Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse - Professor Fritz Briem

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ah, very refreshing but still strong in flavor. The aroma is a bit musty and bready with sour fruit notes in there. The appearance is a clear, straw yellow, easily mistakable for your common wit. The flavor is obviously sour with a slight starchy taste with light fruit, big cut green apple, slight must, subtle acid, and finishing with mild wheat and lemon. Finishes a bit dry, what a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2008 15:17:26 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A 500 mL bottle from State Line Liquors.

A: The weissbier is pale, a faintly golden straw color that looks like several drops of food coloring in a glass of water. The clarity is pristine, bright and radiant. A finger of head on each pour is quick to settle down, leaving little hint of its presence. A steady stream of bubbles in the center of the glass is visually appealing.

S: The wheat aroma is strong, giving a mildly tart aroma to the ale. Lemon and ripe apples peek through the wheat.

T: The ale has a pleasant tartness up front, sharp but not overpowering. That tartness transitions nicely into a fruity melange thanks to the yeast strain. Berries and citrus are prevalent and nicely cut the wheat's tartness. Bready grains follow the fruit, settling all of the flavors down. A faint banana flavor, near the end of the sip, nicely ties this into Weihenstephan's weisse line.

M: The mouthfeel really benefits from the yeast, layers of sweet fruits emerge that are a needed counterpoint to the wheat's tartness.

D: I'll be sure to grab another bottle or two, as this one is a nice summer sipper.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2009 18:19:26 | More by akorsak

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

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a cloudy straw color with good carbonation leaving a nice white cap with a good amount of bubbles

S: Funkiness, banana and some clove with a dash of hay

T: Like a tart saison blended with a hef with a nice big tartness.Light booze sting but man was this beer good and refreshing.

M: Light body, dry, well carbonated and loads of funk and tart on the palate to keep me happy

O: Very good!

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 13:54:18 | More by barleywinefiend

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

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a weizen glass)

A- This beer pours a hazy golden straw yellow body with a strong carbonation of big bubbles. The head is a big soapy white that fades quickly to a thin ring.

S- The crisp clean smell of wheat has a slight tart note to it but it is very clean.

T- The slight tart note has a hint of lemon and a light fresh wheat followed by a note of club soda. The finish is a light cider note with a hint of mead flavor.

M- This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel with a very dry finish.

D- This beer has a light tangy note but it is very filling. This beer is smooth but there is not much depth of flavor and the tartness is a bit too soft to keep in interesting.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2007 01:21:25 | More by rhoadsrage

jlindros

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Had on tap @ Ebenezers.

A: Super light dirty water colored beer with a touch of pale yellow, clearer than the windows on the walls, and no head at all.

N: A sour lemin with some light fruit, a touch of yeast, lemonade, a bubble nose as well like Champagne, a light sweet malt, very light nose overall.

T: Some bready malts, a little toasty malt flavor with a touch of that dry funk and that typical lacto dry toasty flavor. Lemonade breaks the dryness a bit with some tart and sour juicy fruit, with some sour lemon, a touch of yeast, light and creamy with a subtle malt flavor too. It's very dry all around.

M: Very light with an effervescence, but almost no carbonation.

F: Very dry of course, with a touch of wild dry sour fruit funk and lingering toasty flavors. A crisp but light creamy flavor balances with a gentle tart bite. Mouth watering dryness and sour fruit balance the funk well. The lacto dry flavors stick around too.

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2010 02:09:18 | More by jlindros

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle purchased at Whole Foods in Chicago.

Pours a hazy golden/yellow, thin white head, no lace, settles to a thin collar on the glass. Smell is sweet, nice and fruity, apples, nice tartness, wheat, candy, pretty unique. Taste is light banana/clove, bread, lemony citrus, acidic tartness in the finish. Mouthfeel is light bodied with medium carbonation, very refreshing. Could see myself drinking lots of this in the heat.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2007 00:37:37 | More by Viggo

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a cloudy thick yellowish orange color with a one finger foamy white head that quickly disappears, leaving no lacing. Kind of sludgy looking and unappealing.

