Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock - Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled on June 26th 2010 at Novare Res in Portland ME. Served in an Aventinus weizen glass, 300mL for $7.50, room temp from a CASK(!!!!) sitting on the bar. Review transcribed from notes.

Thick cloudy dark brown brew, no light passes through the center of the glass and only a glimmer around the edges. This even though the glass is not very wide. Thin white head clings heavily. Nose is gigantically thick and sweet, a ton of dried fig and raisin, then banana, bread, nuts. Taste is thick, syrupy, sweet, very creamy, flavors same as the nose. It is cloyingly sweet, but what do you expect?! Alcohol is mostly hidden but still felt a bit. There's a mixed hop bite to balance the sweetness a bit, but it doesn't do much more than take the edge off of it. Some peppery alcohol develops as it warms in my hand. Huge, thick, sweet... very tasty and very filling.

Serving type: cask

08-01-2010 03:43:47 | More by BeerNinja007

ToasterChef

Maine

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from my notes, based on a cask pour into my Uprising Chalice at Novare Res' Schneider event. The beer is a plain brown, opaque liquid. It has a big tan foam head. The beer is too dark to see within it, but I can see bubbles popping on the top of the head, so I imagine there is some rising carbonation. It has a toasted caramel and toffee aroma. Perhaps a better way to explain it would be to call it caramelized sugar. There are alcohol and oak notes in the nose as well. It's very appealing. This si a strong, bready beer. It has a fine wheat taste. It also has some dark fruit flavors, like plum or fig. There is also a little bit of caramel sweetness and alcohol to round things out. It has a heavy body and low levels of carbonation. There is some mouth coat, but it is not excessive. There is a good burn in the finish, as one would expect from the ABV. Overall, it feels like an intensified beer, but maybe that is because I know it is an eisbock. Considering the strength of this one, it is very drinkable. I wouldn't order too many rounds, but I could certainly enjoy a few glasses over a long period. Don't let the ABV scare you off, this is a fine beer that is worth trying.

Serving type: cask

06-30-2010 12:06:17 | More by ToasterChef

danadeny

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoying a rare gravity keg, aged, verison of this beer at Maxs in Baltimore. It pours a hazy, thick, light chocolate brown body and off white creamy head. Smells of bananas, and sour funk mostly. Tastes of mild malt at first, followed by sweet banana, and a mellow hint of alcohol. The real flavor comes at the end where the sour funk and acidity hit you taste buds instead of hopps. The funk is not bad though, think of a mild lambic or farmhouse sasion. This of it this way, the beer still has balance, close to perfect balance when you concider the alcohol and sour funk flavors goin on. Mouthfeel is smooth from the natural cask. Drinkability is average for a beer of this style. This is a pint or two type of beer, not an all night'er.

Serving type: cask

04-10-2010 17:54:10 | More by danadeny

tippebrewcrew2

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

L- Light to dark brown body with little to no head. Huge lacing

S- Alcohol, Grape, Lots of dark ester, sugar sweetness

T- This taste a lot like a ruby port with lots of grape, low carbonation, and it does have some complexity as the beer warms and the palate adjusts.

F- Drinks with a nice alcholol sting

D- (non-session) I would enjoy having this beer anytime. It is balanced and eisbocks are what helped get me into the game of craft beer. Mmm such nice grape flavors and complexities. Seek out if you have not tried it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2010 18:34:08 | More by tippebrewcrew2

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Sampled at Max's from a wooden, gravity fed keg sitting on the bar.

The beer pours a slightly hazy darkish brown color with OK head retention and lacing. The nose on this beer was just wild, with considerable clove, bannana, sweet fruit and even a slight sour element. This has to be one of the more complex smelling beers I've ever come across. Flavors for the most part replicate the nose, with considerable richness and sweetness. This beer is very intensely flavored, and the mouthfeel is very full and rich indeed. Drinkability is OK, but the alcohol is pretty noticeable, and reminds you to take it easy and don't overdo it.

Impressive. While similar to the draft version, I just think there is all that much more going on in the cask version, especially the aroma profile. This is a good beer, but was an absolute treat to try from the gravity fed keg.

