The other night I spent 15 minutes perusing the beer selection at this heady little grocery store down the street. This is typical for me - I’m terrible at making decisions, especially when there is an incredible selection in front of me and every beer on the shelf will make me very happy. I picked up the Aventinus because I’ve never heard of it before and I am a huge fan of doppelbocks. Another reason is because it was $2.99 for a pint; let’s face it, sometimes you’ve got to choose with your wallet.

Thankfully for me, the Aventinus which Schneider-Weisse calls “Germany’s first Wheat-Doppelbock Ale”, was more than satisfying, it was unbelievable. I was blown away to find that this seemingly random beer to me has received a 99 on RateBeer and an A at Beeradvocate. True to many a German doppelbock this beer has the aroma of apples and cloves, maybe a hint of citrus. It pours a gently cloudy brown with a medium to thick caramel colored head. On first sip I got that very syrupy toffee flavor with a bitter kick on the finish. Not spicy, just slightly tangy.

This is an unbelievable brew, definitely not for throwing back six in a row but if you’re hanging around and just want to sip on a tasty beer with an admirable ABV (8.2%) then I highly recommend the Aventinus.