Citrusy aroma with hints of corriander and orange peel as well as some funky sour tartness. Slightly spicy with hints of peppery lemon zest.

Funky sour version of a heffe. Bready yeaty bosy with hints of corinader, lemon and orange peel as well as some subtle grapefruit and ripe banana. The tartness is subtle and not as dominant as I was expecting and/or hoping for. Slightly tart finish but otherwise just tastes like a muddy earthy german wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2009 09:03:41 | More by corby112

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at St. James Infirmary. Nice yellow haze glow to it, ample carbobation, head retention is exceptional. Good lemony and tart aroma, fresh ground wheat. Mild yeasty presence.

Taste, more tartness, great light mouthfeel and body to the beer. Amazingly similar to Hottenroth. So fresh and so clean. A perfect summer beer. Very prickly carbonation like a nicely done skunky pilsner (this is not skunky whatsoever). Like most good bw's, there is no residual sugar, just plenty of tartness and a light wheat base to wrap it around.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2011 17:56:13 | More by Beerandraiderfan

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a fairly light gold color, but with surprisingly good head retention and decent lacing. Nose is attactive, with light lemon zest, bread dough and a hint of ginger. Flavors replicate the nose in this excellent beer, and I'm surprised how much flavor it delivers given the low abv. Mouthfeel is light and mouthwatering, with the alcohol completely unnoticeable.

Flat out delicious, and oh so drinkable. Impressive.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2010 21:23:09 | More by johnmichaelsen

glid02

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta.

Pours a slightly hazy lemon-yellow color with a half-finger white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving light lacing.

Smells of slightly tart lemon peel with good amounts of earthiness and mildly sweet malts.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Slighlty sweet light fruit flavors and malt up front segue almost immediately into funky tart flavors that carry through to a crisp and dry ending. The second pour has a bit more yeast that imparts a slight bready quality that evens out the tartness.

Mouthfeel is good. It has a good thickness with prickly carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I finished the bottle easily and could have another.

Overall this was a good example of the style but I prefer a bit more tartness. Still, it's very much worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2009 02:30:51 | More by glid02

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.95/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased from K&L Wine Merchants in Redwood City (great location, by the way - check it out). It seemed interesting enough to bring back to Australia and share; when I purchased it I was unaware it was the top rated Berliner Weisse here, but now I'm glad I bought it.

Pours a cloudy and turbid, very pale golden colour, with a huge soapy and sudsy head of white foam that burgeons up and the cascades down in a very vibrant display. Hard to see much carbonation through the haze, but I imagine it's pretty effervescent. Looks pretty great, what I want a Berliner Weisse to look like.

Nose is pungently sour, with a big carbonic acidity throughout, that is just highlighted and accentuated with a lilting uplift of zesty lemon rind on the back, and sweetened with the promise of confectionery sugar. Dusty and a little refined, it's a more complex and complete aroma than I've yet had from any other beer in the style.

Taste is pleasantly sour, but not puckering, and again lilts nicely with a touch of citric zest. A little sweetness is present throughout, and the body is extremely light and effervescent without getting too gassy or bubbly. Slightly yeasty grit on the back, which detracts a little from the pure refreshment, but the delicate backbone of the beer more than makes up for it.

A lovely, refreshing and very light beer. It's the sec champagne of the beer world. Very easy to imbibe, and incredible delicate, but with a lilt and depth of character that is surprising in a beer designed so much from a refreshment point of view. Lovely.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2010 08:07:51 | More by lacqueredmouse

Gusler

Arizona

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer departs the 500ml bottle a hazy light gold, the head monstrous in size, a bright creamy white, and it fades slowly, leaving the lace a thick and tight sheet upon the glass. Nose has a sweet and sour tone, fresh, crisp, spicy and mouth watering to say the least. Start is sweet with grain, tart at the back with the top light to medium in feel. Finish has a modest acidity, the sweet and sour taste continues to the end, quite dry and a good representative to the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2007 21:07:19 | More by Gusler

DoubleJ

California

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle from Walnut Liquorette, on to the beer:

The sediment was really chunky as I poured it into my glass. I took a spoon and stirred it all together, and the results are for the better. Lovely paleish banana peel yellow color (versus a washed out clear yellow), the head is bubbly and on the fizzy side. A little suspended in the body is a little sediment. The aroma is a good one. It is sour. Tart lemons and more lemons. Yum.

