Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse - Professor Fritz Briem

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.59/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours light yellow, similar to a hefeweizen. A bubbly white head forms but disappears as quickly as it came.

Smells of tart lemon and other citrus, wheat and bread (wheat bread?), maybe some spices and yeast.

Taste is pretty much spot on with the nose. Nicely tart and citrusy with some nice wheat flavors, refreshing and tasty.

This is a solid berlinerweiss but it's not mindblowing or a standout. Given the low availability for the style in general, I'm sure I'll be buying this one again.

7.2/10

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 18:02:19 | More by AlexFields

TexIndy

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Brought back from Indy. Poured from a 500ml bottle into a pint glass. The labels had interesting story about the style and how this is part of their lost style series - interesting. No dating info. It was a hazy pale straw color. Amazing amount of carbonation in it. Almost like champagne. No lacing. It had a massive fizzy white head that quickly settled into a thick foam that was constantly fed by the carb.

After reading the other reviews, I was drooling as I love sour beers but this one disappointed. The aroma was almost wit or saison like with some granny smith apple in there as well. Some sour from the apple but pretty muted. The taste had even less sour to it. Just a small sour bite. Not sure if I got a bad bottle or if I'm just used to really sour beers after going on a Wild Ale kick these days. The flavor was good but seemed to be lacking. A bigger sour bite would make this one outstanding. As is, this bottle is good but not great. Gonna have to find another sometime.

Overall, an interesting beer that has potential if it gets more sour to it. Hopefully, my bottle was off and I can try a new one in the future. I do recommend as it is rare style and it does have a unique taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2009 01:40:47 | More by TexIndy

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Extraordinarily clear liquid, at least until I poured the second half of the bottle. Now, there's LOTS of clumped yeast in the beer. Straw colored. Lots of carbonation coming up from the bottom of the glass. Good starting head but it completely fizzes out to no bubbles and correspondingly no lace.

Mildly wheaty and quite sour to the nose. Some yeast.

Initial sip is mild but soon grows in lemony tartness. The beer is less carbonated than the appearance would lead one to believe.Crisp and clean, there is virtually no aftertaste except a lingering creaminess that reminds me of skim milk.

This tastes better once the yeast from the base of the bottle is added to the glass.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 22:11:23 | More by smcolw

hwwty4

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 16.9oz bottle into my Unibroue tulip. This beer pours a clear, straw yellow with a nice 2 inch white head. The aroma of this beer is what reminds me of sweet tarts. Definite sour notes, with a little grain, and just a hint of brown sugar. The taste is sour wheat malt. It seems to me to be really 1 dimensional. Just tart with a bit of what reminds me of green veggies. The mouthfeel is light and crisp. While drinkable, I find it just a little to tart for a beer that's not a sour.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2008 02:28:52 | More by hwwty4

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

16.9oz bottle. Poured a light and hazy straw color with a huge sized white head. Aromas of cloves, bananas, wheat, and citrus. Tastes of wheat, lemons/citrus, and very light spices. Tart finish. Body on the thinner side. I could see drinking this on a hot and humid day.

Notes from and tasted on 6/12/07.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2008 06:08:22 | More by hopdog

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Large, noisey, white head that burns itself out into nothing. I'm told this is standard for the style. Cloudly, pale lager yellow. Lotsa bubbles.

Tart green apple.

Tastes like water (yet very dry, huh)that has had Lemonheads soaking in it--kind of a one trick pony. Again, not my thing but par for the course I guess. Thin.

I'll take everybody's word that this is a good representation of style and hey, the bottle says Napolean drank it so that's good. Right?

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2009 22:04:45 | More by donkeyrunner

jethrodium

California

3.63/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle. Pours a hazy golden with a huge white head that dissipates pretty quickly and leaves a small amount of lacing on the glass. The head reappears with some swirling of the glass. Aroma is wheat, grass, a light funk, and some lemony zest. Initial taste is a lemony zest, going into some wheat, light grapefruit. Finish is more wheat with some yeasty funk. Light body. Medium-low carbonation. Overall a pretty tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 02:24:54 | More by jethrodium

klewis

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very pale and hazy straw color with a big frothy head. THe head quickly fizzes away. No lace.

