Aventinus Wheat Dopplebock

Tried this stuff for the first time at Resi's last night - very interesting.... It's a combination Weiss and Dopplebock, and comes in at a manly 8% alcohol. Strong berry flavors in the finish. Delicious.

The really interesting thing, IMO, is their "Ice Bock", which is apparently made by freezing kegs of the Wheat Dopplebock and bottling the liquid that doesn't freeze (obviously for a much higher alcohol content).

The bartender told me about the Ice Bock, but they don't carry it at Resi's. According to him, it's available at Sam's, but the only bar in town that carries it is the Map Room.

Schneider is one of the world’s great brewers of wheat beers and Aventinus is a great beer, though not what most people think of as a Weizenbier. As you say, it’s a Doppelbock with tons of malt plus that spicy fruitiness characteristic of wheat beers. These sorts of brews are pretty nice on a chilly spring evening. I’ve had the Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock and it’s similar but even more extreme (12% alcohol I think and slightly syrupy). It comes in a small 330 mL bottle and I can’t imagine drinking more than one. Just the thing for a winter nightcap.

If you like Schneider Aventinus, you might want to try Weihenstephaner Korbinian. It’s along the same lines as Aventinus but not quite as intense (not necessarily a bad thing). Weihenstephaner, another wheat beer specialist, claims to be the world’s oldest brewery and makes what is probably my favorite Hefeweissbier. Here’s what the Korbinian looks like.



Picking up Korbinian at Binny’s, I noticed some bottles of Iron City I hadn’t seen before (not that I was looking). While not a huge fan of Iron City, I always thought it was better than your usual “yellow beer.” Anyway, this comes in a 12 ounce aluminum bottle. Ironic, no?

Aventinus is a doppelbock in strength only. In fact, the beer is the definition of the Weizenbock style; a dunkelweizen brewed to higher strength than normal.

While the aluminum cans is a great marketing gimick, it's also economical. The cans chill quicker and stay cold longer than glass, don't permit skunking from exposure to sunlight or flourescent/high-pressure lighting, and weigh much less than glass (so cheaper to ship). Aluminum is also cheaper to recyle than glass.

I've had Iron City and it's a decent beer for a light lager. Not my favorite type but still good on a hot day.

Joe in Bolingbrook
(Just found the forum after a post to a BBQ forum I visit)