An Eisbock (Ice beer) / wheat beer mash-up
Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn, Germany 12% ABV. Systembolaget Article Number 11725. 31.90 SEK (330ml bottle)
This is a wheat beer where the yeast remains in the bottle suspended in the beer itself. This means it's going to be cloudy so don't worry - you haven't got a dud one! Having said that Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock is particularly murky and muddy looking, with a thick puck of foam that dissipates to almost nothing, leaving the beer looking like the washing up water after you've scrubbed your frying pans.
As with most wheat beers you're expecting bananas, cloves and coriander on the nose, and sure enough they are there, along with some band-aid and peppery alcohol. What I liked was that it smelt of fresh bananas and not the more artificial 'skumbananer' aromas of some other wheats out there.
Pleasantly surprised to note the banana and herb tones in the aroma don't take over too much in the mouth. They're there of course but wrapped up in a thick malty envelope of sweet vanilla and cream. Big spirituous finish - as though someone's tipped a vodka in your beer while you were looking the other way.
Tough call this one, as the distinctive banana and herb flavours coupled with this eisbock's concentrated alcoholic onslaught don't make it, in my opinion, an obvious partner to food. Of course a tropical fruit salad and bananas and cream would work, as would an ultra rich banoffee pie.
Nerd note
Taking a German wheat beer and crossing it with an ice beer (eisbock) is a little like taking a vindaloo and adding more curry powder. What you're left with is an intensely flavourful, insanely boozy beer that will almost certainly polarise drinking opinions. For me it was the drinking equivalent of watching Let's Dance. I shouldn't like it but I still found it strangely enjoyable.
Rating
3.5 of 5
I love this word ”skumbananer.” Did you coin that yourself?
Yes, it’s all my own work
Good description. Like the clearness of your thinking of the beer. The eye-nose-mouth-plate I mean. Great!