Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse - Professor Fritz Briem

Brenden

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

It's taken a long time to review, but I've really been studying this style deeply to understand it as my first try so I could properly review it.

This is an extremely pale yellow, just a bit deeper than a good Kolsch but lighter than most macros in color. I expect this for the style. It's also extremely cloudy, as expected. The head doesn't last particularly long but what light, fluffy crown does sit on top doesn't dissipate all that quickly, either. A light touch of thick, white lacing is left in strands.
The aroma is tart and lightly citric, much like a good white white, with a strong note of earthy mustiness to it. There's also a dry malts adding a touch of breads and some wheat underlying. This is nearly perfect or the style and surprisingly potent.
The aroma follows suit, and the strong tart, sour flavors lead the way as they ought to. This beer is reminiscent of the green apple flavors of white wine with wheat and plenty of crackery malts underneath. This one is earthy without getting the grassy / herbal quality of a pils, and hops presence is appropriately light.
With a surprisingly rich mouthfeel proving that light-bodied and weak are not synonymous, this one goes down very nicely, particularly given the crispness that's in every sip.
This is spectacularly drinkable, and anyone looking for light, tart and gently sour and for a pinnacle of this style should reach for this one. Of course, I haven't tried any other Berliner Weissbiers, but I imagine this beer will be extremely difficult to match.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 22:56:49 | More by Brenden

tapman

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Body is a soft, light orange-yellow that is so full of delicious beasties that no light escapes through its opaqueness. The carbonation is so intense, though the head is still pretty manageable, that you can hear the bubbles popping like microscopic bubble wrap. I have never seen a beer act this way before.

Apples, sour cream, grapefruit zest make the aroma for me.

Traditional lactic sourness with a somewhat light toast flavor (very light, but definitely in the finish). Tastes like a really dry cider mixed with cream cheese.

Bright, crisp, dry and refreshing.

It's hard not to give this one good marks since A) it sticks pretty closely to the traditional recipe and brewing process and B) for most of us this is probably our first Berliner Weiss. These B.W.s aren't exactly clogging the shelves, but I much prefer this one to many sour beers I have been trying lately and find it quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 03:42:08 | More by tapman

Sachsenfreude

Germany

4.58/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

appearance; depending on how one likes to pour, either a crystal clear, bright yellow or a cloudy, milky, yellow, packed with lots of thick chunks of sediment. A very fizzy white, that quickly dissipates to nothing. No lacing, very true to the style.

smell; tart, sour, acidic, wrapped in a blanket of milk whey. Lemons for sure, yet not from the hops.

taste; Upfront, lots of lemons and apple cider vinegar flavors. As the tart and sour flavors try to take control, lactic dairy flavors combat them to neutralize the acidity. The aftertaste is that of spicy wheat and lactic acid, mellowed out in bready yeastyness.

mouthfeel; very fizzy and refreshingly crisp. Puckers the mouth a bit after a slimy and sticky finish.

overall; Last time I visited Berlin, I liked the selections from Berliner Kindl and Schultheiss, but this one stands out to me above the others. A perfect beer for a sunny spring day in the states or a sunny summer day in Germany. Highly reccomended for anyone, who can appreciate a sour beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2011 17:35:55 | More by Sachsenfreude

CJStout

Missouri

4.55/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Upon asking clerk for a style that is somewhat out of the ordinary with a distinct flavor this beer was recommended. In short - great call.

Smell: Muted, fresh, appropriate for style.
Taste: Like a tart, sour (tastefully) Jolly Rancher German wheat beer.
Mouthfeel: Very carbonated, quenching.
Drinkability: Off the charts - would drink plenty (if I could afford it!!!)

Overall: Fantastic, refreshing beer! It scratches that summertime itch...

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2009 23:15:01 | More by CJStout

gueuzer

Colorado

4.55/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into Westy Chalice

App- Golden, cloudy with no head.

Sm- Very astringent. Green apples and pineapple.

Ta- Lots of delicious lactic balanced by a good full wheatiness. Fruits from the yeast play with the acid in there: pineapple, apricot and grapefruit.