4/10/10 edit. So lucky to be here at Max's for their last gravity fed keg of this nectar. This particular keg is very fresh, and the head retention is spectacular. It's a creamy, milky looking head, looking more akin to the foam on a latte. Lacing is likewise very nice... considering this was gravity fed, I was greatly impressed by this beer's appearance. Always an excellent beer, out of gravity feed keg it's nearly mindblowing.

Serving type: cask

01-24-2010 15:07:10 | More by johnmichaelsen

dciBA

Maine

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

poured a deep reddish mahogany from the cask into a 12oz tulip. Smells of spicy banana and some alcohol. Taste is very similar to the bottled version with the alcohol being a little more apparent which could just be a temperature issue. Lots of banana and spice. For 12% this is very smooth and drinkable. The abv is noticeable, but not unpleasant. I feel very lucky to have this on cask. top notch wheat beer from schneider as usual.

Serving type: cask

01-02-2010 02:45:33 | More by dciBA

scootny

New York

4.75/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

An almost purple brown with a gentle head. Not much retention. Good carbonation with lots of floaty bits.

Smell is rich and sweet with banana, raisins, figs, and cloves. Dark wheat malts.

What can I say about the taste? Superb caramel wheat malt, banana, cloves, dark fruits and superbly hidden, faint alcohol.

A creamy feel with a supple silkiness. Lightly chewy.

So easy to drink it ought to be illegal.

From tasting notes 12/01/09

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2009 05:07:29 | More by scootny

glid02

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Brick Store.

Pours a caramel-brown color with a one-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of butterscotch with emphasis on butter with good amounts of toffee and bananas. Also present is hints of clove.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Buttery butterscotch flavors up front are joined quickly by caramel-coated banana flavors. Midway through the sip hints of pears and spices enter into things but give way to the butterscotch before segueing into a sweet ending that leaves hints of banana lingering on the palate.

Mouthfeel is good very. It's got a smooth thickness with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is also very good. I finished my glass very quickly for such a big beer and could have another.

Overall this was more buttery than I remembered but not in a bad way. A very unique beer and one that's well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2009 02:57:08 | More by glid02

ThirstyBird

Germany

3.95/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Julian/Providence
A - Poured somewhat hazy reddish brown. Light tan head that stays around.
S - Sweet malt,honey, clove. Smells sweet and sticky.
T - Honey, cherry. Very sweet malty beverage. The alcohol definitely comes through.
M/F - Quite viscous..medium I suppose. Lightly carbonated rather sticky this one.
D - Pretty tasty but also very serious at 12%. A little goes a long way. I would like to try this with some age on it as the alcohol burn would certainly subside a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2009 04:25:49 | More by ThirstyBird

BeerSox

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap into an interesting Aventinus glass. Wide stemed with a slender bowl at the top. Like a wine glass but more volume in the stem. The bottom was frosted by sand-blasting. .3L fill line.

Deep mahogany with a thin tan head. Aromas of burnt caramel and some dark candy, along with a little bit of clove. The flavor consisted of dark fruit and licorice with the alchohol well perceived. The feel was very thick with slightly lower carbonation. The dark candy flavors lingered for a while.

This is my first Eisbock on tap and it was well worth it. Went great with the pizza I was eating. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2008 17:33:14 | More by BeerSox

ruckzuck

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at BSP somewhat recently

A - poured a cloudy mahogany body with a khaki head. Not really any lacing

S - I get lots of banana and bready malt initially. Alcohol is certainly there. There's also a syrupy caramel aroma along with some clove and spice

T - very sweet and syrupy caramel flavor initially. The banana does come through as does bready malt and some spice. Alcohol is also definitely there

M - very smooth with adequate carbonation

D - this is a tasty beer, but the super high ABV and price limit its drinkability. Still, I'm down for enjoying one every once in a while, and when I do I usually enjoy it a fair bit. Give it a shot IMO

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2008 21:01:31 | More by ruckzuck

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this on-tap at The Bier Garden in Portsmouth, VA; served in a chalice

A murky, dark brown in color with a white head that made it through the duration.

Smell of dark chocolate, wheat, dark malt, and fruity esters.

