Hottenroth Berliner Weisse - The Bruery

Nickls

District of Columbia

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(From notes)

A - Really clear, light green-tinted yellow color and was poured with absolutely no head at all

S - Lemon-lime sweet-sourness and a bit yeasty

T - Lightly tart at first but not as sour as suggested by the aroma. Refreshingly sour, but had some sweetness as well.

M - Very light body, a little dry, and nice snap of carbonation

D - Hugely drinkable as it was refreshing, interesting, and I could scarcely believe the 3.4% abv. Very easy quaffing

Overall, a neat brew and one that would easily be a staple in my diet if I were able to find it more often. Great stuff, and worth a look.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2009 20:13:05 | More by Nickls

Overlord

California

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

Hey now! Why can't I buy sixers of this?

Pours a very pale yellow. Almost no head, just some bubbles. Still manages to have a lively, zesty mouthfeel, though.

Smells like unripe apples and sour grapefruit. Taste is puckering, but not overwhelmingly so. Crisp lemon on the finish.

I really liked this quite a bit. Shame it's so tough to find.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2009 03:18:15 | More by Overlord

tpd975

Florida

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

Another brew sampled at Downtown Johnny Brown's San Diego.

A: Pours a very light clear yellow hue. Little head with lots of fizz.

S: Nice, tart, and funky. Apples dominate with hints of funky Brett.

T: Nice tart kick in the mouth. Under ripe green apples mix with tart grapefruit. Light notes of funky yeast push through as well.

M: Very light, tart, yet drinkable.

D: Good I like this one, will head back for a few more pints before I head home.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2009 16:09:53 | More by tpd975

clearlydiluted

New York

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Johnny Brown's Downtown Bar in San Diego.

appearance : light yellow-orange hue with little head

aroma: light hints of wheat and some fruit

taste: hints of green apple, a light tartness and a slight touch of
brett funk before it proceeds to a nice dry finish

body: light in both body and carbonation

drinkability: would be great for a warm spring day especially at 3.1% abv...too bad I didn't have a growler with me.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2009 15:30:08 | More by clearlydiluted

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Capone's early in the morning. Served in a Kasteel glass.

A- Hottenroth is a slighty hazy yellow with spots of light gold, nothing in terms of head except for some skim on the surface, leaving no lace. Some bubble activity on the surface.

S- A bunch of wheat with yeast backing and a nice lemon zest. A touch of grassy scents while all together being rather tart and with a mild citrus appeal. This will open your eyes upon smelling.

T- Tartness up front going into a crisp wheat taste with yeast to boot. More tartness with a lemon flavor taking charge and some mild citrus notes. Not very complex which is on par for the style.

M- A very light bodied brew with a nice tartness all around if your into that kind of thing. I got some carb coming from this. Not something to gulp though as that would be to much.

D- This is the lowest ABV on a beer that I've had in a while, but the tart acidic nature of this brew is two and through for me, even though I could do two a day if it were available. This was perfect after a night of heavy drinking.

Thanks to Patrick for bringing this to philly.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2009 01:57:17 | More by onix1agr

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

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

On tap at Capone's... this was beer juice, and at 10:30am it was a very welcome treat.

A: golden straw yellow body. nice haze. bubbly head which quickly diminished.. little lacing

S: Sour lemon citrus notes mostly. Nice farm fresh wheat character. Some tart, earthyness.

T: Lemon citrus up front and in the sour aftertaste. Earthy. Funky. Reminded me of a spring morning with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice while enjoying the sunrise.

M: Light body. Almost mimosa like in feel.

D: I'd be hard pressed to find a session beer that rivals this in taste. At 3.5% you could start your day with this and not feel bad.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2009 19:24:17 | More by callmemickey

mrkrispy

California

3.9/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Stone World Gardens.

A brilliant clear yellow, sort of reminds me of Mello Yellow haha. Lots of bubbles, no head or lace to speak of.

A slight funk in the aroma, a very faint sweet and sour I can't place.

Taste is really tart, almost puckering at first. It mellows on the second sip. I only get a mild sourness behind the tartness. Flavors of citrus and light grains. Fairly light body, almost surprising. effervescent. Goes down very well, leaves a fairly clean palate although the tartness sticks around.