MF- Very light carbonation which allows everything else to show off. Good wheaty mouth feel.

Dr- Awesome. Could drink all day.

Stellar brew. Total treat. Wish it was easier to get. I can't imagine a better beer to use as an introduction to sours. I really liked Dogfish Festina Peche and this puts it to shame.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2010 03:47:51 | More by gueuzer

ikats

New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pale yellow in color, slightly hazy with fluffy white head that subsides to a thin cover. There is a nice, constant stream of small bubbles rising to the surface. As I started pouring the room filled with the wonderful aroma. Reminds me of sour candy. Not too sour. Just some playful tartness. Lemon with a touch of sweetness. I've enjoyed aroma and was afraid that the taste will let me down. Not so. Lightly tart, but followed by some sweetness. Not overpowering at all. In fact, it's quite light. Very drinkable - the first sip was quickly followed by the second and then a few more before I realized that I need to continue with this review. Pleasant mouthfeel. I'm enjoying it in the middle of January, but it would probably taste even better on a warm summer evening.

Berliner Weissbier is one of my favorite styles, but unfortunately it is all too rare. So when I was picking up a few bottles for a friend, I couldn't resist grabbing this bottle as soon as I noticed it for myself. I was a little put off by 5% ABV (seemed a bit high), but now I'm glad I picked up a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 03:27:26 | More by ikats

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

4.53/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

500ml brown bottle from Ron's Market in Farmington. Pours a hazy light straw color with a good inch of short-lived off-white head. Smells fruity/citrussy, spicy, and slightly sour. Tastes fruity - citrus, apple, equally sweet and sour with a fairly dry clean finish. Light bodied with ample carbonation. Tasty, unique, complex, and super-drinkable. A new favorite!

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2008 01:44:57 | More by MrHurmateeowish

timtim

District of Columbia

4.53/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

this is a hard beer to review because it is art in a different kind of way than most of the beers we try and review on here. the art here is replicating a process and evoking a sense of place and time for the sake of art, enjoyment and education. if we don't know where styles come from, we don't know where to go with them. dr. fritz gives us the foundation of a style that was almost lost to the tee and it is awesome. pale golden with a white head that hangs out for a while, but doesn't leave much lace. nose is awesome. musty, mossy-wet-rock-in-a-cellar, wet animal, and a touch of citric acidity. the semi-spicy (yeasty) taste is way less tart than one might imagine from the nose, and everything seems just a touch subdued, but like i said, fritz isn't really trying to pull out the stops here, he's trying to school us and make us happy at the same time. ahhhh. this is why they called it the champagne of the north. the cellary, cobweb, musty wet-rockiness is very similar to real champagne. yum. i think i've gone on enough here. awesome beer. know your beery roots. cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 21:40:00 | More by timtim

codysjb

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 500ml bottle into my lost abbey stem glass.
A: Pours a massive head that dissipates quickly, (20 seconds to bubble down). Straw yellow color that’s murky throughout.
S: Barnhouse funk, lemons and sourness, with some grape and orange notes. Smells amazing.
T: Sour and carbonated upfront with some funk and a slight lemon taste on the end with the traditional European taste that (to me) separates American beer from European styles. Kinda musty.
M: Carbonation and lemon that pull away from the funk.
O: Really good example of the style. It’s no limbic but it’s really tasty and certainly the best example of the style I’ve had (and one of the most affordable and price appropriate). A

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 04:42:44 | More by codysjb

elinash

New York

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is an absolute perfect example of a berliner weisse. I can't imagine drinking it with syrup, though. It pours with little head, and it's a pale yellow with cloudy yeast. The aroma is slight lemon and light flowers with yeast. Mouthfeel is spritzy, the tartness of the taste changing the mouthfeel. Refreshing, light, and extremely quaffable. I'm glad the world's oldest brewery hasn't sold out.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2007 00:51:57 | More by elinash

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clouded straw gold with a very sizeable brighter white head. Nose is yeasty and wheat. Touch of citrus. Just the nose you want on a weisse. Flavor is extremely tart and tangy, so much so that it really grabs the back of your mouth. Very strong citrus tones. Long lasting lighter aftertaste combines with a lot of small bubbles on the tongue and a good liquid feel. Heavily drinkable, though that first taste really hit the back of my mouth and sent me for a spin. After that though it was very smooth sailing. Well worth trying. Even though the price tag was a wee bit high.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 05:18:36 | More by RblWthACoz

avalon07

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a yellowish color and a cloudy consistency. Some sediment. There was a big, foamy, long-lasting head and good lacing.

