All beer enthusiasts have a handful of styles that they automatically gravitate to. And within each of those styles, they can identify numerous happy-making high quality brews. When staring at a thick and plentiful beer menu, I always seek out the bock section first to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. And if I'm in the mood for something viscerally satisfying, my eyes will almost always stop on the Aventinus wheat doppelbock.

In the glass, this beer has a beautiful dark caramel coloration. It looks very rich, almost syrupy. There is a very nice frothy head that diminishes at a reasonable pace. I like to let this beer breath so I can enjoy the multitude of aromas. That signature caramel smell rears its head first, which is to be expected from a quality doppelbock. I can also pick out an array of fruits, namely bananas, figs and plums. There is also a delectable sweet roasted malt smell that wraps everything in an aromatic bow. Finally, peppering the entire mix are several warming spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Aventinus has by far one of my favorite beer aromas.

Since the aroma properly prepares you for a taste adventure, that first sip is delightful. Amazingly enough, this beer has one of the very few complex flavor trains that actually matches the aroma. This beer tastes exactly like it smells. So to avoid repeating myself, simply re-read the previous paragraph and substitute ''taste'' for ''smell.'' Go ahead, I'll wait. *whistles* Done? Good, moving on. The mouthfeel is also properly foreshadowed. It's very smooth, creamy and lightly carbonated creating a delicious, easy drinking doppelbock.

Overall, Aventinus is a fabulous brew and is one of my favorite doppelbocks. Luckily it's one of the few higher quality German doppelbocks that are fairly easy to find in the United States. Most specialty beer stores should carry them and I would highly advise picking one up if you see it. I can happily recommend Aventinus to any level of beer drinker. Fans of thicker brews will enjoy it as a sweet, malty delight. Novices can enjoy it as a smooth, easy drinking intro into the wonderful world of doppelbocks. Aventinus has been on my go-to list of quality bocks for quite some time now and it's highly unlikely to be dethroned anytime soon.