Bottleworks XII - The Bruery

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

FosterJM

California

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

558th review on BA
Bottle to Chalice
750 ML

Split with Callmecoon

App- A very clear yellow with some dark spots. It came with a one inch head and a slight web of cling.

Smell- It was a bit smallish in the aromatics arena. With the mix of Berliner and Raspberries I was hoping for more.

Taste- The Berliner base is quite upfront without the mouth puckering sourness of a regular bottle. The raspberries add a nice fruiy touch. The aciditic nature of the style is pretty good and subdued. Could've been a touch bigger/bolder.

Mouth- A medium bodied wild ale with a high carb level to it. Lots of bubbles on this one.

Drink- It was lacking the wow/it factor for me. It was a nice beer but a touch small for the hype. I'm glad I got to try it and have my fair share was just hoping for more.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 05:16:07 | More by FosterJM

kbutler1

Minnesota

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

Bottle. Pours a cloudy hazed yellow straw color with a nice little white head. Good carbonation. The wheat and straw type notes are eveident right off the bat in the nose but you also get some barnyard funk, raspberry, and lemongrass. I am really hoping the taste is like the nose! The flavors in the taste are nice with notes of lemon, wheat, and raspberry. As it warms a bit the barnyard funk flavor moves in and becomes more apparent. I could drink this one all day! There is little to no real alcohol flavors here.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 13:39:10 | More by kbutler1

PeprSprYoFace

California

4.6/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

VIP taster at the Bruery Annaversary party. Poured into a small taster glass. Reviewed from notes.

Hay, almost orange color cloudy for sure. Nice white head and decent lacing.

Aroma has an awesome tart funky lemon character. Lots of that lactic barnyard aroma. Little bit of hay or grass.

Taste is tart up front with a grassy hay funkiness and some nice lemon tartness left on your tongue.

Mouthfeel is very dry and refreshing. Nice carb.

Overall an awesome beer. Wish I had gotten more of it. Too many beers to try and not enough time. Plus I was pretty toasty by the end of the party ; )

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 08:05:54 | More by PeprSprYoFace

Overlord

California

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

Pours a shocking pale/watery yellow. Hm...what style is this again? I was told Berlinerweisse meets witbier, but this really seems like a different animal entirely.

Smells like wild fields of musty cobwebs, raspberries, and a surprising amount of oak-y funk. Smell is phenomenal.

Taste is also excellent, though not quite as enticing. Oak, some lemon/vinegar sourness, raspberry, and that musty, surprisingly funky tone. I think the funk may be a bit too strong in the flavor, but it's still a great beer.

A pity it won't cross my path again. Very well carbonated with a frothy white head.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 05:30:05 | More by Overlord

HopHead84

California

4.6/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

5/29/2011

Double pour from a bottle into a snifter at The Bruery's third anniversary.

A: Straw peach gold with good clarity and an impressive two fingers of froth. Scattered tendrils of lacing.

S: Lactic sourness and hoarsy with prominent raspberry notes. Smells great. Has a lot more wild character than I was expecting, with notes of earth, horse blanket, and musty barnyard. Brett imparts wet leather. There's a touch of peach, and the raspberries stay bright and vibrant throughout.

T: Upper moderate tartness with an upper moderate lactic sourness to match. Moderate citric acidity with lighter acetic notes. Prominent raspberry throughout with some lemon. Oak is evident. Complex and piquant. Finishes with a lot of lemon and raspberry, a palate scrubbing citric acidity, and a mouth puckering tartness.

M: Light in body and effervescent. Mouthfeel is dry and crisp.

Overall: I enjoyed this a lot. Complex, refreshing, and damn drinkable. I wasn't expecting much, and I was pleasantly surprised. I probably had 24 ounces of this before the end of the day.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 19:50:44 | More by HopHead84

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by someone at DLD; thanks.

A - The brew pours a glowing orange with a slight pink hue, and is capped with a good dollop of white froth.

S - Unusual nose; there are some interesting bright fruity notes which are battling against some comparatively less pleasant notes. Pros: peach- and berry-like tartness and ripeness. Cons: aroma of rotten produce, rancid food, decrepit citrus and eggs.

T - The taste is very candy-like, and it tastes confectionery in a similar manner to a Southern Tier; the fruit flavors (various citrus, strawberry, raspberry) and tartness taste somewhat artificial (though they are actually not artificial.) It also reminds me of a lactic orange Jarritos. Interesting, and somewhat refreshing. I do not find this to be tremendously Berliner-like, as it is quite creamy and full of flavor (reminiscent of the much better Splinter Blue in this regard.)

M - The feel is creamy and just about medium in body, with rich flavor up front but it dries out on the finish.

O - This is certainly an unusual brew. I am not terribly fond of the nose, but found the taste much more palatable; I enjoy most of the aspects at least moderately, the major gripe I have is the taste reminds me of the nose (and associated unpleasantries.)

