Aventinus

Overall: 5 out of 5 steins

Good for people who like: Hefeweizen, Porter, aromatic/intense beers

Goes well with: Drink this one by itself. Its that good.

Stats: 8.2% abv

Brewery: G. Schneider & Sohn

Bought it at: Sam's Quik Shop

This is one of those all around great beers. It is a big beer with lots of different flavors and an abv to match. Normally I scoff at the back label flavor profiles, but in this case they are spot on. The banana notes are prominent, typical of German ales. Now this isn't like eating a banana. It's a banana-esque flavor that is a product of yeast fermentation. If you drink enough German wheat ales you will begin to recognize it. You'll also notice a clove-like flavor, again a yeast product typical of German wheat ales. Schneider used some dark malts for Aventinus and they come through with a great chocolate finish. There are too many flavors to mention them all. What's great about this beer is that everything is balanced, no one flavor overpowering the others (including the alcohol).

Schneider labels this beer a Wheat-Doppelbock which is a bit confusing since Doppelbock is a lager style and this is definitely an ale. BeerAdvocate labels it a Weizenbock. Doesn't matter what you call it, this is a damn fine beer. Make a special effort to find this one and try it. You will not be disappointed.