We've seen it a few places around town since we picked it up at Central Market a few weeks ago, but we'd still never tried Aventinus, G. Schneider & Sohn's wheat doppelbock, which the brewery claims is Germany's original.
The most important thing to say about this beer is to let it warm up. That makes it sound bad, and it's not. The beer really did improve with a little patience. Part of the value of a wheat is the smooth mouth feel, and this one at its coldest and most carbonated was just too sharp.
That said, this brew has a very nice caramel complexity in the middle of the tongue and a solid Bavarian hop tinge to it.
Though the hop character was good, it wasn't there with every sip, and we couldn't really figure out why. It wasn't hidden behind the malt, though there was plenty of that -- caramel, with a little berry taste, too. The hops just weren't reliable, which we found odd in a fairly dark German beer.
As it warmed, the smooth, full mouth feel was undeniable, and the sweetness spread farther in the mouth, revealing some nice spices in the process. One curious point: We never tasted the 8.2 percent alcohol.
Again, let this one warm a bit. Be patient.
