Bottleworks XII - The Bruery

mdaschaf

Washington

4.45/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Bottleworks.

A: Pours a hazy peach color with a 1.5 finger white head on top, great head retention and lacing

S: Nice tart/sour aroma. Some wheat a little bit of raspberry and a bit of rhubarb. Extremely inviting.

T: Great level of tartness mixed with raspberries, the acidity is spot on. Light funk, oak, and some wheat.

M: Light to medium bodied, easy drinking. Crisp mouthfeel.

O: A fantastic AWA, glad it was still on tap when I got over to BW.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2013 20:15:01 | More by mdaschaf

draheim

Washington

4.41/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

On tap into a snifter @ the Bottleworks 14th anniversary event (also had it @ the 12th anniversary). Pours a clear golden orange w/ a big white head sustained by vigorous carbonation.

Aroma is sour, vinous, funky, dry. Intriguing.

Taste is tart, oaky, acidic balanced by sweet berries/fruit. Soft wheat malt. Both complex and straightforward. Reminds me somewhat of Sanctification. And Sweet Tarts.

Mouthfeel is crisp, refreshing, ultra-dry finish.

Overall a surprising, tasty, unique beer. Glad I had another chance to try this one.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2013 08:07:10 | More by draheim

fatmcb1

Texas

4.68/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From notes, served on tap at the Bruery Barrel Night 2012.

Lighter yellow with a thin white ring of head that sticks around.

Raspberry, sour lemon, funk, and slight apricot.

More tart than sour. Raspberries come through very strong. A bit acetic and citrusy.

Slightly over carbed, but not very out of line for the style.

This was one of my highlights from the barrel night. This is an exceptional wild ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2013 06:58:27 | More by fatmcb1

dirtylou

Washington

4.08/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

on-tap, brouwers

appearance: served in a 12oz unbranded snifter - really a ridiculous looking beer - a straw-colored milkshake with cream white foam

smell: blind smells are misleading - the wheat tricks my nose into smelling lighter fruits like peach and apricot

taste: a berliner milkshake - blend of tart and sweet raspberries, big wheat notes, not particularly tart - moreso sweet with funky hay/wheat tones. sour apple, lemon, chalk, fruit skin, oak

mouthfeel: creamy and lush - one of the more unique beers of the day

overall: worth a go, but hard to call this a wild ale, more "imperial witbier" or "derivative imperial berliner"

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2012 22:25:48 | More by dirtylou

Phelps

Arizona

4.22/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed at the December 2011 Clusterfork, poured into a mini champagne flute.

Pale rosy peach, very cloudy. A big, frothy one-inch head of pure white becomes a soapy top layer and sticks to the glass in sticky walls.

Doesn't smell like much. With effort I can make out grain, wheat, pear, hints of barnyard funk and a suggestion of sourness, but it’s all very faint.

The flavor hits like a surprise party and is a big step up from the aroma. I get a huge flavor of candied peach slivers, which is odd because this brew was made with raspberries. Hmm. Vinegar and sugary lemon lend tartness to floral sweetness. Ripe raspberries are in there as well, providing tartness. Touch of grain at the finish.

Moderate, massaging carbonation breaks the beer into silky fizz. Sugary medium body and a clean, spritzy finish.

Bottleworks XII was easily my favorite Bruery beer of the day. It’s bright and packed with flavor, yet so light and vibrant I could drink it all day. Which I did.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2012 23:25:31 | More by Phelps

Gobzilla

California

3.98/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured a hazy pale straw yellow in color with yellow highlights and a thin white bubbly hea that left a little lacing sticking to the glass.
I was definitely able to sniff out some of the weiss bacteria cultures with red wine oaky notes, hints of berries, and a tart aroma.
the tasted had more tart character alongside, wine oak, berries, and really funky bretty flavor but with a touch of citrus; very intresting. the brew was medium in body with a good amount of carbonation which had a oaky, fruity, tannic, bretty, funky, dry and tart finish. it was drinking quite weel and was glad to have tried it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2011 02:20:03 | More by Gobzilla

billshmeinke

California

3.88/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy golden color. Finger of white head.

Smells fruity, some berries. Lots of yeast. Some Cheerios.

Taste follows smell, berries, yeast, lactic sourness. Pretty straight forward. Thought it would be more complex.

Medium bodied, nice sourness, well carbonated.

Good beer, but not as good as I thought it would be.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2011 21:38:36 | More by billshmeinke

phichifiji00

California

4.38/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Hazy, pale straw color. White head, minimal lacing.

Smell: Earthy, a bit funky, sweet, citrus, oak, vanilla, a bit of honey, and a bit of grapefruit.