S: Musty smelling, but with the familiar Weihenstephaner cloves and banana smell.

T: Tart and acidic. A strong lemon and citrus flavor up front gives way to a bready character in the finish.

M: Light with lots of carbonation. FIzzy.

D: The sourness takes some getting used to, but true to Weihenstephaner fashion, this is a good beer. I'll probably stick to the hefe next time though.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2007 04:46:27 | More by klewis

shbobdb

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev -11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewing beers like this is always tough: does it matter more that it is a good beer or more that it is horrifically not to style?

The beer pours a nice pale straw with an incredibly amount of carbonation. It certainly looks like a Berliner Weiss.

But then the smell hits. Bananas. It seems like they used a weizen yeast for this beer, which is very unusual as Berliner Weisses normally use a very clean fermenting yeast strain. It is really a very one dimensional smell: just bananas.

The taste is an awkward love-child of Weizen and Berliner Weiss flavors. A blast of banana followed by a nice, light lactic tartness. Personally, I think it could have been more tart, but I tend to like my beers very sour. The aftertaste is a lingering "cream" from the protein in the wheat.

The mouthfeel is fantastic, nice and bubbly. Given that this beer is twice the strength of a modern Berliner Weiss, I was expecting the beer to be too full for the style, but it maintains a nice champagne-like mouthfeel: thin and bubbly. I dig it.

The drinkability of the beer is pretty good. I certainly like it and will probably buy it again, but I'm having a hard time getting past the banana. I mean, if they are going to use a weizen yeast, they should at least try to get some clove in there to balance it out. It reminds me of a homebrewed Berliner Weiss I made a while ago, where my girlfriend turned the temperature up in the apartment without telling me. The yeast I used (nottingham -- not quite to style either, I know) kicked off a ton of banana. Just one-dimensional banana. This beer reminds me of that homebrew.

Certainly not bad, but not what I was looking for either.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2008 17:30:00 | More by shbobdb

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Winking Lizard. Served with a cup of raspberry syrup which I declined. Pours a somewhat hazy yellow-gold color with a medium thin bone white head that diminishes slowly. Patches of lacing on the glass. Tart fruit, doughy malt and spices in the nose. Light-bodied and clean with a tart citrus and raspberry character. Mild spices and grainy malt flavors as well. The finish is fruity with a lingering tartness afterward. Overall this is pretty interesting.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2008 18:57:58 | More by Dogbrick

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle into a tulip

A: This pours a clear, very light golden color with three fingers of head even with a very delicate pour.

S: A moderately strong lactic aroma dominates with lemon zest and light to moderate wheat in the background. I get a fruity guava aroma, too. Fairly strong aroma for a Berliner Weisse.

T: A strong tart flavor starts out, similar to granny smith apples. Not overly acidic, though. I get a good amount of wheat flavor as well, more than I'm used to for a Berliner Weisse.

M: Medium thickness, actually fairly thick for the style with very strong carbonation.

O: A bit thick and wheaty for a Berliner Weisse, but still quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 02:00:08 | More by coreyfmcdonald

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

3.65/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

I knew this beer had a different character, but it still surprised me negatively, even though I enjoy sour beers. This Berliner Weisse poured as a golden, somewhat hazy with no neck at all (not even a poorly retained one). The smell is a mixture of curdled milk, leather, sweat - all expected from the style, but they were too evident here. The taste is very refreshing, with good carbonation and acidity. The low-body, but impacting taste leaves more tartness in the finish.

My scores were based on the pure, non-syruped drink. For reference, I also used a non-standard passion fruit concentrate, but even generous amounts of it did not mitigate the overwhelming lactic character - again, it was expected, but too evident on this beer. It helped the appearance, though, as I could finally see a white neck just for a few seconds.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 17:43:42 | More by HabiMendes

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.68/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 7/22/08. Bottle. Pours a cloudy yellow gold with a fizzy white head. Aroma of lots of spices, yeast. Smells like a witbier. Flavor of initial carbonation, yeast/bread, spices, with a slightly sour finish. Not as sour/tart as I'd expected from a berliner weisse and a little bit spicier. Still quite tasty and very drinkable.
7/4/7/4/13 (3.5/5)

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2008 22:53:27 | More by LilBeerDoctor

soze47

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Overall, I've had much stronger example of the style, but this is a very adequate rendition.