S: A sweet smell of fruit, wheat and a little hops.

T: This beer tasted of bananas, wheat, some lemon and mild hops. The fruity part was most evident when going down, but overall a tasty experience.

M: A highly carbonated beer with a smooth, dry finish. Medium-bodied. Refreshing mouthfeel. Would be a good summer beer.

D: This is the first Berliner Weissbier I've had and hopefully I'll be able to find more of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2008 13:38:28 | More by avalon07

WeisGuy

New York

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

a - pours a bright amber color, one-inch white head, not retention or lacing, hazy with lots of sediment

s - great aroma, lots of funkiness a sour smell, some lemon citrus as well as wheat and a bit of hay

t - nice crisp funky tartness up front, mild wheat sweetness underlying a lemony sourness on the mid-palate, more crisp tartness and funk on the finish mixed with a little graininess, no alcohol detectable

m - light-to-medium bodied, higher carbonation, effervescent, dry finish

d - very drinkable, par for the style, the crispness is very refreshing, I could see this as a perfect warm weather beer

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2010 04:35:59 | More by WeisGuy

Reaper16

Alabama

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

500mL bottle served into a nucleated imperial pint glass

Pours a very light, pale straw yellow color. Tons and tons of carbonation jets up from the nucleation. Lots of foamy white bubbles form at first but soon disappear. This beer basically looks just like an adjunct lager. Only with hella yeast sediment. Floaties everywhere! Weird, alien life form floaties! I think these floaties might be the Arsenic microbes that NASA found. So yeah, it doesn't look pretty. And I don't have any woodruff syrup to gussy things up. For the style? I have to imagine that this is spot-on. Some beers just can't be pretty.

1809 smells, in part, like a typical wheat beer. You've got some zippy tang, some banana ester. But what dominates is the tartness. This is not a funky beer, no. This is a tart beer. Lemon juice everywhere. There's other stuff too: some carbonate smells, something almost milky. But that tart lemon is what stays with you.

The beer smells way more tart than it actually tastes. There is just enough sharp lemon juice sourness to encourage further drinking. You've got wheat bread flavors everywhere, some lactose like flavors, a bit of water (yeah, it gets watery around the middle of the drink - to the point where I thought I had lemon water in my mouth). This is very good. Light, tart, refreshing.

The mouthfeel has a flaw - that watery business that I just mentioned. Other than that, the carbonation is wonderfully lively and the body as thin as could be. The drinkability? Off the charts. This is one of the most drinkable beers I've ever had. Lightly tart, the beer just commands continued quaffing. Amazing.

How is this style of beer not more popular? It's great great great. This particular beer needs to be in six-packs as soon as years ago. It's awesome.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2010 02:43:59 | More by Reaper16

JLeege

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance- Pours a slightly hazy yellow color with a massive rising white head that quickly fizzles out to nothing; just as it should.

Smell- Green apple, white grape, and lots of lemon. A very distinct wheatyness and mild funk.

Taste- Tart green apple again, with slightly sour lemon. I have had much more sour, but this has very nice balance. The wheat stands out a bit more towards the finish. Slightly acidic and funky from the lactic acid. Zesty and fruity with a nice dry clean finish. Licking your lips gives you another nice rush of lemon.

Mouthfeel- Light body with spritzy carbonation, dry on the finish. Very refreshing, overly drinkable.

Overall- Outstanding beer, going to have to stock up on this big time. I wish more breweries would give a stab at this style, though this is definitely the best I have had.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 23:52:22 | More by JLeege

ms11781

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16.9oz bottle poured into a a pint glass.