An excellent beer that I could have several of.
Stone's menu listed the ABV at a meager 3%, a nice change especially during lunchtime haha.

I look forward to having this again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2009 19:09:16 | More by mrkrispy

JohnQVegas

Tennessee

4.8/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours slightly hazy, ultra-pale yellow, almost dishwatery, with a small, fizzy white head that quickly disappears.

Nose is musty, some horse blanket - wet leather really sticks out. Lemony citrus as well.

Taste is a combination of musty, wet leather and some citric sourness & acidity, with hints of barnyard coming through. Zesty, refreshing, delicious.

Mouthfeel is light, softly fizzy. Greatly adds to the drinkability.

Drinkability is through the roof - low abv, very refreshing. on a hot summer's day, there's no end to how much of this I think I could put down.

Overall, an interesting Berliner Weiss that seems to have just a touch more of a gueuze-like quality to it than is common. Loved it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2009 13:30:34 | More by JohnQVegas

Oxymoron

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Hottenroth, related to David Lee Roth? Pours a slightly hazy lemony yellow hue with no much on head retention and lacing. Ok for style though.

The nose is subtle overall. Some light grainy and wheaty notes but very limited on the sourness. Some lemon and a light yeast note that is closer on the Belgian style than Berliner Weisse. Some pepper notes and a light DMS character but not over bearing.

The taste is closer but still misses the mark for style. The sourness is present but limited. The malt comes out with more noticeable wheaty and pilsner flavor. Some lemon juice notes that leaves a slight citrus finish in the aftertaste. Some minor funk and barnyard notes but subtle.

The body is light but has some lingering sweetness. Overall Berliner Weisses are tough. Not bad, just missing some more sour/lactic quality.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2008 22:03:28 | More by Oxymoron

DoubleJ

California

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

Had this at The Bruery earlier tonight. Well, on to the beer:

Semi-hazy lemon juice yellow in appeaance. The aroma is mild with lemon and other citrus juice flavors, mixed with a tart note. The beer is very light in flavor, almost to the point of being nothing more than water. Similar lemon and orange flavors, some tonic water character brushes against the palate. It has refreshment potential, but the sweet/tart citrus flavors run out of steam towards the end.

I was glad to try it, but this beer ended up being too light for me. (I should also note this was the first beer I had during the night.) Maybe Berliner Weiss' aren't my thing.

UPDATE 6/20: more sour and tart flavors + less tonic water character = better beer. Lemme up the score here.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2008 03:34:55 | More by DoubleJ

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

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

MiScusi

California

4.78/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had 2 pints, served in a tulip glass at Beachwood BBQ.

Pours a very light, clear gold. The smell is predominantly wheat, basically like a wit with no spice. There is some tartness there but it is in really small amounts. The taste is, again, a nice subdued wheatiness with a very faint fruitiness, almost like it was fermented with a kolsch yeast that's giving it a bit of fruity esters. Very good overall. One could drink this all day and night it's so good.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2008 05:59:23 | More by MiScusi

Floydster

California

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Sampled at the Stone Sour Fest yesterday after needing a break from super tarty brews, first beer tasted from Patrick, so I was pretty excited going into it, people were putting raspberry and blueberry syrup in this and thought it was great, did not try that but could be interesting

A-Hazy golden pale straw color, small 1/4 inch head, went away quickly, not much retention, no lacing
S-Lots of yeast, lemon juice, wheat, milk, other weird dairy-like scents, sweetness, and other citrus
T-Wheat was the dominant flavor but it was lighter than what you would have from a hefeweizen, very light tartness but added some nice tang, did not change much as it warmed, nice and easy to drink
M-Finish was very dry, also chewy and citrusy mouthfeel, thin bodied, light, medium level of carbonation, taste went away fast
D-Could have drank this all day because the ABV was rumored to be around three percent, extremely light on the stomach, refreshing, went down with ease

First of this style I have had but knew what to expect going in, exactly how I pictured it in most ways, would make a great summer beer, would not mind having this one again, just heard there was more of this and it was not solely brewed for the festival, go grab a growler if you get a chance, glad I got to try this beer from the new OC brewer, it was nice to see somebody branch out and brew something different for a change

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2008 04:54:29 | More by Floydster

tdm168

North Carolina

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

Thanks to jtd1969 for sharing this bottle with me.

