Professor Fritz Briem Grodziskie - Professor Fritz Briem

zaphodchak

Virginia

1.93/5  rDev -49.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Nice straw-amber gradient and a finger of white head. Nice lace.

Smells obviously skunked. Difficult to discern anything else other than skunk.

Tastes quite watery, skunkiness is there as well. Behind the which there is a bit of tartness and a trace of smoke. Ideally, this would be refreshing, but this one is a drain case.

Smoothish but a bit extra-bright and overcarbonated.

You would do well to disregard this review, as I'm 85% sure this is a case of "beer that has gone bad" rather than "beer I don't like." I love smokey beers. How it skunked is a mystery (in the brown bottle) but I'm going to try and get a refund on this one if I can.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 22:05:21 | More by zaphodchak

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -25%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

It's been a while since I was excited to try a Polish-style beer... This one pours a lightly hazy goldenrod topped by a finger or so of dirty cream foam. The nose comprises lemon-coated must, light wisps of smoke, and toasted wheat. I can't say this is the most appealing smell in the world, but it's not all bad. The taste starts off with a mildly tart lemon flavor, then goes into a lightly smoky haze, then revisits the sourness with some sour, funky wheat. Again, like the smell, things just don't come across as appealing, with neither the sourness nor the smoke coming through well enough, strong enough, for either to succeed, even when they start to cooperate. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sticky finish. Overall, an interesting trip into brewing history, but this artifact just doesn't work for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 05:45:45 | More by TMoney2591

oline73

Maryland

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I had this on-tap at Max's. Poured into a sample glass.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden color with a solid layer of fluffy white foam. Some lacing and decent head retention.

Smell: Mildly sour with a hint of banana and some spice. A bit floral and not very smokey.

Taste: I thought this was really different from anything I've had. Sour, but not overly so. Some smoke and a bit acidic. I'm tasting the wheat and a confusing flavor that is a bit herbal. The finish is bitter. A bit muddled.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with fluffy carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I had a tough time describing this one. Really different.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2011 04:44:16 | More by oline73

BillHilly

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured at 55 degrees into a Duvel tulip.

A: Bright golden, slight haze, nice head and retention

S: Sharp hops, not really smokey, slight acid tinge

T: Typical bavarian wheat, very little smoke, the souring is not really prevelant, and a sharp saaz hops & yeast finish.

M: Decent carbonation, easy drinker

O: The pour and the smell had me excited...this beer is median at best.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 01:02:54 | More by BillHilly

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500 mL bottle, part of Amanti Vino's Beer of the Month program. It was pored into my petite Duvel tulip.

Professor Briem's Grodziskie pours a lightly hazy orange. Maybe two fingers worth of white foam rise up and linger for a minute before fading. The nose is very interesting, featuring well balanced interplay between smoke, spicy saaz hops, and a touch of tart, citric lemon. The flavor profile leads off with a bit of a grainy, wheat taste, only for a peppery flourish from the hops to come in next. A light smokiness comes in for the close. Though it's not particularly intense, it does manage to blunt most of the impact of the delicate sourness present (or at least anticpated based on the aroma). The body has a little more heft than I might have anticipated from a 4% beer, and the carbonation just doesn't quite liven the beer up enough. This gratzer's a fairly unique kind of beer, and one that I'm glad I tried. Don't know if I'd actively seek out another one though.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 03:48:29 | More by axeman9182

Tone

Missouri

3.39/5  rDev -10.8%
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

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle into a flute glass

A: Pours clear light golden color with a finger of dense foam. Retention is impressive. Great looking beer.

S: Light bacon-like smokiness with even lighter lemon citrus scent. Some wheat in the background.

T: Tastes just like a mixture of a rauchbier and a berliner weisse. The sourness is very light, though. The smokiness comes out a bit more in the taste than it did in the aroma, but it's still pretty faint.

M: Light bodied with strong carbonation.

O: Not bad, but all the aromas and flavors are pretty weak. However, this is enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 03:14:17 | More by coreyfmcdonald

UCLABrewN84

California

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky honey orange with a 1 inch foamy white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of smoked grain and some tart/sour aromas. Taste is of slightly smoked wheat and campfire flavors. There is a slight sourness on the tongue with each sip but nothing too strong. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer and an interesting style for sure perhaps to one day be added to the style list on BA.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 04:40:28 | More by UCLABrewN84

PhillyStyle

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer poured a light, hazy amber that produced a nice white foamy head that was retained for a minute or so and then faded into a thin ring. The aroma was interesting as it boasted mainly a smoky aroma with hints of citrus hops. The taste of the beer was good, upfront it tasted more like Hefe, but at the back end, the smoke kicked in with a slight pepper quality as well. The beer had a light feel to it with decent carbonation. Overall, not a great beer, but one that I might be tempted to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 16:28:51 | More by PhillyStyle

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours bright but slightly hazy orange with a skim white head that is a bit bubbly on the edges.

