1809 Berliner Style Weisse

Brewed by Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan
Style: Berliner Weisse
Freising, Oberbayern, Germany

Courtesy of Degarth. Pours a straw gold with bright white head. The aroma has some punch with fruitiness from apples, peaches and mango mixed with hay, grains and mild funk. The taste begins tart with lemon, mild burlap funk and grains. The experience just smooths out into the finish creating a refreshing sensation. Very nice summer brew.

bottle....translucent light golden brown pour with a thin white head.....very fruity nose with a lot of citrus notes. a little bit of tartness.....a very lively and bubbly mouthfeel which then gives way to the citrus tart and then finishes off pretty dry. some acidity there as well....a very refreshing berliner.

The beer departs the 500ml bottle a hazy light gold, the head monstrous in size, a bright creamy white, and it fades slowly, leaving the lace a thick and tight sheet upon the glass. Nose has a sweet and sour tone, fresh, crisp, spicy and mouth watering to say the least. Start is sweet with grain, tart at the back with the top light to medium in feel. Finish has a modest acidity, the sweet and sour taste continues to the end, quite dry and a good representative to the style.

Bottle courtesy of Degarth. Not sure how this one eluded me for so long, but here we have it. Orange juice looking body, just a hint of a head, mainly foamy bubbles atop the liquid. Nose is pretty straightforward, some yeast, but mostly lemons, oranges and other citrus. Very tart on the nose, really awakens the senses. Flavor carries over all of that, very refreshing and palate cleansing. Light bodied, never watery, lively carbonation and an excellent mouthfeel. Finish is lengthy, tart and very crisp. November in Florida can still be pretty hot, and this was consumed on such a night, so it was very nice. Thank you Dr. Fritz Briem, whoever you are.

Bottle, aged 3 months, drunk on 10/27/07
Lovely white head that shows stronger retention than most berliner weisse. Mostly clear golden body with large bubbles in solution. Light lacing as well.
Fruity and full of lacto in the nose. Dry wheat as well, with even some soft honey notes from the malt. Light banana, but lemon and tangerine as well. Smells very similar to a hefe weizen, but with more complex fruitiness and just a tinge of sourness. To be honest, this and the last German berliner weisse I’ve had have been less "to-style" than the American ones I’ve had. The lacto, while more seemlessly integrated in to the German ones, becomes less distinctive and the line between a hefe and a berliner weisse are blurred. Which isnt very problematic, as the styles are very similar and a "to-style" version certainly does not exist. Still, this is unique and far different from the bone-dry, almost nutty, lactic, lemon/yoghurt versions I’ve had.
The flavor has a supple wheat softness and chewy nuttiness, with lightly tart acids and plentiful citrus. Delicate honey notes continue to balance, and some light banana joins the mix. Tight carbonation and no alcohol or flaws round out this vivacious brew.

16.7 oz. bottle pours a hazy pale gold with a foamy white head that settles moderately quickly. Aroma of lemon, light grain, and honey. LIght body with lively carbonation, quite clean with an acidic dry palate. Tart and sour with little sweetness, but that is how it should be. Very refreshing, drinkable, and quite enjoyable.

16.7 bottle

Since I got to La Cave Du Vin an hour before opening I had some time to kill. While sitting at the Winking Lizard down the street I found out this was available. I’ve been curious about it for some time now. The price may have been a little high at $6.75 but I figured what the heck. I’m glad to have given it a try both with and without syrup. This rating is before I dumped in the raspberry; howver it was good both way.

Aroma / Appearance - The body was transparent as one would expect for this type of beer. There was a head though it was hard to look convincing in the giant shaker they provided me. Banana, laffy taffy and an overwhelming tartness make sure this thing does not sit meekly. The tartness was strong enough to overpower everything else on the table.

Flavor / Palate - Orange, lemon and wheat are evident but once again the main feature is the tartness. It is a little harsh on the throat but not terrible. It reminds me of the artificial flavoring of a Jolly Rancher dipped in the sugar from a bag of sour patch kids. The finish is short lived but enjoyable. Overall this grew on me the more I drank. Were it easier to find I may stock some around the house; on the other hand I’m not sure what kind of shelf life you can get from a beer like this. Try to find a fresh bottle and give it a try!

Bottle@Home. Banana and raw rhubarb aroma but quite faint. Hazy, pale yellow color, off-white head, few lace. Citrus sourness, maltsweet, bitter, banana. Light bodied but with the last pour the yeast came what gave it more body. Sour and hops well balanced into one. Thanks DerDoppelbock!