First published in BEER April 2007 as part of a piece featuring German wheat beers available in UK supermarkets. For more wheat beers see previous post.
ABV: 5.4 per cent
Origin: Kelheim, Bayern, Germany
Website: www.schneider-weisse.de
Schneider Weisse Original
Georg Schneider was licensed by the Bavarian royals to brew wheat beer at court in 1855, and in 1872 he bought a second brewery at Kelheim, itself dating back to the 1600s and now claimed as the oldest surviving wheat beer brewery in the world.
When the family’s Munich plant was bombed by the Allies in 1944, they abandoned brewing the Bavarian capital and concentrated production in Kelheim, though retained their big pub in Tal.
Still in family ownership, Schneider is widely recognised as a world-class benchmark of Bavarian wheat beer brewing, particularly renowned for its unique strong, dark interpretation, Aventinus. But its standard brew is also very fine indeed.
Schneider’s brownish-amber shade is as dark as some of its competitors’ dunkels, and its sharpish fruity aroma lightly perfumed with vanilla tones is inviting. The palate is highly conditioned with lots of apple toffee and citric fruit, a hint of clove, pleasant acidity and a varnish-like estery note.
A tangy and nicely drying finish has a restrained hop wash, some late banana and a hint of roast. What a delight to be able to pick such a complex but refreshing beer off a supermarket shelf.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/schneider-weisse-original/1762/
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