Some light malt aromas, but not much else. Some wheat notes, some honeyed aromas.

Slightly tart wheat, with all the good sweetness as well. You get some of the smoke, but more on the back end. Smoke is too light here. Needs more. Finish is back at the wheat, with some sweetness. I actually like the swap from tart to light smoke to a little fruit, to sweet wheat. It works.

Lighter bodied. Adequate bubbles.

I'm ok with this one, and glad I tried this version of a this forgotten style. But nothing I'd rush out to get again. Tasty, different, and just ok.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 19:14:41 | More by OtherShoe2

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy, pale golden orange color with a half finger off-white head that quickly settles into a thin ring. Not much in the way of lacing.

Smokey, slightly funky aroma with an interesting combination of wheat and smoke beer characteristics. Hints of zesty, peppery coriander, banana and bready yeast along with decently smoked malt. The smoke doesn't overpower with subtle hints of charcoal, BBQ, and smoked meats.

Medium bodied with a sweet tartness that I expected from the description but was lacking in the nose. Subtle earthy funk along with a strong citrus/lemon peel presence. Plenty of zesty spice with hints of coriander and pepper along with some bready yeast. Smoke less prominent than the aroma suggests. Tastes more like a slightly sour, sweeter wheat beer with traces of smoke lingering in the finish. Pretty good but if the sweetness was toned down and there was a bit more smoke I would love it. Interesting but I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 03:39:06 | More by corby112

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
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

popery

California

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
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

yamar68

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
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

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle.

It pours a cloudy orange similar to a cider. The head is foamy and slightly off white and leaves some nice lacing.

The smell is funky as all hell to me. Sauerkraut, white raisin, lemon, rye bread, funk.

The flavor is nice. Crisp and bready. Just some beautiful malt flavors. Not much smoke but enough to keep it interesting as well as a nice fruity tartness. The hops lend a hand in balancing it out. There isn't much bitterness but some nice herbalness.

This is super drinkable. The smell is a bit off putting but wow is this a quaffer, I want a large scale cheaper version of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 20:46:31 | More by crossovert

emerge077

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My first Grätzer, this historical style has been on the radar for awhile. First impressions are that its a Berliner Weisse/Rauchbier hybrid. Intentionally sour and smoky, as listed on the label.

Lightly hazed golden orange, not much visible carbonation, but an ample head of foam on top. Copious lacing sticks to the glass, and a floating cluster of bubbles remains on the surface.

Smoky rauchbier aroma at first, pork-derived, sweet smoky bacon, with a light lemony accent behind it. Flavor is similar, smoky woody malts blend oddly enough with lemongrass and a flash of tartness upfront. Lingering aftertaste of sweet smoked malts, and vague floral fruitiness. Even celery maybe. Tartness is gentle and not overly dominating. Aftertaste is really mild and pleasant actually. Carbonation is fairly low, and its medium bodied. Something different to be sure, hope this historical series continues.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 03:48:37 | More by emerge077

metter98

New York

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Hazy light yellow in color, the beer has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that gradually died down, consistently leaving a thin layer of bubbles on the surface and a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderately strong aromas of smoke, sourness and wheat in the nose.
T: Smoky flavors stand out in the overall taste, but these are much more subdued compared to a traditional Rauchbier given the light-bodied nature of the wheat malts. Some hints of sourness are also present.
M: It feels light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is an interesting take on a forgotten style and seems to resemble a hybrid between a Rauchbier (with the smoke) and a Berliner Weissbier (with the sourness). The light-bodied nature and low alcohol content makes this very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 04:06:52 | More by metter98

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a lightly hazy yellow gold with almost a finger of bubbly white head.

Smell. Sour and sweet wheat, a little meaty smoke and a bit of herby/earthy hops.

Taste. Light grains and smoke, not overwhealming at all. A little sour and a little bit of earthy hops are there.

Mouthfeel. Lighter body with medium carbonation.

Overall. I liked this just fine. The smoke flavour and amount is actually pretty nice. Not the least bit overdone.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 01:47:26 | More by Rutager

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The description of this beer at Max's doesn't sound super attractive, but what the hell... I had to try it.

