Yo Soy Un Berliner - Freetail Brewing Company

oline73

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a tasting snifter.

Appearance: The beer pours a clear yellow color that almost looks like a beer that's been watered down. Not much head to speak of.

Smell: Very yeasty and not particularly sour. Lots of yeast. There was a note that reminds me a bit of a pils. Not a huge fan of the smell.

Taste: Very yeasty with more sourness than I would have guessed from the smell. I'm getting some lemon juice and a tingle in the jowls. Still an off note that I don't love, but everything else manages to keep things towards the right track.

Mouthfeel: The body is on the light side with almost no carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I liked the taste a lot more than the smell. I don't think I'd need more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 01:51:17 | More by oline73

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Sweetwater mini-snifter.

Thanks to wagenvolks for this bottle!

I get the tilde'ed "n", but how the hell am I supposed to pronounce an umlaut'ed one!? Anyway, this stuff pours a hazy pale straw topped by nearly no appreciable head. The nose comprises mild lemon peel, grass, flowers, and white cedar. The taste holds notes of tart lemon zest, light cedar, light bread, and a hint of vague creaminess. The body is a hefty light, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, not the sharpest Berliner I've ever had, but one that uses its near-subtlety and the mild barreling to its general advantage.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 22:02:51 | More by TMoney2591

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

650 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Hazy yellow with no head. No life.

Smell - Very lemony. Some vanilla? Something there I'm not able to pinpoint.

Taste - Lemony. Again with some flavor I can't discern. Pretty straightforward otherwise. Grainy in the back.

Mouthfeel - Light body. Easy to drink. Not all that sour.

Overall - Decent base berliner.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 00:55:38 | More by Alieniloquium

Florida9

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very light pastel pale yellow. No head at all. No lacing. Very light aroma. Apple, bread and a little yeast. Taste is more of the same. Bread, yeast, white wine, some very light wood notes. Light bodied. Medium carbonation. Tartness is quite restrained. A decent Berliner, but fairly simplistic.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 00:24:22 | More by Florida9

jeonseh

Indiana

3.69/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottle shared by leftyhyzer at NWI tasting

A - Light lemonade color with no head; There is a slight haze to it

S - Lemon, vinegar, and slightly grassy nose

T - Tart vinegar and slight lemon up front. The finish is tart and I get a slight sweetarts presence as well

MF - Dry finish with lots of carbonation

O - Solid, slightly tart and refreshing Berliner. It manages to be tart throughout without being too tart or sour.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 02:01:36 | More by jeonseh

Mora2000

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewpub.

The beer pours a hazy yellow color with a white head. The aroma has a lot of wheat notes as well as some grain and a very light amount of tartness. Overall, it smells more like a regular wheat beer than a Berliner weisse. The flavor is more along the lines of what I expected. I get some light tart lemon notes, as well as some sour wheat. Not very tart or sour, but a very refreshing beer that is great on a hot day. Very easy to drink. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2012 22:50:45 | More by Mora2000

Etan

Illinois

3.81/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from the recent release, sent to me by Canadianghetto. Thanks!

A: Pours a slightly murky pineapple yellow with a nice white head.

S: Lactic acid, odd (yet mild) burnt rubber aroma, slightly sweet wheat. The rubber aroma subsides as the beer sits.

T: Taste is better, with moderately puckering lactic and lemony sourness, doughy wheat, a bit floral, more lactic notes in the finish. The wheat character here has a slightly gamey edge to it, which is interesting.

M: Light-bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: This is pretty good, besides the initial off-aroma. A little more sour than the average Berliner.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 01:01:28 | More by Etan

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Matt for this one. 22oz. into a Brooklyn Brewery snifter. Shared with schen9303.

Pours no head. Beer is a pale, slightly cloudy lemon. Lacing is spotty and sparse with little stick. Decent legs though. Average.

Nose is exceedingly funky. Notes of lemon, yeast and a tart cheesiness. I can't tell if I love it or hate it. Aromatic though.

Opens light tart lemon zest, citrus and wheat. Yeasty towards the middle with a sprinkling of banana floating around the lightly malty backbone. Finishes with a lemon peel bite. Slightly tart aftertaste. Solid.

Light bodied with moderate carbonation. Slick and watery in the mouth and goes down tart, crisp and refreshing. Accented finish with a lingering, sticky aftertaste. Very solid. Quenching.

The more berliner weisse beers I drink, the more and more I like the style. This one definitely contributes to that trend. Light, crisp, refreshing and super easy to drink. Definitely worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 03:00:46 | More by SpeedwayJim

thagr81us

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to BeerBuddy2122 for sending me this one as part of a past trade! Shared this one at one of our Random Sunday Tastings! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a hazy pale golden yellow with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, funk, earth, subtle tart, wood, herbs, and butter. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, smoke, wood, butter, wheat, and herbs. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a good brew. I had been interested in this brew since seeing the name of it for the first time. I'm quite glad that I opted to trade for this one though. The flavor on this one was quite refreshing while still having a nice touch of earthiness The herbal note was also a nice touch as well that completely came out of nowhere. While this did possess some butter in the nose and flavor, it was actually quite well incorporated into the brew which was nice to see. Really glad I got the chance to try this one and would suggest it to just about anyone if they are given the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 14:30:59 | More by thagr81us

homebrew311

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pale straw yellow with no head. Smell is heavy on wheat with light tartness. Oak and corn in the background. Taste is light and citrusy. Sour character up front with lemon juice, slight oak character. Mouthfeel is light with moderate carbonation. Overall, decent Berliner, not overly tart. Overall it's refreshingly.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 00:35:42 | More by homebrew311

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle picked up in San Antonio and opened on 11.20.12

A - Cloudy, very light orange-yellow with a fizzy white head that is gone quickly.