Appearance: One finger of quickly dissipating foam. Hazy yellow that my GF described accurately as "Mayer lemon" in color.

Aroma: Tartness is on the nose, which is a hard smell to describe. Slightly yeasty. Not very complex.

Taste: Crisp and tart at the get go with no real strong flavor comparisons. Dry like champagne, but nearly as robust. Tart but not sour, no pucker quality here. Overall taste fades very quickly and no strong after taste is present. Not an ounce of sweetness in this one.

Mouthfeel: Light, clean, and smooth for a tart beer. Bubbly and crisp taste that goes down quickly.

Drinkability: While not complex, it is very refreshing and almost thirst quenching. It hides 5% ABV very well, especially when compared to lower ABV examples I've had in this style. This would actually be an awesome beer for a hot sumer day and a great beer to have for a picnic or day at the beach.

Overall: This is an adequate beer that I'd pick up again if I ran across it and was in the mood for this style, but I would not hold it to the same regard I hold others(The Bruery & Cambridge Brewing Company were much better).

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 01:06:27 | More by soze47

NardiByNature

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fizzy overflow upon popping the cap. Big ol’ white head sits atop a liberally carbonated hazy yellow body: hard to fault the appearance of this one – stunning in a curvy hefe glass with a an even pancake of a head that sticks around for the long haul. Has the musty sort of lactic aroma associated with many wheat/Belgian styles; it’s citric, and there’s an aromatic sandalwood type smell. The carbonation jolts my throat – flavor is subtle but refreshing: light bodied, lemony, tart, and dry. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 22:56:50 | More by NardiByNature

zeff80

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, fizzy golden-yellow color until the yeast at the bottom of the bottle hit the glass, then it became cloudy. It had a white, fizzy, four-finger head.

S - It smelled of wheat, yeast, clove and lemon.

T - It was fruity sweet with a sour kick. A nice wheat flavor, too.

M - It was very sarp and crisp. A light-bodied beer.

D - My first of the style and I really enjoyed it. A very good weiss beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2008 00:34:01 | More by zeff80

Living816

3.73/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A tasty beer, but one that seemed a bit absent. It had clear undertones of a hefeweizen beer, excepting some citrus and bright flavors independent of the sour, with obvious wheat and spice just to remind you of its origins from zee Germans.

As for the sourness, it just didn't come through. Present yes. But not in force. For something claiming to be this historical recipe by zee great doktor, lekturer and bier maker fritz briem, I thought it was a little flaccid.

Clearly above average in category and way above average in beers overall. But a lackluster turnout. It's a hefeweizen that has gone sour. Too much wheat character.

I'd give it an 83/100.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 03:21:19 | More by Living816

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours cloudy light straw...after the massive head fades. Barely anything but foam on the first pour. Obviously good retention with a creamy pillowtop head and good lacing.

Aroma is a little crackery with light grains and a subtle tartness.

Similar flavors. Very cracker heavy and grainy. Goes down pretty easy although I'd prefer a bit more tartness.

Light mouthfeel ample carbonation.

Solid and nice to have a bottled Berliner around when I have a craving for one, but better examples exist.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 23:00:16 | More by jmarsh123

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy yellow body with a thick white head.

Smell: Aroma of sour wheat and tart lemon with a noticeable DMS character that smells distinctly of pot stewed veggies.

Taste: Faint, soft wheat flavors with a splash of lemon juice and merely a hint of sweetness. The DMS is much, much lighter - like adding an asparagus swizzle stick. Suspiciously refreshing finish that's both lightly sour and salty.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Soft carbonation.

Drinkability: Not so bad, really. In fact, it's so tasty, I just HAD to tell the world!

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2007 20:23:50 | More by ChainGangGuy

Damian

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank from a 1 pint .9 fl oz bottle purchased at Julio's Liquors, Westboro, MA
Served in a chalice

The beer poured a very cloudy, pale, dull, straw yellow color with a frothy, bright white, one-half-finger head that quickly faded to swirls of froth and a thick, clingy ring.

