Professor Fritz Briem Grodziskie - Professor Fritz Briem

dasenebler

Maine

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Fritz Briem Pivo Grodziskie - Graetzer Ale
8/26/12
.5L, no date.

Pours a pale, hazy orange with a small white head. Decent lacing and retention. (3.5)

Aroma is lightly sour and subtly smokey, with an almost whiskey-like woody/oaky note. Very interesting and unlike any beer I've had before. (4.5)

Flavor is tart and smokey. What a combo, really throws you for a loop. Nevertheless the beer remains subtle, balanced and drinkable, despite the oddity of the flavors. Spicy and wheaty, with a solid dose of bitterness. A bit oxidized though. The sour-mash technique and smoked wheat malt create an almost Bourbon-like character. Dry, rustic and relatively weightless on the palate. Mouthfeel tends to be a bit watery, something that could be solved by higher carbonation. (4, 3)

A fascinating, resurrected relic of a beer style. Well done, Herr Doktor Professor Briem. Smoked beer fans will find a lot to like here. A ton of flavor in a low-ABV package. (4.5)

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 22:35:35 | More by dasenebler

geocool

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.5%

06-09-2013 23:36:24 | More by geocool

thebouch01

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

06-09-2013 02:38:52 | More by thebouch01

Ego

New Jersey

3.18/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

eyes...
on an easy pour an audibly sizzly head settles in around one finger of white fluff, routinely fizzy with lots of carbonation up the glass, kind of golden with a turn towards light orange, head retention is good as is the lacing, a nice looking glass of suds

nose...
wine/vinegar aroma, like a sharp white wine (dry-ish), some floral notes that drift slightly into herbal zones, the barest hints of smoke, not much else going on

taste etc...
starts sour (but not bracing) and melds into a bready (but not heavy) tone, the moment it might turn to off tasting it saves itself and seems.... quasi refreshing ? sip to sip this is utterly consistent, the hops lend a very subtle bitterness after the initial wheat-ish thing, sort of reminds me of kolsch style things for some reason... this doesn't wow me but yet is strangely pleasant, weight wise this is nearly flawless, a really smooth brew with spot on carbonation and it stays around just the right amount of time

verdict?
interesting and refreshing but just OK overall, probably nice on a summers eve out by the pool not in the heat of the day

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 03:56:59 | More by Ego

Luiz0930

California

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%

05-31-2013 07:08:56 | More by Luiz0930

DaveBlack

Virginia

3.91/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Slightly cloudy golden brew. The head is composed of large, loose bubbles that have zero retention, and leave no trace.

S: Toasted cereal grains, a slight smokiness, almost meaty. Not a whole lot of aroma on this beer.

T: Grains, crisp apple, and a slightly earthy flavor are soon complimented by the taste of the smoke. The smoke certainly does not overwhelm like it does in a lot of smoked beers, but is used to complement the existing flavors. The finish is slightly bitter and full of earthy hops, which carry along the smokiness. Curious that they call it sour. Tart, like green apple, perhaps, but not sour by a long shot.

M: Moderately light body with lots of crisp carbonation. Goes down really easily.

O: This is an example of a smoked beer done really well. If you don't like smoked beers then stay away, but the beer has a surprising amount of flavor, which stands up to the light smoking of the malts.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 21:11:26 | More by DaveBlack

Jsmick

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%

05-17-2013 03:49:25 | More by Jsmick

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: slightly-hazy, light yellow-gold....several sloppy lace rings

S: honeyish, not terribly "smoky" - has more mellow floral and bubblegum phenolic characteristics....very subtle, dull smell overall

T: sharp-tart for the first sip or two, slight smoke in the finish...after the initial sip, the tartness drops off dramatically then slows builds and settles on the palate with each sip....some malt flavor, definitely wheat....the smoke flavor is remarkably reminiscent of the Bamberg beers (same malt supplier, or same wood smoked over) just several degrees weaker.... dull orange-citrus, honey-wheat late in the aftertaste