Taste: Acidic, brett, funky, citrus, lemon, grapefruit.

Mouthfeel: light bodied, good carbonation, acidic, tart, crisp.

Overall: Very tasty, refreshing, tart, pretty complex flavors/aromas. A great sour.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2011 06:53:41 | More by phichifiji00

Halcyondays

California

3.83/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at The Bruery,

A: Pours a lovely peach colour with a firm white head which leaves solid lace.

S: Some fruit, lemon and raspberry, but pretty light.

T: Peach cobbler along with a touch of raspberries and some tasty acid.

M: Medium-bodied, clean and crisp, medium acidity.

O: A good beer, but really not worth the crazy hype. It's certainly a tasty creation.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2011 21:22:03 | More by Halcyondays

Madirish76

California

3.58/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On Tap at Bruery/DFH event on 6/16/11

First of all, I am glad to have tried this, but i am also glad i didnt trade my first born for it. I am not really a huge fan of the berlinerwisse to begin with, but to each their own.

Appearance: It was a cloudy straw color with a very bright white small head that was mostly diminishing. It was left with minimal lacing.

Smell: Wow, definitely something funky going on here...also has a slight grainy/grassy smell to it. Kind of a fresh barnyard smell...

Taste: It has a pucker punch it delivers but also has a spicy rye kind of taste to it almost mixed with some sort of citrus. Again something funky and tart all mixed into one.

Overall: I think for the style it is pretty on par, just not my favorite one to drink. I didnt think it was as good as the hype, but maybe if i really enjoyed this style i would think it is amazing...

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2011 04:01:15 | More by Madirish76

Retsinis

California

4.43/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was able to have a few glasses of this beer, on tap, at the recent Clusterfork # 2 tasting event at the Bruery.

The beer pours similar to a pink lemonade or guava juice in color, but not quite as dense, though still cloudy. Light hazy half inch of head.

Aromas are of tart raspberries, along with some oak, yeast, and lemon zesty sprits'. The brett is in there as well, but the raspberries really curbed it down a bit in a good way.

On taste, the sour brett and acidic bite are upfront, but it quickly yields to the fruit note of raspberries, lemon peel, and orange peel. This beer is very tart in that regard, but is crisp and refreshing. Some yeast and grain in the middle provide a nice backbone as well to the beer. Alcohol, what alcohol? Like so many of the Bruery beers, they are well hidden. Of our group, we drank quite a lot of this, go through our tickets, and buying some glasses of it afterwards.

Mouthfeel was light to medium carbonation, crisp, zesty like fruit juice, with a dry finish.

Overall this beer was very refreshing, and aside from the Sour in the Rye was the highlight of the day for the beers the Bruery was pouring at this tasting. ( the bottle share beers are another matter) Glad I got to try this beer, and from the two, I'm taking a different look at sours now.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2011 00:04:40 | More by Retsinis

womencantsail

California

4.4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at The Bruery

A: The pour is a murky orange-pink color with a finger of white head to go on it.

S: The raspberries and the tartness of the fruit and Berliner Weiss culture are strong. A lot of lactobacillus aroma to the beer and a moderate oak note. Mild spices and wheat from the base beer.

T: A big raspberry flavor to open things up along with a pronounced tartness. There are notes of cranberries in the beer too. Quite lactic and tart which works nicely with the oak and fruit. The base wheat beer does not come through quite as much as I had expected.

M: Medium in body with moderate level of carbonation.

O: Pleasantly surprised by this beer. The raspberries and Berliner Weiss bugs really have taken control of this and made for an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2011 22:40:07 | More by womencantsail

GRG1313

California

4.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at The Bruery for the March 19 Clusterfork party.

This is the reason every beer geek should at least try a fresher sour before you stick it in your cellar. While this one may be fun to age and watch it change, it is off the chart wonderful right now; plain and simple full of complexities, layers, tons of flavors and character and yet again a wonderful effort from The Bruery. Kudos to Bottleworks for its efforts on this and for picking this one.

Color is a hazy pink grapefruit with almost "white" tones and a light white head.

Nose gives a great invitation and sets expectations with layers of sweet/sour raspberries, tones of strawberry, oranges and tangerines. There seems to be a light lacto nose, although I'm not sure what yeasts or bacterias were used. A light brett character in the nose as well.

Expectations are met in the fresh, wonderfully balanced and lightly sour mouthfeel, only to be surpassed by almost perfect flavors.

Flavors of raspberries, strawberries, oranges, light lime and tangerines. The alcohol is very well hidden and one could drink a lot of this either by itself or with many different food profiles.