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 17:38:03 | More by ktrillionaire

sarro

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by splax23 during a small, albeit awesome gathering of BA's--thanks Adam!
Look is a hazey peach with a fluffy whitehead after a couple nice pours. The smell is full of tart raspberries and light mold accompanied by plenty of funk. Vanilla also makes it's way in from aroma to taste.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, but also a bit slick and goes down rather smooth. Moderately carbonated, it's a mild sour with a bit of tartness that pokes at the cheek from the sides of the tongue. Finish is a bit dry, but the raspberries continue on the palate. Overrall, it was incredibly drinkable and pretty refreshing (shouldn't be a surprise for a Witbier). Wish I could have picked out more of the spices, but they seemed to be very much in the background. I'd love to try this again in a few years and see how acidic the raspberries make it.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 22:46:35 | More by sarro

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

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

Cheers to Joe for bringing this out to round out an extremely solid tasting weekend. Finally getting around to entering the last review from that weekend (3/25, 3/26). The final Bottleworks anniversary beer enjoyed during the weekend.

Pours a pink rose color that is juxtaposed against the hazy white color of a traditional Belgian wit. After the pour, this rosy liquid is capped by a healthy layer of creamy head that leaves a splotchy laced pattern on the glass. When held under light, light day-glo orange hues fill the body of beer. Nice.

Aromas of raspberry and a strong lactic sourness along with the phenolic notes so typical of wits that contribute white pepper and coriander. The lactic sourness citrus flavor is prominent along with the fresh raspberries, though the sourness is nicely balanced against the wheat and malt backbone of this beer. There is a light and fresh bretty funk, not so earthy or barnyard-like at this point. The flavor profile is rounded out by white pepper and a touch of clove.

Light on the palate, and the sweet fresh raspberries work very nicely with the yeasty notes to create a great beer. Very solid stuff, this is.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 20:10:30 | More by NittanyBeerFan

jampics2

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review #750. I want to thank all the big and little beers who got me this far!

Speaking of the big seven-five-oh, Bottleworks XII was a 750ml bottle served in a goblet by the fine folks at Brouwers Cafe. $25 and well worth the trip!

An orange colored beer with hints of pink sits on the bar in front of me. I'm distracted by the architecture of this beer cave, but snap back to it just in time to see the nice white head start to subside. The head leaves a touch of lace as it descents, but the constant stream of bubbles rising in the cloudy liquid replenishes it for the majority of the session.

The smell is intense and slightly off-putting for someone who doesn't love dirty sour beers (or lacto intensive beers like a Berliner Weiss). There's a decent amount of sulfur and diaper smells, but there's so much more. Lurking below those strong scents are some layers of raspberries, coriander, lemons and red wine.

As I gaze around me, sitting here in Seattle at perhaps the best beer bar in the world, I feel lucky. Not in a Clint Eastwood way, but I feel like sometimes a great beer can make you feel like you're at home even when you're thousands of miles away. I feel lucky that establishments like this exist and that legendary, world-class beers like this one are there to enjoy.

Speaking of which, I'm ready to enjoy this one! After the first sip, my mouth can't help but smile. This is really, really good. Huge lacto funk greets my tongue, giving impressions of lemons and horsehair. Some raspberry flavors are present too, but this doesn’t scream fruit beer. Coriander and spice help the tartness seem more grounded and earthy. Then, the barrel hits and red wine and oak notes close out a wonderful palate. No alcohol is noticeable. This is an advanced course beer, but one that has so much depth and rewarding flavors. As I enjoy the glass, bullshit with the bartenders and soak in the majesty of Brouwers, I smile and sip, and smile and sip.

The body is great - it's a bit denser than expected from a "witbier", but it works. The carbonation is on the high/sparkling end of things, but that's OK. Overall, this beer lived up to the hype. If you're sensitive to sulfur or dirty sour smells, you may not be able to get past that, but bear with it, trust me, it's worth it!

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 13:26:19 | More by jampics2

nkersten

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Thanks to Adam and Gregg for supplying me with these to share. Bottle poured into Lost Abbey tumbler. Color is a hazy pinkish orange, very reminiscent of grapefruit juice. Small off white pinkish head fades to a collar. Smell is very yeasty, lots of sour lemon lactic acid. Some raspberry, oak, and wheat as well, but very heavy on the berliner weiss yeast. Taste is sour but balanced, kind of like an imperial berliner weiss more then a wit. Sour raspberries and lemon acidity, yeast, wheat, some oak and a tart finish. Medium bodied with a medium carbonation, finishes dry. Incredibly refreshing with some very well hidden alcohol. This is a huge success for bottleworks, one of my favorite anniversary beers for them so far. Very unique, try this one out if you get a chance.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 18:09:18 | More by nkersten