Hottenroth Berliner Weisse - The Bruery

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wonderful drinkability if sour or tart is in your repertoire. Cloudy yellow with a big soapy head. Funky, lemony, yeast aroma. Smooth mouthfeel despite tartness, Drying finish. Hits the bullseye.Lots of flavour for very low abv, sessionable. Great by itself or with food.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 17:41:20 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.08/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sun-bleached haystack with sparkly bubbles, superfine yeast, and an eggshell colored crown that looks good immediately after the pour. The foam then fizzes into the atmosphere in minutes, leaving a spotless glass in its wake. Typical for the style, so the score won't fall too low.

The nose is brightly bold and beautiful. Or boldly bright and beautiful. Or beautifully... you get the idea. Hints of Brettanomyces funk was a masterstroke and puts the aroma over the top for this sour beer lover.

Hottenroth Berlin-Style Tart Wheat Ale is not an absolute pucker-bomb that cries out for the addition of sweet syrup. That is to its credit and will make this 750 ml bottle much easier to get through than it otherwise would have been. Besides, a mere 3.10% is no obstacle at all.

Still groovin' on the Brett, which adds lovely horseblanket notes that aren't likely to scare off those who think wild ales are disgusting. Tangy wheat and tart lemon peel are par for the style course and are immensely refreshing. What an outstanding hot weather beer this would be.

It's hard to be too hard on the mouthfeel given the lack of barley. It's more than fine for the style, which is all that really matters. Proper carbonation (which is present here) is never a given with bottle-conditioning.

Hottenroth is one of The Bruery's better efforts and is almost as good as the best Berliner weissbiers to have ever entered my glass (Professor Fritz Briem 1809 and DFH Festina Peche). Bottom line: traditional Berliner weiss with a wild ale twist that works.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 13:13:38 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Here we go again. Much, much thanks to the wonderful BA that sent me this bottle as an extra of all things! Enormous generosity here and much thanks. This one was busted out with dinner on Labor Day. Served chilled and poured into an oversized wine glass, it was consumed on 09/07/2009.



The pour was magnificent. Rich and very bright golden yellow coming through wonderfully here. Huge head of white towers over the top of it and only barely settles down leaving tons of white lacing up and down the sides of the glass and a rich looking amount of carbonation on the insides of the glass. Huge tart aroma here. Sour just dripping off of it, running into a wonderful light wheat and grass like base. Very bright, you could pick up from across the room with ease. Even warming brought out some light bready notes but hints of lemon and tart apples still predominate. So I take a sip and I am floored. I am not really sure what this style is supposed to be, but wow. Light, crisp, clean, with rich carbonation and a smooth, rich feel that is second it none. Light grain and grassy notes, hints of sour and tart fruits are all blending together nearly flawlessly. Long and very dry finish only serves to further nail down the point that this was as solid as it gets. I really could have drank half a dozen of these, they were just that good. It was unreal how smooth and refreshing it was..



Overall, wow, just wow. I was not sure what to make of this offering, but if this is a year round thing, I am really, really impressed. One of the light, most easy to drink things I have run across in a very long time. Go get this one, go get this one now.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2009 22:59:18 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.53/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Hazy pale yellow in color with about one finger of foam that dissipates quickly.

S: Tart lemon, grapes, wheat, and maybe some sour apples.

T: Very tart initially, more sour apple flavor here than I would have thought from the nose, the lemon is definitely there. Nice cereal type taste from the wheat to give it a bit more depth.

M: Very light on the tongue, both in terms of carbonation and body.

D: A solid beer, my favorite so far from The Bruery. This is pretty much my go to beer from them. Just about every time I go to the tasting room, I leave with my growler filled with this.

Serving type: growler

07-25-2009 01:27:23 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes. Fortunate to have had this on tap many times at Rustico when they were having a Bruery glassware event. Free tulips + filling them with Hottenroth = a large tulip collection.

