Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock Eisbock at 12% ABV (C$12.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, best before 1-Oct-2018)
Pours clear amber brown with a short tan head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Nose is banana, dark boozy fruit, toffee and raisins, mild yeasty wheat. (8/10) Taste is moderately strong sweet, mild bitter. (8/10) Full bodied, low carbonation, lingering boozy finish. (4/5)
I want to call bull on the origin story (a shipment partially froze in unheated transport during the 1930’s). Yes, partial freezing will concentrate the flavour by removing water – kind of the opposite of the “Angel’s Share” alcohol loss – but that only works if you remove the ice. It doesn’t work with a sealed container that will rupture during freezing. Maybe, just maybe, a wooden barrel would expand enough to allow partial freezing – but you’d still have to remove the water ice before drinking… Though, now it occurs to me that if you just had a chunk of ice still present in the barrel when you tapped it… hmmm… OK, maybe it’s viable. Regardless of the validity of the origin story, this is one heckuva beer. Flavours are very similar to an Abt – deep, dark, and rich – and despite the huge ABV, are extremely palatable. And man, does the ABV sneak up on you! This is a great beer to get very, very drunk with – or better yet, to get someone else very, very drunk with. (16/20)
My 159th from the 2010 Edition (150th from the 2013 edition), and 169th combining both editions.
8/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
