The Session #45: Wheat Beer
When Session #45 was first announced, I knew exactly which beer I wanted to crack open for the occasion.
I’ve only had this 2009 vintage bottle of G. Schneider & Sohn’s Aventinus Eisbock for about six or seven months, but I know that this is definitely the beer for today. (On a side note, I just recently picked up two additional 2009 vintage bottles that I plan to keep for much longer.)
I’m a huge fan of the brewery’s standard wheat doppelbock Aventinus, but this 12% ABV version is just that much more intense in flavors and aroma. This eisbock first came about unintentionally, the product of poor shipping temperature controls in the 1940s that caused freezing while in transport — this allowed excess water to separate from the more concentrated beer. It was only until recently that the brewery started to recreate this “happy accident” for production.
Man, am I glad they did.
Aventinus Eisbock
Appearance
This eisbock pours a dark brown with a reddish hue. The off-white head fades rather quickly.
Aroma
Love the nose on this beer. Hints of wheat, lightly roasted malt, banana, dark fruits and spicy herbal notes. There’s a great yeasty presence that adds a great character to the brew. The 12% ABV imparts a pretty boozy nature on the nose.
Taste
The taste on this beer pretty much follows the nose. There’s a good amount of dark fruits, some banana and light herbal notes that really make an appearance in the warming finish. It doesn’t quite have as much of a syrupy mouthfeel as I expected for the style, but it’s still got a great body on it. The higher ABV is quite prominent throughout the brew. The lingering finish also carries with it a light hop bitterness that counters the beer’s sweetness.
Overall
This is an excellent after dinner sipper. It’s a full flavored, rich beer that knows how to treat you properly. I can’t wait to see how some lengthy cellaring effects the other two bottles. I love this beer.
Rating: 4.5/5