Sour and tart and a little sweet. Definate flavor of lemon. In terms of intensity, it is not super-intense puckering, which is nice for me. Critters add another dimension of flavor. I just can't of what it is specifically, but I'm tasted this note in Cantillon and the like. Bubbly carbonation is pleasant in the mouth, and it being light, goes down really easy.

While not as common as other Weihenstephan products, 1809 is worth getting your hands on. Berliner Weiss' popularity seems to be growing here stateside, but are still rather hard to find.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2010 05:43:46 | More by DoubleJ

beerthulhu

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Brewed by Dr. Fritz Briem of the Doemens Institute with traditional mash hopping and without a wort boil.

A: Pours a hazy golden-yellow with a huge 3 finger rocky white head that slowy faded. There is very active visible carbonation per style.

S: very yeasty, with light bananas, cloves, lemonbread scents, and a dominant citrus sourness.

T: The beer starts out with a moderate but very smooth sour yeasty bite, a dry fruity champagne like palate and is followed by a summer quenching freshly squeezed tart lemony tang. The yeast truly highlights this beer with a traditional lactic acid character. The palate is dry and fruity and wheat dominated and very crisp. The finish is tangy with a big wet citrus kiss balanced against the yeasty sourness.

M: lively from the active carbonation with an oily texture.

D: Overall a very refreshing beer with great yeast attributes providing a sour citrusy bite makes this beer truly standout in its class. Very good drinkability and a very good rating overall within style.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2008 15:56:44 | More by beerthulhu

HopHead84

California

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A very conservative pour yields a white bubbly three finger head, which recedes in a couple minutes. The beer is a light, cloudy yellowish orange.

The first thing I notice about the aroma is the tartness of it. Light fruits are present, such as apricot and white grapes. There is a lactic and vinegary character. Some funkiness in the nose. Not unlike a saison.

Tart apricot and lemon. Slightly sour from the lacto. Yeasty. The malt flavor is bready. The ABV is on the high end for a berliner weiss but it isn't noticeable and it doesn't detract from the other flavors. The finish is mostly sour and is very clean, crisp, and bubbly.

The carbonation is very good. The mouthfeel is very dry and somewhat sticky.

1809 is very light and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2008 05:36:29 | More by HopHead84

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

An immaculately spotless white head is observed but wouldn't hold up. The beer is not so much coloured as it is hued; yellow tint over what is otherwise colourless. Its body is so unique it may be deserving of having a colour named after it. The tinge itself is fairly clouded but the beer holds itself quite clear and even gives off a little twinkle to the light.

Wow, what an aroma! For anybody first being acquainted with the style this is quite an introduction. The aroma is a little sour, with vibrant notes of fresh fruit, apples mainly. The unmalted wheat is faint but present alongside, maybe, a little clove too? The lemon citrus adds to its tartness. This is acidic and you know what's to come is gonna sting ...

The mouthfeel is extremely spritzy with a high and prickling carbonation. All flavour is coated with an underlying tartness, for which we have the lactobacilli to thank. Make no mistake, however, the beer is entirely clean the whole way through. The wheat is vivid and the flavours tangy. There is lots of banana flavour and also plenty of lemon. Berlin's style weiss beer is very similar to the more generic Krystal weiss but it is far more lively, spritzy, and delicious.

The production of Berliner Weiss, due to its lactic bacterial fermentation, shares many similarities to white wine, champagne in particular. The average person will find it overly acidic and it is quite common to see fruit syrups mixed in. Not for me though, I've come to love this rare treat. Its prickling tartness and acidic tang makes it a splendid warm weather drink.

I'm definitely happy living in the 21st century, but all 700 of Berlin's 19th century weissbier breweries probably made a compelling argument that life was certainly worth living before electricity. The label claims Napoleon and his troops called this style "lively and elegant", so it would seem they certainly knew good beer. Maybe this is to blame for all those invasions?

