Schneider Weisse Aventinus Eisbock 11.2OZ

Schneider Weisse Aventinus Eisbock 11.2oz is a freeze-concentrated wheat eisbock from Bavaria, Germany, bottled at 12% ABV in an 11.2 oz (330 ml) format. It earned a Gold Medal in the wheat beers category at the 2017 Stockholm Beer and Whiskey Festival, underscoring its standing as one of the most respected examples of the eisbock style produced anywhere in the world.

Quick Facts: ABV: 12%  |  Origin: Kelheim, Bavaria, Germany  |  Style: Weizen Eisbock  |  Brewery: G. Schneider & Sohn (est. 1872)

Production & Heritage

G. Schneider & Sohn was founded in 1872 in Munich by Georg Schneider I and his son Georg Schneider II, making it one of Bavaria's most historically significant wheat beer breweries. The Aventinus Eisbock originated when a batch of the brewery's flagship Aventinus Weizenbock accidentally froze during transport, causing water to separate as ice and leaving behind a richer, more concentrated liquid. Schneider began intentionally replicating this freeze-concentration process in a controlled facility starting in 2002. Local wheat sourced from upper Altmühltal, lower Bavaria, and the Upper Palatinate is combined with malting barley from the Kelheim and Riedenburg areas, then hopped with Hallertau hops — the partial freezing concentrates the resulting beer's sugars, aromatics, and alcohol well beyond conventional wheat beer territory.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Deep, layered scents of spicy plum and overripe banana open the nose, followed by pronounced clove and sherry-like essences. Hints of bitter almond and marzipan emerge as the beer warms, adding a confectionery depth uncommon in most beer styles.

Taste: The first sip lands with a dense, malty sweetness — think dark caramel and molasses — before waves of chocolate, dried dark fruit, and baking spice fill the mid-palate. The 12% ABV is well-integrated, providing warmth rather than harshness, while the wheat backbone maintains a surprising softness beneath the intensity. A moderate bitterness begins to assert itself toward the finish, balancing the residual sweetness.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering notes of dark fruit compote, clove, and a subtle boozy sweetness. The mouthfeel is full and almost viscous, fading slowly with a final whisper of toasted malt and marzipan.

How to Drink Aventinus Eisbock

Serve at 46–54°F (8–12°C) in a snifter or tulip glass to allow the concentrated aromatics room to develop; letting it warm slightly in the hand opens up additional complexity. This is primarily a sipping beer — its density and 12% ABV reward slow, contemplative drinking. It also functions as a compelling beer-based ingredient in cocktails: try it in a Black Velvet variation (replacing stout with the eisbock for a richer malt profile), a Beer Flip (shaken with a whole egg and simple syrup for a dessert-like drink), or a Beergarita (blended with lime juice and orange liqueur, where the dark fruit and spice contrast beautifully with citrus).

Best For

• Gifting a craft beer enthusiast seeking rare, specialty styles
• Dessert course pairing at a multi-course dinner
• After-dinner sipping as a digestif alternative to brandy or port
• Introducing experienced drinkers to the eisbock category

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Aventinus Eisbock taste like? Aventinus Eisbock delivers an intensely rich profile of dark caramel, chocolate, dried plum, and clove, underpinned by marzipan sweetness and a warming 12% ABV. The freeze-concentration process creates a beer that drinks closer to a barleywine or fortified wine in body and complexity.

How does Aventinus Eisbock compare to Schneider Aventinus Weizenbock? Aventinus Eisbock is made by freeze-concentrating the original Schneider Aventinus Weizenbock, which sits at roughly 8.2% ABV; the freezing process removes water and amplifies both alcohol and flavor intensity. The result is a noticeably thicker, sweeter, and more complex beer, while the standard Aventinus remains more balanced and sessionable by comparison.

Is Aventinus Eisbock good for sipping neat? Absolutely — its viscous body, layered flavor profile, and warming alcohol make it ideal for slow, contemplative sipping from a snifter, much like a fine digestif or dessert wine.

Where is Aventinus Eisbock made? Aventinus Eisbock is brewed by G. Schneider & Sohn in Kelheim, Bavaria, Germany, approximately 110 kilometers northeast of Munich. The brewery has operated since 1872 and is one of Bavaria's most storied wheat beer producers.

What foods pair well with Aventinus Eisbock? Dark chocolate truffles complement the beer's own chocolate and marzipan notes. Blue cheese such as Roquefort or Stilton contrasts the malty sweetness with savory pungency. Braised pork belly matches the beer's richness and clove spice. Crème brûlée mirrors the caramel tones and adds textural contrast. Dried fruit and nut platters echo the concentrated dark fruit character.

What sizes does Aventinus Eisbock come in? The standard format is the 11.2 oz (330 ml) bottle, which is the most widely available size for this expression.

Is Aventinus Eisbock worth the price? Aventinus Eisbock positions as a premium specialty beer within the eisbock category, and its labor-intensive freeze-concentration process justifies the higher price point compared to standard wheat beers. For drinkers who value complexity and rarity in beer, it represents strong value relative to comparably priced craft barrel-aged or limited-release offerings.

Why Aventinus Eisbock?

Few beers in production today can trace their origin to a genuine happy accident — a frozen shipment that revealed what wheat beer could become under extreme concentration. The controlled freeze-distillation process Schneider has refined since 2002 produces a beer with the depth and complexity typically associated with aged spirits or dessert wines, yet it remains unmistakably a wheat beer at its core. Its Gold Medal at the 2017 Stockholm Beer and Whiskey Festival confirms its international reputation. For anyone who has exhausted the standard landscape of craft stouts, barleywines, and Belgian quads, Aventinus Eisbock occupies genuinely rare territory — a centuries-old Bavarian brewery applying an extreme technique to one of Germany's most iconic wheat beer recipes.