Pours a very light grassy color with a bit of an orange tint to it. Small, tight white head and some visible carbonation. The nose brings slightly-tart wheat as well as some faint fruit flavors with a bit of peach and green apple.

The taste is lightly tart with a nice wheat base. Some lighter stone fruits and green apple come through with a bit of sourness. Light mouthfeel with very nice sourness levels and a good overall carbonation base. Drinks incredibly well either plain or with the woodruff.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2010 01:56:05 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Pours out a clear body with just a touch of light, pale yellow hues to it and crowned with a frothy, expansive, white head, though this settles out fairly quickly.

Smell: Simply presents a sour, lemony nose with a teeny touch of white wheat.

Taste: Faint extra pale maltiness with a little flourish of crisp wheat. Hint of short-lived sweetness prior to the drizzle of tart fresh lemon juice and wave of lactic sourness. Small sip of clean, clear mineral water. Pleasing sourness on the light, lemonesque finish.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Medium-high carbonation.

Drinkability: Immensely refreshing, made all the moreso with its mere hint of alcohol at 3.8%. It's good to see somebody over here trying to keep this style alive. This would serve as a fine Summertime beverage, but did just fine as a kick start to a local Christmas gathering.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2009 22:10:36 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy lemonade color with a meringue cap that fritters away soda-like; though some foam clumps linger, they slide down the sides of the glass

Smell: Lemon, wheat bread, yeast, cat pee and sweaty saddle

Taste: Tart and funky lemon, with a wheat bread base underneath; grows increasingly tart by mid-palate and after the swallow, with a bone dry finish

Mouthfeel: Light body with initial carbonation that fades quickly once the head disappears

Drinkability: Though I am a little disappointed in the fading carbonation (keep the pours small to preserve the bubbles), this is a refreshingly tart summertime drink

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2010 22:49:16 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.6/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky white wine color with a 1 inch white head that fades to a film on the top of the beer. No lacing whatsoever. Smells of wheat and sour lactic notes. Taste is of mild wheat with a nice sour puckering quality. A high level of carbonation makes for a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty tasting good beer but the appearance and smell are not that good. With a low ABV this is a beer you could easily drink all night.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 07:47:55 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a clear light bright golden color ale with a large pure white head with good retention and very good lacing. Aroma of sour and tart notes are very well balanced with solid malt notes. Taste is dominated by tart notes thought not overwhelming with great notes of malt and no acidity notes. Body is full for style with good carbonation. Very refreshing with great drinkability factor. Probably one of the bets beer I tasted from this brewery with great balance and refreshing factor.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 03:45:22 | More by Phyl21ca

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cat piss and cider. And I am quite familiar with the style and its production, and this is not quite right. It's not horrible (well, unless you think all Berliner-style weisse is horrible...), but it should be better, somehow cleaner, and definitely less cidery. Oddly, it's an incredibly easy beer to make. And this is a little known fact, but because of that, it was actually quite common in the U.S. at one point. I digress, you are kind of at the mercy of the 'unknown' in its production, but you do have some control, and you do have taste buds... it's also an easy beer to blend if something goes astray! I've never had another beer from The Bruery so I can't judge it against anything else they've done. Hopefully what I had was just a bad batch. Oh, I should mention though, that it was well-received by the rest of my party.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2008 00:58:08 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Yards shaker pint glass.

After extolling the virtues of this style to a customer earlier, I figured I'd try out a new B-Weiss myself. This one pours a clear pale straw topped by a short-lived couple o' fingers o' fizzy white foam. The nose comprises tart lemon zest, sour yeast (yeah, it's bacteria, but for some reason saying "sour bacteria" doesn't sound right in my head), and light wet wheat. The taste brings in more of the same, with the tartness really blooming right up front. This is short-lived, though, as things die away completely just after the midway point, leaving a very dry and empty tongue. The body is fairly light, with a moderate carbonation and a decidedly dry finish. Overall, a nice B-Weiss, but one that ultimately leaves me wanting in some vague sense. I can't explain it. It's still good, just not as good as it probably could be. I think.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 04:52:32 | More by TMoney2591

drabmuh

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer is poured from a beautiful bruery bottle into a wheat beer glass. Beer is nearly clear like water. Half way through I violently dislodge everything on the bottom of the bottle in order to give the beer some color. Ends up being hazy and lightly yellow, still looks like cloudy water. Carbonation is high and aggressive, giant bubbles, head forms but falls away quickly leaving no lacing. Carbonation is steady but can't hold up a head. Weird looking beer.