Pours a seemingly contradictory murky, yet bright yellowish orange color. If it wasn't for the carbonation it may look closer to orange or pineapple juice than beer. An unintentionally vigorous pour yields a massive, fizzy white head. The head reaches about 3 fingers and only slows down as it hit the top of the glass. As big as the head gets it disappears nearly instantly. Tiny bubbles ring the edge of the glass but nothing sticks.

At first glance, when the beer is slightly chilled, it smells like slightly tart apple juice. As the beer warms, even just a bit, the aroma opens up. Nice banana and some light spice come through along with some wheat. An almost citrus-like aroma comes through as well. Not a hop-like citric note but more of a freshly squeezed lemon or orange, something with a bit of tang to it.

The taste follows extremely closely with the nose here. The nose and taste are possibly the most similar of any beer I have had. The beer was allowed to warm just a touch before it was sipped so the apple juice-like characteristic that was in the nose wasn't detected here. As with the nose, some banana and spice come along with the wheaty flavor. It is almost immediately tart, refreshingly so. The lemon and orange like quality seems almost dead on here. The beer is very dry all the way through, especially at the finish.

A lighter body and ample, prickly carbonation give the beer an extremely light mouthfeel. It's very crisp, dry and refreshing.

This is an outstanding beer. It is extremely refreshing. It's very light and crisp which, combined with the slight tartness and higher carbonation, give the beer an excellent, pleasant bite. It was very enjoyable early on a Saturday afternoon when it was about 34 degrees outside. My guess is that it's even better when enjoyed outside on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 16:37:46 | More by ms11781

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a goblet. Clear, straw colored with a finger of head. Lots of bubbles. Head broke down quickly to almost nothing.
Impressive smell of wet hay, apple, pear and cherry.
Taste like pear and apple too. Sour lemon and a dry bitterness. Lovely.
Almost champagne like in texture. Lots of carbonation, lighter body. Drying effect.
Quite enjoyable. I would drink it on the regular.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 19:39:39 | More by Fatehunter

brentk56

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours an exceedingly pale straw color with a modest head that fizzes away rather quickly without leaving much lace behind

Smell: Musty aroma, definitely tart, with plenty of bready wheat underlying

Taste: Opens with a mellow bready flavor that is quickly joined by a tart lemon element that grows more sour by the minute; after the swallow, the lemony tartness continues to play off the bland base in a way that is intriguing and satisfying; as the beer warms, it betrays a hint of banana that wasn't there at colder temperature

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with buoyant carbonation

Drinkability: For a sour beer, this is compellingly easy to drink

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2008 23:36:06 | More by brentk56

connecticutpoet

Connecticut

4.47/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I LOVE this style. Not my favorite, but really good. I would love to try it in Germany.

On the pour, this one had a three finger, fast and loudly fizzy head that was rocky as it subsided. This was atop a hazy yellow body, which is expected for the style.

Aroma was sour, again expected. There was a little bit of hoppiness, and definite wheat malt presence.

Ooooh, the taste. Lightly fruity, with hints of carbonated apple juice. Slightly sour with crisp wheat. Nicely balanced, really really good. No bitterness to speak of, but there is some sour bite.

Mouthfeel is very good. The style is expected to be thin, but there is some perceived body because of the pucker factor. Nicely carbonated, sparkly and just damn pleasant.

Great marks for drinkability. This could easily be a session beer for me, and one I will revisit from time to time.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2009 02:23:24 | More by connecticutpoet

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.47/5  rDev +9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Great beer! Poured with a fine, white head and no lace. Color is a clear, light yellow. Aroma is tart, grassy, lemony, berry. Taste has tartness in the fore and the nose qualities. Body and carbonation are perfect for the style. Finish is clean and short to medium in length. Excellent summer beer alone and also equally good with a bit of fruit syrup such as raspberry. Would really like to get some more and lay it by.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 21:36:43 | More by drpimento

jsanford

Georgia

4.47/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into my Unibroue tulip

A - Hazy straw with a noisy 3-finger bubbly white head that dissipates quickly.