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2008 14:12:29 | More by biegaman

Brad007

Vermont

4.63/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

It's not often that you see an example of this style in stores. The only example I've tried comes from Dogfish Head.

Regardless, pours a beautiful bright yellow color with a thin-head into my glass. Love the color, even if others would find it average.

Tart with citrus and cherry in the nose. A huge whiff of wheat in the aroma as well.

Ditto for the taste. Tart with cherry and light citrus notes. Cloves and wheat make up the rest of the taste.

Lingering citrus, cherry and tartness followed by a hint of clove. Very interesting.

Wow, now this is to the style! I didn't know what to expect but I have to rate this high for drinkability, etc.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 03:32:53 | More by Brad007

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from notes taken on 7/17/10.

500ml bottle poured into a pint glass. This brew appears a fairly clear orange hinted yellowish color with a thin whisp of white head.

The smell of this brew has a scent of lemon and other faint citrusy tartness smelling a bit earthy and with some acidic/sourness about the nose.

The taste of this brew has lemony tartness and a slight souring quality with a grainy sweetness initially upfront. Lingering flavors of grainy sweetness mixed with lemon citrus and an overtall tartness is left inside the mouth with each sip.

This is a light bodied brew with prickly carbonation. The alcohol is much more prominent than other examples of this style. Super drinkable brew that I would drink regularly if I could find it closer to home.

Once this brew warms up to room temperature some brett character becomes evident in both the smell and taste. It was previously hidden beneath the other flavors but once it was warm it presents itself with a light amount of leathery character.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 22:57:15 | More by stakem

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is my first review of a Berliner Weiss (I've had some that were overwhelmingly sour, and when I was in Germany I wimped out and tried the syrups).

A: Clear yellow-straw (becomes very cloudy with sediment), fizzy white head, initially a little retention & leg/lace.

S: Clean sour/tart aroma with lemon, tropical fruit, citrus rind, biscuity malt & a light grassy spicing.

T: Tart fruitiness (slightly puckering), citrus, cider, pineapple, underlying biscuity malt.

M: Light to moderate body is smooth & slightly acidic with a crisp, dry finish.

D: Very drinkable for the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2008 00:21:16 | More by Derek

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy straw color with a good initial head that fades fast. Smell is of hay, a slight lactic sourness, and a touch of grain. The flavor is surprisingly gentle. I was expecting and hoping for something a little more sour. The sourness is pleasant and quite yogurty, but I wanted something more brisk. In some ways this Berlinerweiss is more complicated than some others, and I like the taste, but I'm not sure or not if it is true to style.In any case, you won't be adding syrups to this one. Its also a little higher alcohol than most. Mouthfeel is creamy and delicious, but not as crisp as some. Drinkable if a bit different.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2007 00:44:31 | More by Georgiabeer

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a large fizzy whit head. Fades to nothing. Color is a hazed pale yellow.

Aroma: a sour wheat. Funky old cheeder. A little bit of spice. Smells old. Smells light.

Taste: lemon citrus and old funk. Wheat and spices. A little bit of green apple tartness. Refreshing.

Mouthfeel: crisp with a little tartness. Light bodied with a high amount of carbonation. Ends very clean.

Overall, this was a great Berliner. Easy drinking with a nice amount of sour. I could easily drink a lot of this on a hot summer day. Amazing!

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 02:49:25 | More by mothman

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

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.88/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle picked up at the Coop earlier this week for I think about $5.. poured into my New Belgium snifter.

2 finger head dies back quick above an only slightly hazy dark straw beer.

Aroma is lactic... but not out of control.. grainy.. and wheat... but definitely smells sour.. I am intrigued.

Sour is in the front of the palate.. but not nearly as much as expected.. more like a surprising addition to a hefe... under-ripe peaches and lemon dominate .. sorta dry grainy finish backs into the remnants of the sour peach component.. I want some crackers .. I am still getting quite a bit of wheat that pokes its head through the sour.. drying but in a good way.

Very interesting for sure.. I should probably get some more.. but beer funds are limited.. Hopefully the Matt has a couple more when I go hunting.. This would be fantastic on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2008 07:52:34 | More by JohnGalt1