Finish continues with a light pucker factor and a nice sour character with a sour berry and green apple character and light lacto and brett, all of which just sets up the next taste. The Bruery continues it's roll.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2011 17:12:35 | More by GRG1313

waltersrj

Washington

4.83/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Bottlework's XII Anniversary Party.

Pour: A beautiful golden hue with a slightly pink haze as if they used a blend of golden and regular raspberries in the barrels. A creamy, frothy white head stuck around for the entire duration of this beer.

Taste: Slightly tart from the Berlinner Weiss style and raspberries in the barrel. The tart flavors are predominately raspberry and a light, crisp green apple. This is followed by a wonderful malt balance and a slight oaky finish. I really enjoyed the lactic sour in this as it was very enjoyable but not acidic enough to burn.

Nose: Oak, crisp apple, raspberry, very slight red wine notes, wheat and perhaps some cherry like aroma.

Mouthfeel: A wonderfully balanced and creamy feel that doesn't dry out your mouth like some soured beers can.

Overall: As usual BW has really nailed their newest Anny beer. This is such an easy to drink beer, the 8% is undetectable and the creamy mouthfeel makes it so enjoyable. Wish I could've gotten 3-4 bottles but my 2 should make me happy for now. Excited to see how well this develops.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2011 21:09:11 | More by waltersrj

julian

Washington

4.4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap @ Bottleworks for the 12th Anniversary this morning. Got to meet a few other BAs at this release and it was an awesome time!

A: Spectacular cloudy golden strawberry color. Nice 1-2 finger white head with beautiful decorative lacing

S: Slightly tart fruity aroma, raspberries, a bit of tart apples perhaps, and a nice Belgian wit spice.

T: Has a nice mild fruity flavor from the raspberries, slightly tart which you'd expect from berliner weisse, but enough malt backbone for a nice smooth perfect balance. This was expertly crafted.

M: Great mouthfeel. Slightly tart, balanced malt, crisp, perfectly carbonated. No complaints here.

D: Excellent. Even at 8% this is highly drinkable. Great flavor, great mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2011 01:08:25 | More by julian

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.95/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Opened at TN whales tasting 3/16/2013. Thanks to CurtisMcArthur for sharing.

Pours a very light yellow gold color topped with a nice white head, from the appearance you'd have no idea there were raspberries in this.

Smells of bread, brett, and some faint berry fruit. Really not much fruit in this though.

Taste is tart in an unusual way, fairly wheaty/bready, touch of faded raspberry, there's an oddness to the flavor I can't quite place. Pretty light.

This is very good but not spectacular. I don't know if there wasn't much fruit to begin with or if it's just really faded after two years, but I was expecting a lot more fruit and a bit more sourness.

7.9/10

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 15:13:07 | More by AlexFields

sweemzander

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle poured into a tulip. Another huge thanks to Kevan for sharing!

(A)- Pours a hazy golden apricot orange color. Some good white froth that dissipated quickly. Some lacing left behind.

(S)- Very vibrant and fresh tart raspberry and red wine nuances combined with some subtle spicy oak and wheat. Quite clean where I was expecting more funk, but I like how clean it is, though that starts to change as it opens up in the glass.

(T)- Very nice showing of the wine barrel and raspberries in this. Fairly clean with the slightly increasing funk as it opens up. The tartness is right at the right level, and everything really just meshes together well.

(M)- A nicely crisp carbonation level. Very vibrant fruits and a clean acidity overall.

(O)- It is really nice how clean this is despite its level of acidity and showing of oak it has. Its almost weird based on its color, yet is has so many notes of the red wine and raspberry. Very nicely done!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 18:42:42 | More by sweemzander

kevanb

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle poured into a Bruery Tulip

The beer pours a lovely hazy gold color, hints of straw and honey colors, clear complexion, a few bubbles rising to the top of the glass with a 2 finger, soapy white head that has fair retention with no lacing. The aroma is quite intriguing, hay, straw, wheat, typical berliner funk, a touch of salt, prominent vinous barrel character with just a light touch of prickly raspberry. The flavors are just wonderful, nice wit character with the wheat and lemon, just a touch of funk, a nice salty character with nice red wine character, chewy oak with sweet vanilla with just enough lingering raspberry. The balance between Wit characteristics and Berliner characteristics is stunning, and the barrel aging adds such a nice complexity and the tart raspberry really helps to meld it all together in a spectacular fashion. The body is great, lively, light, yet full bodied, coats the mouth well, dances on the tongue and finishes so smoothly.