Slightly sweet, but very well-balanced between the chocolate, yeast, wheat, malt and fruit flavors. The alcohol is not hidden all that well, but it complements the flavor profile so well, it doesn't hurt.

Smooth and clean.

At 12%, it is a definite sipper..

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2008 14:36:32 | More by ColForbinBC

Big78CJ

Michigan

4.97/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer is amazing and I was rather excited to see Trappeze Pub had it on tap. Since tapping the first keg, I have had at least 15 of these beers. Appearance is dark brown with purple colors mixed in. Smell is predominantly of sweet, dark fruits (e.g., plum, apricot) as well as banana and clove. Taste mirrors the smell with a bit more sweet and spicy clove. Mouthfeel is nicely sticky sweet and perfect for the style. I will drink this beer whenever I see it on tap!

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2008 21:53:22 | More by Big78CJ

PhageLab

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The Tap House describes this one as "An Aventinus Milkshake" so yeah, I had to try one. Served in a frosted Aventinus glass, looks about a 14oz serving.

A - Deep dark brown coloration, beautiful head of froth that never left, great, thick layers of sedimentary lacing. Pair all of that with the gorgeous Aventinus glass, and yeah, perfect presentation.

S - Aroma of mint chocolate chip ice cream. I thought I may have been hallucinating, so I had a few others near me take in the aroma as well. While no one agreed with my ice cream theory, we all agreed on a strong dark chocolate presence.

T - Has the big yeast profile of Aventinus with a great dark malt backbone. Dark fruits also populate the body at various points, but the abv is quite apparent, and now, seeing the 12% mark on the site, I know why.

M - Smooth and creamy, but the alcohol burn causes a hit here. Full bodied.

D - Sorry, this is a delicious and balanced brew, but I could not do another, this is potent stuff. I'd recommend this one with confidence at any rate though, as it is quite tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2008 00:13:10 | More by PhageLab

cichief

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Most recently had on draft at the Frisco Grille, Columbia, MD.

A- Pours a hazy amber with a creamy off-white head.

S- Lots of clove and banana, this is a big weizen beer!

T- Warming, without the alcohol burn, lots of spiciness, especially clove and banana.

M- Carbonated well, is smooth on the tongue, full bodied.

D- Too big to have many, but enjoyable. A great winter beer!

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2008 05:03:09 | More by cichief

meechum

Georgia

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Presented on tap at Brick Store Pub in a Aventinus glass. Little head and very little lacing

S - A nice malty smell with a hint of fig and clove and a touch of alcohol in the nose

T - A very big malt statement that is cut with esthers of clove and fig or raisin, a nice dry hoppy finish cuts the sweetness and gives it a great balanced taste

M - A nice blanced feel, just a little heat from the alcohol content

D - A very good beer, but being big can hit you hard. This should be sipped and enjoyed

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2007 16:16:01 | More by meechum

jim102864

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this brew on tap in Decatur, GA of all places. Stop by the Brick Store Pub if you're ever in the Atlanta area. You won't be disappointed.

Appearance of this Weizen Eisbock was light brown in color with some evidence of bubbly carbonation. In this instance, it was poured into a gorgeous proper glass which had a long stem with the Adventinus label on it that opens into a goblet and has the label found on the bottle. Simply a great presentation. The head was as white as can be and hung in for most of the session.

The aroma was punctuated by the smell of wheat and malt with some fruitness. Overall very clean.

The taste was clean wheat, slightly sweet with maltiness through to the finish.

Mouthfeel was viscous but very smooth. Some evidence of alcohol in the finish but it clearly takes a backseat to the malty flavor.

This is a very drinkable brew that is not heavy handed in the taste when it comes to alcohol despite the aggresive 8% abv. Enjoy it on tap or in a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2007 01:50:12 | More by jim102864

Contra

New York

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

This was the most tempting option available at my local bar (which always has an excellent selection of beers), so I went with it. Glad I did.

Appearance - Rich, tons of head, and quite inviting.

Smell - Somewhat floral, at least for the style. Other than that, pretty it pretty much had an aroma of what it tasted like.

Taste - Quite malty, and I'd imagine it would go well with a cigar. Hints of vanilla, but a stronger presence of toffee, dates, and caramel. The alcohol is barely noticeable behind all the flavor.

