The second of the dauntingly many wheat beers that I have to work my way through is also the first of what I suspect will be quite a few beers sourced from the magnificent Draft House just up the road in East Dulwich.
Costing as it does a hefty £8.50 a bottle, I hope this is a cut above the wheat beers I’ve tried in the past. Let’s see.
Well, Schneider Aventinus is probably the least attractive beer so far, being a muddy, cloudy greyish-brown colour, not unlike something you’d expect to drain from the back of the dishwasher.
It tastes unmistakably like a wheat beer, though as a Weizenbock, it’s stronger than is typical for the style at a daunting 8.2% ABV. It’s also extra chocolatey and smooth, but still with an odd citrus tang. I’m not convinced that it really works, though no doubt there are drinkers who go nuts for this sort of thing.
Considering the strength, it’s relatively refreshing and dangerously drinkable, but there isn’t the sense of sheer luxury that real top end beers have.
That said, it’s a great deal more enjoyable and satisfying than something like Hoegaarden, and whilst there’s very little chance that wheat beer will ever be my favourite style of beer, the Aventinus is, for now at least, my new favourite wheat beer. Sorry Weihenstephaner!
Facts and Figures
| Brewery: | Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH, Kelheim, Germany |
| Style: | Wheat Beers |
| Strength: | 8.2% ABV |
| Found at: | The Draft House, Lordship Lane, London SE22 |
| Serving: | 500ml bottle |