S - Lots of citrus lemon and wheat. Some sweetness as well.

T - Tart, but sweet lemon, wheat and corn. nice.

D - Good carbonation and a light body.

O - Tart lemon with a wheat influence, very good.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 07:11:50 | More by HuskyinPDX

brystmar

New York

4.3/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Nate!

Timid, straw-colored body fizzes up some mild white head. Huge lactic aroma billows from my glass. Somewhat sulfuric, and that actually works pretty well.

Tart, lactic, crisp, bubbly, citrusy, and refreshing. Immensely drinkable, and excellent for a non-fruited Berliner. Age it with some fresh fruits and this will be phenomenal.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 23:05:30 | More by brystmar

danedelman

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Trade from h0rnedfr0g

A-straw yellow with almost no head.

S-sour lemons, cornmeal, smelling Brett in here as well. Typical Berliner.

T-hate to say this but tastes identical to my Homebrew Berliner. Tart lemons, creamed corn and grapefruit juice. Really well done. Best commercial Berliner I have had!!

M-little bit too much viscosity on this. May be the lack of carbonation.

Best Berliner I have had commercially.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 00:32:13 | More by danedelman

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer is lightly hazy and appears lemon yellow colored. A bit of a gushing head at first, but the head fizzles away hastily, giving a still appearance. The aroma brings wheat, funk, lemons, citrus, wild yeast. The taste follows suit, with a nice puckering finish. Tart and delicious. Low abv and refreshing. I really dig this beer. I'm glad I have more of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 04:19:34 | More by Huhzubendah

wagenvolks

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle into an Andechs weizen glass.

Yo Soy Un Berliner. A welcome addition to the burgeoning Wild Ale scene in Texas, and a style that takes well to the intense summer heat. This one pours with a dusty, golden-straw body and a heightened carbonation level that sends several trails of bubbles streaming upwards to fuel a thin, eggshell-white head. Aroma has some delicate notes of funk and wood backed by wheat graininess and a light, spritzy burst of tartness.

The flavor pops much more than the aroma suggests, as a bright tartness greets the top and sides of the palate. The tart soon turns to a puckering sourness with a hint of barrel, mineral water, and wheat. Super clean finish. Mouthfeel is perfect. Light, crisp body with an uppity carbonation level makes for a most refreshing afternoon beer. Another excellent Sour Ale from Freetail. I really hope they re-brew this one and use it as a base for some interesting fruit additions...

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 01:09:49 | More by wagenvolks

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks are owed to both BA's canadianghetto and mhenson42 for hooking me up with bottles of this. Poured from a bomber into a snifter, the brew appears a light clouded yellow color of lemonade. A finger of white head sits atop and rapidly dissolves to nothing. Rising bubbles of carbonation attempt to reform a head but only maintain a ring around the perimeter of the glass. A swirl agitates bubbles from solution and puts some spots of lacing effect on the glass.

The smell includes lemony lacto notes, cereal wheat-like grains and an overall fresh quality that is very enjoyable. There is the faintest amount of raw oak quality present across the back with a hint of sulfur. As the brew warms up, there is this unmistakable aroma that ive never experienced in a beer before: Cheesy poofs... I dont know how and I dont know why but this smells somewhat like cheesy poofs and/or packaging peanuts. It isn't a bad thing, just totally crazy and unexpected.

The taste really brings it with a lemony essence of lacto coupled with a fruitiness like lemon zest, pulp and juice. The first couple of sips flirt with being more sour than tart but as the palate becomes accustomed, it is appropriately tart with the lemon upfront and a cereal-like grain sweetness filling out the back. Just like the aroma indicated, there is a mild raw oakiness that is quite faint at times that accents the tartness of this brew and really dries it out with a tannic sort of feel. As the brew warms up, there is a bit of grassiness and straw-like grain quality that emerges.

This is a light bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. I would have liked to have seen just a bit more carbonation but as-is it is acceptable. It is light, refreshing, enjoyable, crisp and downright poundable. For being nearly 4.5% abv, I expected to get a little bit of alcohol presence in this and surprisingly it was absent. Very well done. Freetail Brewing Company ladies and gents... this is the real deal! A wonderful array of character to take it, deeply complex and enjoyable for the style. At times it flirts with almost being too sour for the style but it is solid. Fans of the berliner style, this is a must-try. It was my intention to keep a bottle or 2 of this and see how it ages but F-it, I just might drink another bottle as soon as this one is empty.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 00:02:55 | More by stakem

cosmicevan

New York

4.5/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Notes taken from a bottleshare at the Phoenix Sun in NYC. Thanks kindly to Thomas for sharing.

a - murky yellow almost snow white.
s - nice grassy sweet tarts and white wine
t - some rotten eggs and sweet tart. more sour than your run of the mill berliner.
m - prickly. balanced. good amount of water to give it a medium body.
o - really enjoyable. VERY tasty and super easy drinker. could drink this one ALL day long.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 19:58:26 | More by cosmicevan