New Glarus Unplugged Berliner Weiss

Brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company
Style: Berliner Weisse
New Glarus, Wisconsin USA

I had read much about New Glarus over the months in various magazines, online, etc, and I was extremely pleased to finally get to taste one of their fine brews. Many thanks to whoever brought this beer to the Rate Beer O-Town/VB Throwdown I attended a few weeks ago.
Poured a lightly cloudy brown into my glass chalice. Almost immediately notes of lemon rind and fresh sourdough greet my nose. A pleasantly balanced body, not too heavy or too light. A slightly oily palate which lingers in the mouthfeel, as fresh sourdough with hints of spice and a bit of a lemon pucker finish it off each quaff I take. At one point, I am almost reminded of key lime pie with her blend of tart lemon-lime and chewy graham cracker crust. The New Glarus Berliner Weisse seems to me more of a marriage between a Belgian ale and a German weisse in terms of the sweet and tart sour notes. Though her body has an oily feel to it, the finish is dry enough to not cloy.
Refreshing, easy to quaff, yet with more than enough of a flavor profile to wow my senses and my tastebuds. An interesting interpretation of the style.

Purchased at New Glarus during our annual trek to Wisconsin. Clear, yellow-gold with a small white head that is completely diminishing. Tart/sour aroma - Brett, oak and sour grapes, though aroma is definitely more on the faint side. Tart flavor, moderately sour with strong oak and sour fruit notes. Lively carbonated, perfect for the style. In the aroma could punch me just a bit more in the face, this delicious beer would become truly world class, in my opinion.

Pours a hazy pale golden with a small white head. Aroma is medium sweet, lemon, light wheat and grapes. The flavor is lemon, some straw, and tart grapes. Light bodied with some acidity. Finishes short, tart and very dry.

Faint aroma. Sour apple candy, as well as a lime note here. Simple and not bad, but also doesn’t knock my socks off. Finishes fairly dry, like a champagne.

12oz bottle from woodmans kenosha poured to rocks glass (closest thing to a bowl i have available). carbonation and color are almost identical to ginger ale: pale yellow color and explosive bubbles coarse through the glass constantly. aroma is of dryness, yeast maybe. flavor is almost numbing, again ultra dry just as it looks and smells. pinot and riesling grapes come through like a bomb, this is much more similar to white wine then beer in every rateable aspect. the flavor’s winey, dry almost vinegar like flavors remind me almost of a cantillon gueze. still, the gueze is much more sour/tart then this would seem to be based upon others experiences. id rather drink the gueze as well. you can easily see why often flavored syrups are added to this style; it is almost a blank canvas. still, it does contain complexities and is not devoid of intreguing characteristics. upon further thought, there are elements of tonic water and quinine moreso then ginger, though that is present as well.

Bottle from Grimreeser. Pours a hazy golden with a quickly dissipating white head. Aroma of marshmallow, lemon, and white grape juice. Medium bodied with spritzy carbonation and sparkling wine like mouthfeel. Flavor of white wine (pinot grigio, chardonnay) countered by a solid lemon/ lime tartness.Moderate attenuation with an acidic finish. Not really a Berliner Weiss in my book, as it’s more Belgian in character and seem more in character to something Lost Abbey would brew. Anyway, good stuff and I drank the entire 12 ounce bottle- unlike Ross.

Poured tellow with a medium head. Aroma - Sweet and fruity. Taste was lemony and tart with notes of citrus, grapes and green apples. A bit too tart and sour for my taste.

GTMW 08 - Pours hazy yellow with a small white head. The aroma is sour with lemons, crisp wheat and more of a smoothness than most of the style. Medium / light body with tight sharp carbonation. The flavor starts much sharper than the aroma with sharp citrus and some lactic acid. The finish has lingering dry lemon. Delightful beer.
rerate notes - just bumping up number when when having a full bottle. Great beer.