Mouthfeel - Absolutely exquisite. Very silky and velvety. I have never had a beer quite so luscious. Exceptional.

Drinkability - Surprisingly high, considering how complex and heavy it is.

Overall, this beer was extremely enjoyable. I would not hesitate to get it again, and in fact, I'll probably try to get it often.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2007 06:38:03 | More by Contra

dedrinker

Kansas

3.98/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark caramel color with a nose of candy corn and/or dark candy sugar. Flavor is the same with stewed dark fruits - raisins and prunes with yeasty burnt currants. It was not without a certain character reminiscent of a dark/ strong belgian ale. Because of that I will take the regular Aventinus over it for its bock/weizen character. Really good though.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2007 04:31:16 | More by dedrinker

travelfrog

New York

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ironically, though I lived in Germany awhile back, I tried this in Washington, DC. The beer was available on tap and served in a specially designed, cloudy 0.3 liter glass. Because of that, it was hard to determine the actual appearance of the beer, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt in this category. There was almost no carbonation... but this is not surprising given we're talking about eisbock.

There was the trademark Aventinus aroma apparent (chocolate-molasses with a whiff of wheat), plus some hint of plum and a strong alcohol overtone.

Flavor was intense and alcoholic; it reminded me somewhat of Samuel Adams Triple Bock. Definitely best enjoyed as a cordial rather than drunk as a beer.

Mouthfeel was more brandy-like than that of a beer, with almost no carbonation and lots of alcohol-burn.

Drinkability was fine, with the stipulation that it is definitely something you want to sip rather than gulp. Overall, very good for its type, but I prefer the regular Aventinus personally.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2007 00:48:50 | More by travelfrog

rdrummer

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

With all apologies to my friends who told me this was great, I could not believe the difference between the tap version of this beer and the bottled version. There is just no comparison. This beer's pouring at Ludwig's was worth half the price of the beer. The head is a tremendous thing to observe. The barmaid starts by pouring a pitcher full of the beer, which is about 3/4s white head. She lets that work. Then comes back after five minutes or so and pours a glass of the beer, think wide pilsner type glass, which again is 3/4s head. She waits another five minutes and then begins to pour the pitcher into the glass, letting most of the head run out over the glass. She cleans it off and serves a glass that you are now panting for. It is a dark, reddish beer with a smallish head since most of it has now gone down the drain. The lacing is long lasting down the entire glass.

The primary flavors to me are wheat and hops. There is an undercurrent of citrus, but it is not a real aromatic beer. The taste is a divine mix of wheat, hops, and a sweetness that appears to come from a fruity (citrus?) undertaste. This could be an addictive beer if it was actually available at more locations. Unfortunately, in the Philadelphia area, as far as I know, Ludwig's is it, although I haven't tried the Austrian Garden, yet.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2004 00:35:39 | More by rdrummer

UnionMade

Colorado

4.7/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I got this on tap at Halftime, in the 10oz sample.
The beer looks like a viscous, roiling mud. Completely opaque, a greenish dirty ochre brown color. Once they got the tap pouring right, it was topped with a thick frothy cream colored head. Not much in the way of lacing, but who cares.
Aroma is intensely phenolic and estery. Massive bubblegum, clove and banana. Clove is the most pronounced. Alcohol is apparent, with a solid caramel malty aroma. Very thick and concentrated smelling. Solid bulky maltiness.
Flavor is intense, with a thick creamy feel on the tongue. Almost syrupy. Powerful wheat malts, with huge phenolic esteriness. Clove spiciness, banana, bubblegum, plum, caramel, and a hint of raisin mingle together for a massive sensory overload. The phenols seem to creep up your nose with a paint thinner burning sensation. Extremely concentrated. A light alcohol burn towards the end, finishing sticky sweet. Slick, creamy mouthfeel, massive body. You can't miss any of the flavors, because they're all right in your face.
I believe the term decadent is listed in the dictionary with a picture of this beer next to it. I don't know what the alcohol is on this beer, but i was definitely feeling the 10oz I got of it. Oh so drinkable, like the best milkshake you've ever had, but the alcohol definitely sets some limits.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2003 20:42:27 | More by UnionMade