Beer is lactic in aroma, with a carbon dioxide smell to it. I can smell CO2, can't you. Its one dimensional but about as expected.

Whoa this is sour. And has an aftertaste of wheat. That's unfortunate. The sour flavors are fine but the cereal rears up late in the beer and kind of ruins the good tartness in the corners of my mouth. No sweetness, no real bitterness to it. Drinkability is OK mouthfeel is OK. Overall, I don't really care for it though.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2010 03:44:11 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Kaiser81 for sending me this bottle as an extra.

This is my first Berlinner Weiss and I was very impressed.

Pours yellow straw color with a white head. The aroma is very tart with some citrus. The flavor is sour wheat, lemon, other citrus and some spices. Very drinkable and a light bodied beer. For 3.1 percent, this beer has a ton of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 22:39:07 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a slightly hazy, straw yellow color with a white, one-finger head of thin foam. It left minimal lacing.

S - It smelled of tart green apples. A little yeasty spicy aroma was present, too.

T - A puckeringly tart brew with a nice green apple flavor. There is a grainy flavor with some wheat. It has just enough spice to fight back against the tart kick.

M - It was crisp and very sharp. It crackles on the tongue and the back on the throat. A light bodied ale.

D - This is a good brew but simple too tart to get a really high drinkablity score.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2010 01:49:11 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is hazy light yellow in color, almost resembling lemonade. It poured with a thin white head that quickly disappeared into a thin layer of bubbles on the surface. A very light amount of carbonation is visible.
S: There is a very light aroma with some sourness; the nose resembles the smell of a dry white wine.
T: The overall taste is rather sour and has some tart fruity flavors.
M: It feels light-bodied on the palate. There is some dryness in the finish that leaves you wanting to take another sip.
D: If you like sourness, the beer is very easy to drink, although you could add some fruit syrup to make it a little more palate. The beer is very light and refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2010 01:46:44 | More by metter98

MasterSki

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Had this at Monk's Kettle in San Francisco. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Finger of egg-white foam that dissolves to a solid cap. Hazed straw yellow color with some bubbles. Nothing unusual or super-exciting here - looks like Berliner Weiss!

S - Initially it is a potent blend of lactic sourness, sharp wheat and yeast and lemons, but as it warms it reveals some malted wheat and graham crackery sweetness while muting some of the sharp and tangy flavors.

T - Graham crackery malt sweetness, lemon, light lactic sourness, some tartness and acidity. Ridiculous amount of flavor for a 3.1% beer.

M - Medium-thin, very clean finish with a touch of stickiness. Medium carbonation. Style-appropriate, but nothing special.

D - The drinkability is off the charts with this one - great balance of tart, sour, and sweet elements and huge flavor for such a low ABV brew. Anyone who digs this style should check this one out immediately.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2009 18:10:46 | More by MasterSki

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sampled September 2009
A careful pour into my large Tripel Karmeliet tulip produces an almost four-finger thick, pale white colored head that leaves a hint of lacing on the sides of my glass as it slowly subsides. The beer is a pale gold color that shows a lightly hazed, straw, pale-gold color and a distinct white sheen when held up to the light. The aroma is yeasty, a bit grassy, with fresh crushed wheat aromatics, a big lactic note (not just sour either, but distinctly has a lactic sort of creamy note that I can smell, though how I can smell a texture I don't really know), and a hint of urea. If you dig around in the finish there is a musty, light mushroom note, some touches of musk, a light phenolic-soaked cotton note and a touch of funky foot. The aroma is pretty spot on for the style, but I wish the Brettanomyces funk had come through a bit more.