Verdict: A wonderful Wild Ale, all of the base elements are so nicely captured and the harmony between them is superb. The flavors are complex, balanced and executed to perfection, a must try for anyone who loves a good sour beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:05:02 | More by kevanb

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.23/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to beeruser for sharing this one on the One Year Anniversary of My Accident/Surgery! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a slightly hazy pale golden yellow with a three finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, funk, wheat, fruit, subtle sour, and raspberry. The flavor was of sweet malt, funk, fruit, tart, sour, and raspberry. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. This one had quite a bit of really nice things going on in it. The aroma was a bit more complex than the flavor, however the flavor was quite a bit more pleasant. Everything going on in the flavor here was really nice and when there was one note, another followed close behind that worked in unison to help you get through the sour/tart mashing on your palate. This was a really well put together brew that I’m really quite glad I got the opportunity to try!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 11:44:19 | More by thagr81us

brystmar

New York

4.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Strong hiss as the cap pops off; thankfully not a gusher. Slightly more orange-colored than a typical golden sour. Tons of thick, white head adorns my glass long after the liquid departs.

Aroma like WHOA! The intensely potent smell of sour lemons, wheat, raspberries, ripe pineapple, oak, funky yeast, and lactic acid overwhelms my senses. I want to reduce this to powder and snort a line of it every day.

Fruits and wheat base are apparent in the flavor profile. Raspberries take a back seat to the citrusy, acetic base. Wheat base provides fantastic body. Somehow, despite the ingredients list, this seems about what a BA Imperial American Gueuze would taste like. Strongly concentrated; not for the faint of heart.

I need more of this stuff right away.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 19:40:34 | More by brystmar

UCLABrewN84

California

4.3/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle pour at Woodshop 7 held at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours a murky brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to dots of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace also form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, spice, wood, and some wine aromas. Taste is much the same but is pretty sour and funky as well. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a great beer with a solid aroma and really nice set of flavors that make it easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 00:46:56 | More by UCLABrewN84

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.88/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - Golden orange with a decent head. A little lacing. I never know what to expect from sours. They could look like anything and still be good. I kinda expected this to be pinker due to the raspberries, but ok.

Smell - Raspberries. Pretty strong raspberry aroma. Mildly funky with some lemongrass and a light acidity. I expected more acidity from the Berliner culture, but it's still smells tart.

Taste - Much lighter raspberry flavor than the smell. Good lemon tartness. Hefty wheat flavors. Grainy and bready. Not a whole lot going on, really.

Mouthfeel - Light body, good carbonation. Like an amped up Berliner. Grainy finish.

Overall - Light in body and, to be honest, flavor. Not overly sour. Not overly raspberry-ish. The malts come through as much as the sour components and the fruit. It's still a good beer, but not one that lives up to its rating.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 12:39:40 | More by Alieniloquium

ehammond1

California

4.35/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (2012)

The Bruery Provisions
Orange, CA

(Aged for 1+ year)

Highly carbonated, golden color with a quickly forming, though quickly fading near-white head. This doesn't leave much in the way of stick down the glass. Appropriate.

The aroma is quite sour/tart, with some definite raspberry sweetness, along with some cherry and wood notes. Complete, bright, expressive, and incredibly enjoyable.

The flavor does not disappoint after such a nice aroma. The big lactic sour notes are strong, with complementary flavors of raspberry and oak. Clean, bright flavors.

Medium bodied with high carbonation. Very appropriate for the style.

This is just as good, if not better, than I was hoping for!

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 19:06:38 | More by ehammond1

merc7186

New York

4.48/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Metalgdog for sharing this awesome bottle.

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a tulip.

A: Light, Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head, Some Lacing

S: Raspberries, Pear, Sour Apples

T: Pear, Sour Apples, Mild Raspberries, Mild Pinot Noir

M: Decent Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Sour, Bitter

Overall, an extremely balanced sour beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 00:10:41 | More by merc7186

DovaliHops

California

4.15/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very cloudy/murky yellowish orange straw color with a medium white head that disappears quickly. Scent is quite funky...more so than I was expecting. Some pleasant peaches with strawberries and raspberries along with wheat scents. Some brett with lemon zesty aromas. Definitely has berliner-like aromas. Taste is just as it smells but with more strawberry flavor than I was expecting. A lot of hay though, with a ton of lemon and some very tart flavor. Not overly sour, but borderline. The lemon really comes through nicely in this beer. Nice acidic finish with more wheat. Mouthfeel is very good for this style. Drinkability is high. Overall...they call this an Imperial Sour Wit. The only other imperial berliner I had was from Lips of Faith, and this one blows that outta the water. Would like to have picked up more from the red wine barrels, but it was a great beer regardless. So glad I FINALLY got my hands on a bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 08:24:29 | More by DovaliHops