M: all top, no bottom... mild sliminess.... ridiculously dry.... little residual anything other than a sourish, dull wheat nuance

O: not bad, just dull.... maybe "dull" is not the right word - "dainty"?... comes across like a stupid-mellow Bamberg smoker

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 05:33:16 | More by Bouleboubier

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

04-12-2013 16:35:53 | More by Mebuzzard

Twig2848

New York

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

04-06-2013 03:25:57 | More by Twig2848

DRBiser

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%

04-01-2013 16:57:34 | More by DRBiser

bigred89

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

03-29-2013 01:13:36 | More by bigred89

YobroitsJoe

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

03-28-2013 06:56:14 | More by YobroitsJoe

stickboymd

New York

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

03-26-2013 00:57:35 | More by stickboymd

mendvicdog

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

03-19-2013 02:12:35 | More by mendvicdog

duceswild

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

03-17-2013 18:18:03 | More by duceswild

Tone

Missouri

3.39/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy, golden/copper color. 1/4 inch head of a white color. Decent retention and poor lacing. Smells of sweet malt, pale malt, wheat, slight hops, lemon, and slight clove. Does not seem to fit the Smoked Beer category more aptly applies to a Berliner Weissbier. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. There is also a noticeable tartness. Tastes of pale malt, slight sweet malt, sight hops, slight wheat, hint of smoke, slight minerals, lemon, and a hint of clove. Overall, decent blend, body, and aroma, but smoke is almost non-existent.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 16:04:06 | More by Tone

marlinsfan4

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%

03-15-2013 13:06:30 | More by marlinsfan4

match1112

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

03-09-2013 02:05:34 | More by match1112

popery

California

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours an orangish yellow color. Fairly hazy. Slightly off-white head. Kinda rocky. Fades pretty quickly. Not a very pretty beer, but it's not an important consideration to me. The aroma is smoke with some spicy, mineral-ish hops. There's a touch of sourness and a kinda stale malt flavor. Very mild. Taste is a bit better. It's mildly tart with some nice background wheat and malt sweetness. Low level of bitterness. Good mix of wheat and hop spiciness with yeast or, maybe, actual spicing. Sort of a grassy, wheaty finish. Some funky, earthy flavors are also in the mix. Mild woody smoke. A little too much sweetness for my palate or I'd go higher with my score. Mouthfeel is a bit full. I'd prefer the beer to be a touch crisper, but the smoke might make that kinda odd. Relatively low carbonation. This was a fun beer to try, but it's just a bit mild, and the malt sweetness doesn't quite seem right. I also wonder if a fresher bottle would have a little more hop kick to it, as the label alludes to hops as a highlight and they don't really come across with much strength. Still, I'm always happy to try lesser known and historical styles.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 05:20:49 | More by popery

bklynj

New York

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%

02-04-2013 01:11:44 | More by bklynj

Jspriest

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%

01-19-2013 01:54:31 | More by Jspriest

pathman

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%

01-01-2013 21:40:21 | More by pathman

yamar68

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very excited to try this unusual sounding beer. The label describes it as an ancient Polish style of sour smoked wheat beer.

Beautiful hazy honey body capped with a thin, loose moment of spotty white carbonation... great lacing, essentially looks like a dark Berliner Weisse.

Intriguing mixture of smoked malts, light fruit, soft acidity, some sweet citrus, earthy conifer, everything is kept in check - the tartness, wheat and smoke all each offer an interesting addition to beer.

The smoke is faint and nuanced on the palate which I'm thankful for. Pale fruits - pear, apple, a bit of citrus, I wish there was a bit more acidity... without it, this beer doesn't take any one focused direction. Instead, each aspect that highlighted the nose is rather bland as it translates to the tongue.

Very unique stuff. Get yourself a bottle of this, for the sake of science if nothing else.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 01:23:47 | More by yamar68

gshackles

New York

4/5  rDev +5.5%

12-29-2012 04:01:08 | More by gshackles