The beer tastes nicely tart as it hits my tongue, it is cool as well and the combination makes this quite refreshing. The lactic charater does indeed have a creamy texture to it (just like I smelled) and there is an amply prickly carbonation that adds a texture that offsets the creaminess and makes this light bodied brew that much more quaffable. This is indeed the Champagne of the north, it has the ample carbonation, light palate and slight creaminess that fits the description quite well. There is also a yeasty flavor to this beer, it is not really rubber-like and actually adds a nice complexity to the beer, but it isn't quite the same as the rich autolyzed flavor that is found in a traditional Champagne either. There is a nice, lightly grassy, tart accentuating, pale wheat character here that is combined with a dusty, freshly crushed wheat berry flavor. A 750ml bottle of this just disappears incredibly quickly.

This is quite to style (which calls for clean with a solid tartness); the promise of Brettanomyces on the label has me wishing for more funkiness as this is on the low side, but it does have a nice gripping sourness and it is quite clean and light. This is most definitely refreshing and a testament to the style. I could wish for more funk and complexity here, despite the fact that the style doesn't call for it. In the end this is still a really, really nice beer. I wonder if the Brettanomyces will contribute more character over time; there is only one way to tell, and I have a couple bottles to lay down and try the process out.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 16:05:44 | More by Gueuzedude

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured out as a bright yellowish color with a touch of haze to it. The smell of the beer was of wheat and what could have been lime. The beer smelled sour for the most part. The taste of the beer is light but has a pretty good amount of sour flavors in it to make you wanna pucker a little bit. The mouthfeel was light and fairly refreshing. Overall this beer was exactly what it's supposed to be in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 05:04:48 | More by Knapp85

emerge077

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Shared this a few times, first time with a bottle to myself. Summer weather almost demands everyone gets a personal bottle of Berliner Weisse!

Served cold at 45º into a Duvel tulip.

Tight cap of white foam, slides down to a thin broken skim quickly enough. Minimal ring around the edges. Pale pastel canary yellow, almost more the color of white grape juice.

White wine minerality, flinty wet stone, grapes, dusty wheat.

Flavor has a bit of grape sweetness as well, before the wave of dry tart crabapple crispness blasts the palate. Very dry and effervescent, clean and simple. Aftertaste of grain and a hint of clean wild yeast. Very quenching. Easily sipped or gulped, pairs well with food or as an apertif to whet the appetite. If you know someone who likes dry champagne, offer them this. It's no coincidence this is known as the "champagne of the north".

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 01:36:39 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a translucent golden yellow with a light white head, but good head retention for the style, not a bad look.

S: Wheaty, acidic, lemon zest, citrus fruit, light funk.

T: Lemon juice and acidity on first taste, goes more into the wheat as the taste evolves. Lemon and goat cheese/funk. Interesting, haven't had a lot from this style, but this is a good flavour.

M: Much lighter on the acidity than in Berliner Kindl Weisse, the only other version I have had, found it a bit thin at times, very light-bodied.

D: A nice beer from the Bruery, would be great on a hot day. Not a style I have a lot of experience with, glad to see a local brewer taking on this kind of beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2008 06:53:46 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank "as is" (no syrups) - poured into glass chalice:

Pours clouded yellow with a well-retained head for the style. Vanishing lacing sticks.

The smell is bready - very - slightly moldy, and tart.

The taste is bready and tart. A bit of malt keeps tartness from being too much. Finishes with a funky, white grape-y dryness.

Aggressively carbonated, but retains a light body that is not too thin or watery.

Very drinkable - a nice, tart, brew. Something a bit "different", but still within style... A solid brew to pair with fish or chicken.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2009 04:06:29 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Shared at the Brass Rail. Thanks to whomever supplied it.

A: The Berliner weiss is hazy, a pale straw color that looks sickly. I can't see through the glass, but it is blanketed by almost a half a finger of white densely-packed head.