S - Lemon, green apples, straw and some sweet pineapple.

T - More tart green apple and pineapple with light sweet malt as the backbone. Very pleasantly sour and lactic.

M - Light bodied with very fizzy carbonation.

D - Extremely drinkable, I love this beer and I love this style. This went from a random choice on the shelf of my liquor store to "I need to go buy more of this". Great example of a Berliner Weiss!

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 04:50:13 | More by jsanford

Beerenauslese

California

4.47/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Body is pale yellow, with a slight greenish tinge. Even though the bottle was refrigerated, it was a bit of a gusher, but I had the glass ready, and none was lost. But a very gentle pour still produced a voluminous head. I let it settle for a few minutes and then it poured better.

Smells of lemon, light malt, hay, and a little spice (from the lactobacillus).

Tastes very fresh, light, and tart. It has a nice level of acidity, and there is a nice lemon flavor over a light malt backbone. The finish is dry with just a slight bit of lemon rind bitterness and spice. It is really refreshing.

The body is light and the carbonation is fizzy, giving this a lively and refreshing mouthfeel.

This is a fine example of the Berliner Weiss style. Very refreshing and at 5.0%, highly drinkable, although it is fairly tart. To moderate the acidity, Germans add sweet syrups to the beer, but I prefer consuming it with food where the acidity can do its thing. This would pair very well with roast chicken, seafood, and cheeses.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 04:14:40 | More by Beerenauslese

BradLikesBrew

Missouri

4.47/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a cloudy straw yellow color with a creamy white head.

Crackery, grainy, musty aromas with strong lemon notes.

Crackery grain is swept asside by a wave of lemon driven acidity that gives a refreshing zip to this unique beer. No sweetness, no bitterness, but a moderate level of acidity and lemon flavors that are reminiscent of fresh lemonade.

The mouthfeel is crisp and sharp, the acid makes the carbonation seem even more pronounced.

Off the charts drinkability, if you enjoy tart beers. The only thing holding me back from drinking this allday everyday is the $5.99/16.9oz bottle price tag. A lovely beer that really shows what an under produced, but fascinating beer style Berliner Weiss is.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 02:33:25 | More by BradLikesBrew

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bottle at a local bottle shop and poured it into 2 tulip glasses. Gave a quick swirl to pull the yeast off the bottom of the bottle and into the beer.

Hazy, light straw in color, the bottle gushed like crazy, but I guess that shoulda been expected when I didn't keep it in the fridge for 24 hours before opening. At least I managed to save most of what gushed...ample carbonation creates a huge head, but no retention. Surprisingly, though, for a beer with almost no residual sugar, if any, a swirl produces cabernet-like legs.

The aroma is full of tart wheat and a light funkiness. The tartness is a clean and citrusy lactic sourness that brings on grapefruit and lemon zest. There are also some clove esters from the sacc. strain. The flavor follows suit beautifully. Clean, crisp, and tart, this is what a berlinerweiss should taste like. Complex enough to keep drinking and sour enough for me to remember that this isn't just a weissbier.

Light and spritzy on the palate, this is definitely a summer beer. Easily drinkable, this is something I will return to again and again, especially with its sub-$5 price tag. I wish there were more of these that were so widely available.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 03:20:31 | More by NittanyBeerFan

Mudpuppet

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- Poured from a 20oz bottle into a Pilsner glass. Pours a hazy straw yellow with a nice 1/4" head. I left the yeast in the bottle.

S- Peaches for sure. I am pretty confident there are none in this style but I smell them very strongly. Some mild sourness comes through on the nose too.

T- Peaches again and some apples too. You would think they are in there. You get the wheat backbone also. The sourness is not over-powering, not quite as high as a lambic or wild ale.

M- Really highly carbonated. This is perfect for this style. Nice and crisp like a refreshing soda.

D- I could drink this all day. I am making a homebrew version of this later this month and I cannot wait to have it here to drink this summer. This is a beer you could drink 4 or 5 of.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2008 23:14:32 | More by Mudpuppet