Dogfish Head Festina Peche

Nth TRIAL: Pours a brilliant straw yellow with almost no head; aroma is slightly of peaches but primarily of a scent that I always associate with deliciously sour; flavor is great lactic sourness with a touch of peach lurking somewhere in the background; the sour finish lingers on the palate as the thin body trickles down the throat, reminding you of how good that was and demanding you take another sip. Overall, I have to admit that I’m a total sucker for Berliner Weisses, and this one is done exceptionally well (in my opinion). I actually wasn’t a giant Dogfish Head fan prior to this, but forever pledge my allegiance to Sam Calagione as long as he continues brewing this beer.

Bottled 05/31/07. In the glass it is a sparkling gold with lots of fast moving carbonation and a bubbly white head. In the nose it’s incredibly funky. Moldy cheese, earthy mushrooms, fruitiness, barnyard notes, and a host of other complexities I can’t begin to describe. In the mouth, it’s bubbly and effervescent, with clean, lemony acidity and tart citric undertones. The funkiness is intense!! The peach is all but gone, and I’m glad. Intensely dry and mouth-puckering sour finish. After a year, this has done what I hoped - became more acidic. Another year or two, and I’ll be able to convince you that you’re drinking Gueuze! Funky, funky, funky. I love wild yeast.

Pours cloudy yellow with a minor head. Aroma of grass, pear, and peach. Lightly sour flavor with peach, apple, and grassy qualities. Clean finish. Spectacular beer!

I think this was my first berliner wiesse beer. I was awesomely tart/sour.... It had a light to medium body with cloudy...almost white look to it... This is definitely not a beer for the novice beer drinker.... it will take a developed palate to appreciate this beer fully.

Bottle. Pours a cloudy golden color with a nice bubbly body and head. Aroma of grass, lemons, and a hint of peach. Flavor is very impressive. Nice face puckering sourness ending with a nice mellowing fruity peach flavor. Very good, very refreshing. Spectacular brew from Dogfish Head. I never considered myself much of a fan of their offerings, but this one has me swayed.

Bottle from Belmont State, OR. I went to this beer Mecca hoping to find a bottle of my old lover, Schultheiss Berliner Weisse. Alas, they had none, but an employee pointed me to this bottle. I was put off by the "peche" label but tried it anyway. Oh my, there’s that super-tart, high-pitched, tangy mouthfeel I was looking for! The peach flavor is extremely subtle, it really just gives the smallest touch of sweetness to balance out the sourness of the beer a smidge. This is the only American Berliner Weisse I’ve ever found, and I was so pleased I went back and bought a full four-pack. The ultimate summer beer? Maybe!

Pours an unfiltered murky shade of orange and a tall billowing white head. The aroma and flavor pull out all the stops. The peach is only an accent to the Berliner Weisse there of. Peach can be found gently in the aroma and softly melded into the finish. Earthy suggestions of wet hay and wheat, an old barn stall, the beginnings of a blue cheese. Most obvious and upfront are the funky tart, lemony, acidic suggestion of lactic acid. It eats away the sweetness and leaves behind a brilliantly dry and tart finish.

I can’t even begin to describe how elated I am that DFH is taking sour beers mainstream. Will it have a mass consumer success… that’s to be determined; but regardless, Festina Peche was largely successful with my abnormal palate. I’m on to my second case in 3 weeks. This is a new favorite and easily the most abstract and awesome summer beer I’ve ever experienced!