S: The wheat is strong in this one. It's (the wheat) characteristic tartness has been augmented, resulting in a crisply tart, acidic nose.

T: The ale builds to a climax, only to tumble off quickly. The wheat is very tart initially, sharp and acidic. That acidity builds, especially as it sits in my mouth, until it just, well, drops off the face of the earth. The acidity is there one minute, gone the next. In its place, biscuity malts hang out but they don't have the same intensity that the wheat did. The only remnant of the sharp bite is a mild lingering tartness, pale in comparison to the original dosage.

M: The mouthfeel is a study in contrasts. Upfront, the tartness is fresh and strong; later is skulks away. Hey, on the bright side, it weighs in under 4%!

D: Like most Berliner weissbiers, Hottenroth is low in alcohol and long on tartness, at least for a spell.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2010 12:08:24 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

As pale as a glass of lemonade, light watery yellow color with a bright white effervescent fine bubbled head. Even a bit of champagne like look to it, this is a low alcohol beer maybe my first Berliner Weisse. I'm going to hold off on the yeast sediment until the end, the lacing was even with thick patches as the head dwindled pretty slowly. At the end I decided to pour some yeast sediment it looks like an unfiltered lemonade now.

Aromatics offer up a nice plain yogurt and crushed cereal grains note, with an evident citrus pucker to it. Tart mild white apple cider vinegar notes with a sharp wheat note diving in as well. A nice mix of tart candy is really the expression the nose gives me.

Flavors are pungently sour not enough to completely dry the back of the throat out, but an even sturdy tartness that rides well with the wheat notes including some citrus and tart apple esters. This is very enjoyable some sours induce some reflux like sensations in your mouth but this one keeps it pretty balanced without too much vinegar notes. Again a creamy yogurt sensation hits the palate with some granola crushed in it, definitely a lactic acid zing. The more yeast added to the glass the more tartness that comes over the palate, I had more depth before the yeast addition and it also added a slightly salty sensation on the palate.

Mouthfeel is light bodied pretty bone dry refreshing spritzy carbonation, sour and tart finish sticks around. Heavy on the lactic acid and but very complex sensation on the palate not your everyday beer, quite enjoyable. If beer is acidic in nature already this one probably pushes the envelope and drops the pH a couple more notches than your average session lager.

Drinkability is quality in limited quantities I love sour ales, my limited runs with Berliner Weisse thus far has been a great experience, time to try some German versions. I've only had Nodding Head and DFH versions. At 8.99 it's a bit much for a session ale, but the complexity and experience made it worth it for a one time visit. I'd have see this one more readily to try it again anytime soon. Next stop I have to try the Saison Rue or Orchard White. So far in Ohio there's only like 4 or 5 at the most varieties of the Bruery's wares around.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2009 11:37:08 | More by WVbeergeek

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a pale gold color with good carbonation. Nose is funk and spice. Taste is grass, spice, funk and hardly any booze at all. So much flavor and so little alcohol, nice. A little tartness, fruits but mainly citrus. A very good, low ABV brew with good taste. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2010 16:43:25 | More by barleywinefiend

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 10/13/12 notes. Big thanks to whoever brought this to the Top Hops tasting; been wanting to try this one for a while. 750ml bottle.

a - Pours a very clear, pale yellow color with an inch of bright white head and low to moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells sour, of sour fruits, sour citrus, maybe some brett, wheat, grains, earthy notes, and hay. Not overly tart, but a very enjoyable level or sourness.

t - Tastes of citrus, sour fruits, earthy notes, spice, funk, hay, wheat, sour dough, and grains. Sourness is there again with hints of barnyard funk; a step up from the nose in my opinion.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation. Not too acedic or sour so very easy to drink.

o - Overall a very nice, easy drinking berliner. It is sour and funky, but not overly in either direction, which makes it very easy to drink. I think this would be a good berliner to give to someone getting introduced to the style, as it is a good example of a lightly sour/funky beer without being overwhelming. Would like to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 18:29:28 | More by mdfb79