A - bright yellow with a thin, white head

S - tart, straw, lemon

T - same as the nose; solid but light flavor

M - light bodied, well carbonated

This was a nice, light offering from a solid brewery. This was a refreshing, light beer that was a bit tart but still highly drinkable. This would definitely be a great beer to have on hand on a very hot day.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 23:49:14 | More by tdm168

Heavenisbeer

Georgia

4.14/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Cloudy, dirty yellow with floaters--resembles fresh squeezed lemonade. A bleach-white one finger head dies quickly into a thin halo. Great lookin' berliner weisse.

S: Tart lemon seltzer water, with some light funk, and grassy hay notes.

T: Tart alka-seltzer bitterness, with lemon zest, sour hay, and low level barnyard funk. I was hoping for more funk.

M: Light carbonation, tart dryness.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 00:27:01 | More by Heavenisbeer

BrotherDylan

California

4.56/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Fantastically dry and painfully delicious. It invites sip after sip with a mouth stripping sour dryness. So tart, so delicious. Its better than candy ever could be. Its a sadomasochistic dream of a beer. Drink the 750ml to yourself but its better shared with friends. After all, how much fun is sadomasochism by yourself?

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 05:20:41 | More by BrotherDylan

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Served from a 750ml bottle into an Allagash chalice. Served at fridge temps.

Appearance- Cloudy yellow/orange with one finger of thick white head that lasted about a minute. Very nice lacing.

Smell- Lemony/wheaty aromas, white grapes, soft green apple, chardoney-esque, and some light malts.

Taste- Apples and grapes up front mixed with mild cider vinegar and lemon. Wheaty malty sweetness comes through nicely. Very clean tartness. Not very funky at all.

Mouthfeel- Super light and refreshing. High carbonation with mild apple tartness. Extremely drinkable.

Overall- This is my second or third Berliner Weiss and it's the best I've had yet. Super drinkable on a warm day like today. If I could get this regularly in the summer, I'd drink it all day especially at 3.1%.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 16:32:15 | More by Seanniek91

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -17%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From: Binny's, IL
Date: 2012 summer
Glass: Tulip

This is a very pleasant beer, fairly pale in color, aroma, and flavor, and could be seen as a good, refreshing, summertime beverage. By pleasant, I mean mostly non-offensive, complicated, or expressively bold: if you were seeking out a malt beverage that was vaguely sour and soda-like, then the Bruery's Hottenroth Berlinerweisse would be your target. Slightly disappointing, given the brewery's reputation for sour styles, this is an easy-drinking Berlinerweisse that could be a gateway sour. Otherwise of interest for aficionados of the style, and then probably only once.

Pours a 4cm tall head of clean, white bubbles that are small in size. Retention is less than a minute, the head fizzing away fairly rapidly, leaving a total absence of foam upon the body of the beer or the sides of the glass. As such, lacing is nonexistent and one is left looking solely at the beer's body once the head has burned through itself. The body is a transparent, pale yellow color, with light making the beer almost appear as clear as water. Carbonation is visible, the streams sparse, but somewhat vigorous in floating to the surface.

Aroma is dry, slightly sweet, a touch grainy, and with a modest hint of underlying soured mash tartness and Lactobacillus presence, like a lightly grainy Champagne with a touch of tart yogurt. Not bad, just a bit underwhelming.

Taste is not particularly sour, more of just a light tartness with additional flavors of unripe apple and wheat malt. Front of palate is primarily sweet, slightly grainy, with very light lemon flavor, but almost no tartness. Mid-palate is lightly sweet with the slightly bready wheat base malt being noticeable, also a touch sour, with faint lemon and yogurt-like flavors. Back of palate is slightly more tart, with light lemon and diluted plain yogurt being the most common associations, along with a light sweetness from the wheat malt and some brighter, sour apple-like esters. Aftertaste is of light yogurt-like tartness, sour apple-like esters, and some slightly bready wheat malt.

