Aventinus Weizen Eisbock

In the world of wheat beers, Aventinus is a unique brew indeed. An intensely malty wheat bock, Aventinus may well be the definitive example of the style, and is beloved by beer enthusiasts everywhere. Somebody, however, got the idea that they could rebuild this beer. Make it better than it was before. Better, faster, stronger.

That somebody was Georg Schneider VI, brewmaster for Schneider brewery, makers of Aventinus. The story goes that sometime back in the thirties a shipment of Aventinus froze and was concentrated, producing a stronger, richer brew. Georg VI decided to recreate what he calls that “happy accident” in the form of Aventinus Weizen Eisbock.

Of course, freezing your alcoholic beverage to intensify the strength was already a known practice. The Germans have long been making Eiswein, a wine that is frozen and has the ice removed to strengthen it. In Kulmbach, Germany, the same is done with beer, the legendary EKU 28 and Reichelbrau Bayrisch G’Forns being classic examples.

Yet these are doppelbock eisbocks. Aventinus is made from a wheat bock, and so is a different animal indeed. It’s also a rather rare one. The US importer, B. United, claims to only get 120 cases per month. That’s not a lot for national distribution. Each bottle is individually numbered; I’m drinking bottle number 29,525 tonight.

Aventinus Weizen Eisbock pours to a deep mahogany color with an intensely malty and fruity nose and a towering head formation. I poured my bottle into an oversized wheat beer glass but had to pause a few times to allow the foam to settle just to have enough room to add more beer. This was on a fairly gentle pour, too.

Eventually, however, the suds subsided and I was left with a delightfully thick and full bodied brew with just a hint of carbonation left. The beer is thick and full in mouthfeel, somewhat syrupy, with strong notes of chocolate, raisin, candied fruit, figs, toasted nuts, banana, vanilla, and clove. An overwhelming sweetness permeates the beer.

The chocolaty notes intensify slightly in the finish, where they’re joined by a huge, almost whiskey-like alcohol warmth that rounds the beer out nicely. And at more than 11% alcohol by volume, that should not surprise. Perfect for sipping, this is an absolutely incredible beer that takes an already over the top brew and kicks it up a notch. Maybe two notches.

I think the beer does lose some of its wheat beer qualities (aside from the clove and banana notes). The lack of carbonation, tartness, and refreshing body of a wheat beer, already diminished in Aventinus, are now completely gone. I’m not complaining, though. This is one fantastic beer, and should be a must on your beer hunting list.

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