The smell was somewhat mild but rather intriguing. Sweet and fruity. White grape (winey) and peach notes were noticeable. Somewhat earthy with hints of muscat grapes as well.

The taste was crisp, tart and citric. Wheaty and lemony with a distinct white wine/Champane-like characteristic. The clean finish was sour and super dry. As the beer warmed, the tart, lemony dryness intensified. Overall, however, the taste was not as complex as the aroma.

With a lively, spritzy, bubbly effervescence, the mouthfeel was very similar to that of a Champagne.

While I enjoyed this beer, I found that it was not quite as sour or as complex as other examples I have sampled. Nevertheless, this is a light, refreshing and tasty beer perfect for sipping on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2009 14:53:11 | More by Damian

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear gold with a fizzy white mousse that disappears within seconds. Carbonation is obviously very active.

S: Tart and lactic on the nose with plenty of yeasty funk. A mild, grassy hop aroma is present in the background once the beer settles a bit. I wouldn't call this the most complex smelling beer in the world, but perhaps that is just a trait of this style.

T: Notes of minerals, sherry, champagne, lemon zest, herbs, grass, and honey are all over the palate. To be honest, I didn't detect much in the way of a wheat flavor. The finish is crisp and clipped with mineral, champagne, and grass flavors.

M: Light bodied, dry, and extremely spritzy. It feels a bit like champagne.

O: I'm not all that familiar with Berliner Weisse as a style, but I would venture to say that this is a solid example of what a traditional Berliner Weisse is supposed to be. I enjoyed the elegant character of this ale, but I'm not sure that I would be all that keen on revisiting this one until I've tried some other Berliner Weissbiers. All in all, this is a pretty decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 15:30:35 | More by mrfrancis

Cinderbike

Nevada

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pale straw yellow with tons of fluffy white head.

S - Hay, malt, and lemon peel.

T - Dry, some faint malt, dominated by a bitter lemon flavor and mouth-puckering sourness. Slightly peppery at the finish.

M - Insane carbonation, like a champagne.

O - A great beer for a light meal or on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 03:05:13 | More by Cinderbike

Ezekiel81923

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Trying to get more Berliner Weisse's under my belt. This is the first I'll review. Poured from a 16.9oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: Pale yellow or blonde color. Some floaters made it in there. No lacing and minimal head that fades to absolutely nothing. Not very impressive, but true to style.

Smell: Light vinegar, green apple, and mild tartness. Tough to dig much up in this, the aroma is not very strong.

Taste: Not as sour as I would've thought. Seems the tartness is up front mixed in with a good amount of carbonation and segues to the middle and is all but gone by the finish, which is thin. Light vinegar and apple flavors.

Mouthfeel: Thin. Not quite watery, but close. No lingering carbonation or bitterness in the end, just a funky aftertaste from the tartness and vinegar. Sourness is up front.

Drinkability: I could drink this until the vinegar and acidity got to me. Thin enough to drink forever though.

Not bad. I feel like I might've gotten an old bottle. I'll be sure to revisit it as I go through the rest of the Berliner Weisse's I've acquried.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2009 07:43:37 | More by Ezekiel81923

Parrotbeak

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Murky straw color with a white, fizzy head the quickly disappears. Huge chunks of sediment floating around in this one...
Smell is tart fruits and some sourness. Corny/wheaty aroma as well.
Tart, sour apples dominates. Other jammy berries present as well. Same corn/wheat flavor on the back end.
Mouthfeel is dry and crisp, some definite acidity as well. Very nice.
The tartness and unique aspects of this beer make it one which I think I'd only want one bottle (1 pint 9 fl. oz.).

Still a pretty good beer overall. I wish I had caught that yeast on the pour. I'm not typically opposed to ingesting some yeast sediment, but those are some damn big chunks.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2010 01:15:18 | More by Parrotbeak

Pabs311

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- pours a crisp, slear goldeen yellow with a very bubbly white head that disipates quickly, no lacing. alot of active carbonation.

S- lemon zest, lemonade, spices, yeasty bread qualities.

T- similar to the nose. alot of sour lemon zest ip front that finishes with a little dash of spice. very refreshing for a hot day.

M/D- medium-light bodied, high carbonation. very refreshing and quite appealing.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2010 22:19:15 | More by Pabs311