top. There is an impressive lacing, very compact firm head and well defined body colour, naturally brown.
Aroma: Very well pronounced, sweet and pleasant banana, intensive clove, rich in juicy sweetness of banana, coconut, gentle notes of milky chockolate, white chockolate, peanuts, gentle toastyness and notes of mature prune and plum spiced up with a kind of chalky harsh character. Despite its high alcoholic content it is perfectly hidden. Very complex with notes of vanilla and dunkel - roastyness. Notes of cherries, prune and resin.
Flavour: Nice full bodied flavour starting with mature oakyness, wood bark, very high bitterness for a weizen or a bock beer that binds your tongue at the very start, later this bitterness is covered with a gentle alcoholic warmth, later on the aftertaste becomes chalky and finally slighty accidic with gentle sweet accents of caramelly and prune. Impressively complex in flavours begining with banana - carrot - raspberry - clove oriented dimention to prune - plum - red grapes notes spiced up with a robust bitterness, gentle alcoholic dryness and crystalized honey accents. Nice aromatic complex nose. Really huge beer of 3 types of malt: wheat, Munich and seasonal combined with sophisticated yeast strains and hop types contributing to a perfume like nose.
Palate: Body is full, texture is moderately wattery, carbonation on palate is moderate, finish feel is complex, hifhly astringent, clean and intriguingly mineral.

Well, I guess you can take the boy out of America, but you can’t take the America out of the boy. My point being that I just plain am not impressed with this beer. I mean, it is a really good beer, from an obviously good brewer, it just doesn’t have the "wow" factor that I was hoping for. It pours a cloudy dark reddish brown, with huge dense head. aroma is sweet, as well as the flavor.

I first enjoyed G. Schneider & Sohn Aventinus beer at the Mainstreet Pub up in Melbourne, FL. it was love at first sip. I savored my Aventinus with much relish and pleasure while also nibbling on some delectable fresh almond brie, crackers, and grapes. It was beer meets food nirvana, and I almost didn’t come back. Thankfully it is now readily available to me here locally. Aventinus is a brew I must have on a regular basis, and I would also like to try aging one and giving it a tasting a year or two from now.
She pours from her bottle into my goblet a rich darkly moist earthen brown. A smooth fluffy head of foam forms at the top and slowly lingers into a soft cottony ring around the sides of my glass. In the nose I detect sweet whiffs of malt with a caramelized mix of prunes and other dark-pitted fruit. Essences of raisins and spices, cinnamon and nutmeg. The first quaff ~ heavenly. I am reminded again why I love this beer so much. Such delicate deep complexity in its palate. Despite looks, Aventinus has a rather light yet full body and mouthfeel with light effervescence which doesn’t weigh down the palate. Smooth, creamy and chewy, sweet caramel and prunes come to mind first. As the taste lingers on my buds, there is a pleasant dryness to the palate and pleasant warmth creeps up in the back of my throat, a testament to the high ABV of 8.2%. As I delve further into my Aventinus, small trails of Brussels lace take their time joining the rest of the brew in my glass. As she warms, I detect gentle flavors of prunes, raisins, and some nice nutmeg spice. From start to finish, Aventinus is a soft, delicate beer overflowing with a perfectly balanced blend of winter spice, warmth, rich and decadent prunes and raisins with malty notes.
For whatever reason, I am reminded of Christmas and the holidays as I quaff my Aventinus. It could be the warmth of the beer, the soft yet full-bodied chewy mouthfeel which blends dark fruits and warm wintery spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. Truly a beautiful beer, there is no other wheat dopplebock like Aventinus.

This cloudy dark bronze beauty is topped by a modest beige head and delivers with a full-bodied flavor with a slightly sweet caramel note. This is a supremely well-balanced winner.

Draft at the Green Leafe. Deep brown pour with an off white creamy head. Caramel and chocolate in the taste. Bit of smoke and slightly sour.