Beer is light in body, with carbonation levels of high intensity, resulting in a beer that's fizzy at first, then gradually becoming foamy and smooth on the palate; rather soda or Champagne-like. Closes quite dry, with little residual stickiness on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 23:36:37 | More by falloutsnow

SHODriver

California

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: poured into a chalice to a pale and slightly hazy yellow with a small white head that is quick to fade
S: smells of pale wheat malt, and a bit of lemony tartness
T: tart lemony flavor up front with some slight pale maltyness and a bit of wheat. swallow brings some creamy wheat flavor and a slight cracker like malt flavor
M: light with soft and slightly prickly carbonation and a refreshing finish
O: a great beer for a warm day. the tartness is nice and the flavors are light yet still apparent. very drinkable and very enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 01:40:35 | More by SHODriver

Immortale25

Florida

3.64/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. No freshness date.

A- Pours a hazy light straw color with a 1/2 inch head that doesn't retain long before disintegrating to a thin ring around the edge of the glass and a small thin patch of surface foam. Slippery non-resilient lacing.

S- Pleasant aroma of lemon, peach and a hint of vinegar.

T- Light, unobtrusive citrus flavor that has a nice amount of tartness. Extremely easy to drink as it should be for a beer with this low of an ABV. Notes of lemon, grapefruit and granny smith apple.

M- Dry almost to the point of chalky with a moderate pucker. Low carbonation is unexpected and disappointing. The lightest of bodies.

O- Though I wasn't expecting much from a 3.1% Berliner Weisse, I was at least looking forward to a more lively drink. This is just a limp version of the style. Only the second beer from The Bruery that I found to be less than great. The other was White Oak which was on the other end of the spectrum in terms of alcohol and flavor where there was too much of both.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 02:51:24 | More by Immortale25

kevanb

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a stemless wine glass.

The beer pours a hazy lemon color, very soft yellow, cloudy in texture with a 2 finger high, white head, very fizzy that dissipates immediately and leaves no film or lace. The aroma is of tart, lightly acidic citrus and soft floral tones with a nice punch of wheat and light funk. Similar on the tongue, bright, light citrus with subtle wildflower, tart, funk berry fruit, lots of wheaty grain and light barnyard. The body is light, fizzy yet almost juicy, smooth with a very light and easy finish.

Verdict: A quintessential Berliner Weissbier, the flavors are light, yet impactful and it has a great refreshing finish. The simplicity of this style is executed wonderfully, a really nice beer to share with friends.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 02:34:02 | More by kevanb

ngeunit1

California

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Clear golden-yellow with a thin finger of bubbly white head. Fades quickly.

S - Wheat and grainy malts, lots of funky yeast, tartness, acidity, tart stone fruit, farmhouse smells, lemon zest.

T - Wheat and other grainy malts, lots of funky and lightly sour yeasts, lemon zest, tart stone fruit, acidity, farmhouse characters.

M - Medium-light bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a tart and funky finish.

D - Great berliner weiss. Great balance with good funky yeast character.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 05:41:58 | More by ngeunit1

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

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

750ml bottle into a tall tulip

A: Very nice looking beer - pours a transparent light golden color with active carbonation throughout. Two fingers of fluffy head forms. Retention is very good.

S: Lemon tartness upfront with a good dose of wheat. A bit of stone fruit as well. Very clean smell.

T: Lemon tartness balanced by a good dose of wheat and a bit of fruity sweetness. I get a bit of and off flavor in the aftertaste - Almost a mustiness, maybe a bit of wet cardboard.

M: A tad thick for the style, with appropriate carbonation.

O: The aroma on this was great, but I had a hard time getting over the off flavor described. It's not bad, but not one of the better Berliner Weisses I've had.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 02:01:49 | More by coreyfmcdonald

mdaschaf

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from notes. Thanks to Lance for sharing this one!

A: Pours a hazy, light straw/yellow color with a one finger white head on top with decent head retention and thin lacing down the glass.

S: Nice and tart on the aroma with some lemon and apple with a heavy dose of wheat. Very inviting.

T: Fantastic flavor mixed with spot on tartness. Lemon, green apple, a bit of pear with some wheat and a little grassy.

M: Light to medium bodied with medium to high carbonation.

O: Had a feeling I would like this one and I was right. A perfect summer beer all the way. Thanks again Lance.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 01:14:31 | More by mdaschaf