Bottleworks XII - The Bruery

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

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a nice semi cloudy light yellow color with bubbles, some sediment, nice white cap and lacing

S: Plenty of hay, barnyard funk, sourness, lemon zest and faint raspberry

T: Immediate lemon tartness blended with hay, barnyard, horse blanket. The tartness lingers start to finish with a very faint raspberry presence on the end but very faint

M: Light to medium bodied, well carbonated, tart and dry

O: Very good, enjoyable and worth the hype

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 16:52:47 | More by barleywinefiend

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

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.58/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle opened on 5.8.12.

A - Pours a cloudy, pale light orange with a fizzy near-white yellow head.

S - A nice citrusy/wood funk, and raspberry.

T - A mellow lemony sour with hints of raspberry.

D - Good carbonation with a light body, not overly tart.

O - Fizzy, nice sour and tartness. I am so glad to finally get to try this one. Delicious!

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 04:47:43 | More by HuskyinPDX

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.28/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip glass from a 750ml bottle.

Pours a nice Berliner Weisse like hazy straw golden color with some nice bright yellow hints. There is a nice fizzy white head that is dense and active but quickly dissipates of to a nice thin film. Hazy and hard to see through but nice and bright.

Aroma is delicious and refreshing. Definitely some refreshing bready wheat notes. SOme nice lemon rind notes and slight grassy hop notes. Nice yeasty funk with some slight wood notes as well. The funk is nice and present as the beer warms. Refreshing strawberry raspberries can be felt in the nose as well on the back end with some slight tart notes as well. The Berliner Weisse notes are pretty easy to note.

Refreshing and light with some nice crisp and fluffy carbonation. Starts off with some nice tart notes with lemony and citrusy sourness. Nice and refreshing and fruity. There is also some nice slight raspberry sweetness and some nice slight fruit tartness. The funk is definitely present especially on the middle and back end. Nice woody notes and slight barnyard and corn husk funk with some slight spice notes. The finish however comes back with some nice fruit juice notes and tart notes. With a crisp dry finish. Quite nice.

Pretty good sour. This definitely is very loyal to the Berliner Style base but with the added delicious fruit notes of the raspberry.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 23:13:18 | More by JoEBoBpr

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

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

750ml bottle courtesy of Andre..Thanks again for the generous hook up!

Pours clear light copper with an inch-plus head of whipped white. Thick branches of lacing wrap the glass and a solid coating on the surface for the duration.

Aromtics lead off with sweet tarts, pixie stix, grapeskins, and wet hay. Hints of citrus peel and lemon zest follow through.

Light bodied with a crisp, snappy mouthfeel. Sharp and pointed.

Tart, tannic fruit with wine-like overtones start the palate. Shades of lemon-spritzed hay, soured apples, aspirin, and grapefruit follow through.

Finishes with a lingering tartness, fruit skins, and oaky tannins.

Tasty beer. Heavily tart without being sour, plenty of hay-like brett, and tannic fruit. A bit on the tame side for my tastes, more funk please.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 02:00:18 | More by brewandbbq

scottfrie

California

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

Thanks for sharing, Mike! Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a hazy straw color with a frothy bright white head that quickly fizzed away into a decent film. Fizzy carbonation.
S: I get notes of sweaty socks, funk, apricots, raspberries, oak and sweet ambiguous fruit.
T: Very dry flavors of raspberries, vinous dry oak, and tart earthy flavors. Vinous red grape flavors are noticeable as well. The finish is lightly tart and dry.
M: Very fizzy ample carbonation. Medium body, dry mouthfeel.
O: Great flavor in this one. I thought the raspberries were noticeable but they could have been more prominent. Thanks again, Mike.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 18:25:29 | More by scottfrie

Khazadum

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Low lacing, retention, carbonation.. bit of cloudy Apple juice color.

Sulfury, dirty diaper, raspberry seeds. Nasty Brett nature. It's nasty like I like my bass drops.

Puckering citric acid, wheat flavors, grainy finish. Raspberry sweetness is hidden, and red wine deep fruits. Lingering raspberry, dark fruits and wheat finish.

Low light carb. Gentle smooth body, light. Puckers strong. Great linger.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 01:41:12 | More by Khazadum

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

Mora2000

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to crusianbeer for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a light yellow color with a white head. The aroma is full of wheat with a little bit of tartness mixed in. I also get a little bit of lemon in the aroma but it is fairly faint.

The flavor is a little more complex. I get some tart wheat and lemons, as well as a little bit of orange. There is a slight acidic note in the flavor. The beer is refreshing and easy to drink.

Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Not a bad beer by any means, but I wanted a little bit more out of this beer. Not sure where the raspberries were, but I don't think they were in our bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 03:17:57 | More by Mora2000

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

seeswo

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This pours a straw-yellow without a hint of raspberry and a whitish head. The nose is raspberry and musty, horse blanket funk. Smells really interesting and good. There is a strong presence of wheat-funk and sour in this beer, with the sourness being sharp like unflavored sour candy that is reminiscent of beatification. Raspberry, lemon and oak round it all out. This really comes together very well. Soured Imperial Wit beer didn't sound good to me, but it really worked well. Good carbonation with a decent body. Overall, I thought this was a really fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 04:41:46 | More by seeswo

Urbancaver

Ohio

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

Thanks Brad!! Glad to try this one

Pours a hazy pale yellow. Lots of nice white head. Looks pretty solid. Smells funky as shit. Horse blanket. Wow... Crazy. Smells very odd. Tastes sweet. Wheaty. Very funky. Tart. Veery interesting. I really enjoy the beer. Not too sour. Nce, well carbonated. Overall top notch

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 15:44:39 | More by Urbancaver

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a tulip. Thanks to readbaron for bringing this to the Whale tasting.

Appearance: The color of this beer is surprising - no redness from the wine barrels or the raspberries. Instead it is a light, very hazy golden color. A modest white cap rests on top and leaves a little bit of bubbly lace.

Smell: The aroma really lacks much depth. White grape and raspberry notes provide the fruit notes. There are some weird off flavors, like feet or something.

Taste: The flavor has a quick light honey sweetness, some white grape and peach come in next, along with some light raspberry flavors. The sour aspect of the beer is there, but there is no funk or real depth to the fruit flavor.

Mouthfeel: This has a light, crisp, champagne dryness to go along with the light white grape notes.

Overall: Maybe this was a victim of following an incredible beer, but I was not really impressed with this beer at all.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 00:05:45 | More by KickInTheChalice

Doodler

Colorado

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

Thanks to Dr J for sharing this treat with me. 750ml bomber, poured a fuzzy yellow color with a tannish head and nice lacing. I commented that it smells like something my daughter would like. Aroma was like a mixture between Tang and Squirt. So I am expecting a sour influenced Witbeer. Okay, that’s new. Starts off with doughy grapefruit and apple skins. You can get the influence of the wine barrels and raspberries right up front. Lighter notes of the brett throughout. Well carbed. Somewhat lactic, with orange rinds and kumquats on the finish. This is different, but a pretty nice brew. Thanks Jason.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 03:26:28 | More by Doodler

Verecund

North Carolina

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

Bottle opened on August 20, 2011. Shared with the lady.

Pours a barely-cloudy peach/melon with two fingers of white head. Decent lacing - looks like an "imperial" berliner weisse should.

The beer opens with a bright milky, lactic acidity, but it doesn't hide the grassy, fruit, or horsey funk notes. There's some citronella/lemongrass, but what really shines through here is the defined and sharp raspberry tartness and sweetness alongside the surprisingly musty funk. This aroma is hitting on all cylinders.

Smooth wheatiness with a balanced assault of lactic acidity and berry tartness. Raspberry makes up a large portion of the fruit profile, but there's also some lemony acidity that keeps the beer structured, sharp, and refreshing. The mustiness is less evident here, but there is some oakiness to provide contrast.

Crisp and tart. Medium, medium-light in body with upper medium carbonation. Fitting.

A surprisingly excellent beer. I expected this to be good, but didn't expect to come away thinking it was so exceptional - nice balance between acidity and tartness; brightly fruit; and refreshing. I wouldn't say no to another fruited imperial berliner weisse from the Bruery.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 00:48:19 | More by Verecund

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.72/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Big thanks to Jon for sharing this bottle.

A: It's a great looking beer, a bit of a cloudy pinkish-orange with a small white head.

S: Getting a lot of funk in the smell, as it warms I get more raspberries.

T: WOW! Okay, I was a little concerned after the underwhelming aroma, but this beer tastes absolutely amazing. It's like if you took a berliner weisse, pumped up the flavor, made it more sour and added raspberries to it. Absolutely awesome and unique. One of the best tasting sours I've ever had.

M: Light and crispy with a lot of carbonation. Just perfect.

O: Hands-down one of the best tasting beers I've ever had. If the smell was a little better, this beer would be an all-time great if you ask me. Take this with a grain of salt though - this is coming from someone who loves Berliner Weisses, so it's right up my alley.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 19:51:07 | More by starrdogg

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

subemerge007

Ohio

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

Thanks to a very generous friend who picked this up for me.

A - This beer is the color of grapefruit with a nice light pink head.

S - All fruits here, raspberries, apples and funk.

T - The taste sets this apart, more raspberries, lemon, funky in just the right amount. Easy to drink.

M - Really nice, no alcohol.

O - A great beer worth sharing with friends.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 18:14:01 | More by subemerge007

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

Franch

New York

5/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

it was really, really, really good. the tartness of the raspberries was the overwhelming note, but there's plenty of belgian yeast and sour goodness that shine through as well. this was acquired due to a friend's overwhelming kindness to share it with the g/f and i, as it's a limited release decently beyond its time, and i'd have near-zero hope of getting it without similarly hyped beers in trade. a high point of my trip to seattle for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 04:50:09 | More by Franch