The beer pours a slightly hazy golden amber color, with pretty good head retention and considerable lacing. On the nose.... um, not getting a whole lot here folks. There's sort of a light, smoked honey flavor, but that's about it. OK. On the palate, I'm now getting the bar menu description (a smoked, sour wheat beer). Sure enough, the beer is slightly sour and there's definitely a wheat beer flavor compoent going on. There is also some light fruit and hoppy bitteress in this beer, which is kind of impressive, given the low abv. The beer is otherwise pretty dry, and to no great surprise, has a pretty light mouthfeel.

Couple of thoughts. IMHO, it takes considerable cajones to make this kind of experimental ale. The beer is surprisingly tasty and flavorful, especially considering the low abv. and weird combination of flavors. Yet much to my surprise, that combination works pretty well, and I found myself enjoying this beer more than I expected. The sour component is pretty restrained, and in a beer with this low abv., I'm guessing that's not easy to do.

All things considered, this is pretty impressive....

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2011 21:14:59 | More by johnmichaelsen

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle into pint glass, no bottle dating. Pours hazy golden straw color with a nice 2 finger fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some ok lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of lemon zest, herbal, toasted grain, bread, citrus peel, light smoke, and earthy spiciness. Some nice and balanced aromas with decent strength. Taste of lemon, orange peel, herbal, toasted grain, bread, wheat, floral, pear, and earthy spiciness. Lingering notes of lightly tart citrus, herbal, bread, toast, and earthy spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Great balance of malt flavors with the earthy spiciness; tartness is quite subtle overall. Medium carbonation and light-medium bodied; with a slightly slick and extremely smooth mouthfeel. Extremely easy to drink; with no alcohol presence as expected of 4%. Overall this is a really nice traditional style ale! Nice flavor balance and complexity; and extremely smooth. I really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 02:19:19 | More by superspak

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a dark golden and light brown beer, not thick viscosity like a stout, but more akin to a Newcastle flagship brown ale blended with a Coors Extra. Nice head, dense. Aroma, definitely pick up the sour mash notes, the smoke is adequately restrained for my desires, yet still existent enough to qualify as a smoked beer.

Taste, plenty yummy. Good sour and dark wheat notes, the wheat seems more robust here than in your average berlinner weisse, which is what this seems to be at its heart. Thought the tartness was adequate, could have used a little more tart factor, was just a bit below the 1809. Less sweetness (which isn't high) and more tartness could have helped, don't know to what extent the smoked wheat takes away from the sourness.

While its a little pricey for a 500ml bottle ($7), I could see this being one of those cool beers to pick up once a year, best used when grilling around the pool in summertime.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 17:27:04 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Misanthropy_Sipping

Nebraska

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I was really expecting something out of this world when I picked this up in Durango, CO. I am definitely in love with the Berliner W. from the same brewer.
The smell of smoke, slightly tart citrus, and wheat germ was all very delicate but inviting. Not nearly as effervescent as the Berliner.
The smoke was mild, the sourness was mild, the overall beer was simply delicate. Of good quality, but utterly delicate. So much to the point I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping for even a tad bit more sourness and smokiness to this. Just a tad, but it did not quite pull through.
I was pleased to give it a whirl, but it won't be something I will be charging back to the store for and grabbing up each and every time I see it.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 19:36:53 | More by Misanthropy_Sipping

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Celebrator pokal. Pours a slighlty coudy light orange amber. This white head leaves islands of foam and a ring around the glass, no lacing. Aroma of light bready malt, wheat and a hint of smoke. Flavor starts with light wheat, lemon and faint smokiness, becomes a little sweeter with light wheat and malt and finishes with somewhat abrupt dry wheat with faint memories of sour wheat and smoke. Very subtly flavored, but interesting flavor progression. Light bodied, but to style for a wheat beer. An interesting nearly extinct local style that is well worth bringing back for its unique flavors. I like what the Professor has been doing with these historical recreations.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 03:09:02 | More by LiquidAmber

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark golden effervescent beer, a nice wheat head sticking to the glass.

S - Lots of sweet golden wheat aromas with an almost layered twang. Slightly bitter and dry in the nose. Hints of candied citrus, banana and tangy mineral water. The smoke is hardly present.

T - Earthy and grainy, a chewy blend of wheat bread and biscuits. A bit metallic with some tartness and fruit hints. The hops add a slightly bitter edge and the smoked character comes through cleanly in the end. This beer tastes healthy and packed with grainy vitamins.

M - Light bodied, it has a good drinkability and a clean effervescence. The subtle flavors lend a nice blend.

O - I wouldn't consider this a smoked beer but rather a wheat beer with a mild smoke. Nonetheless its tasty, clean and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 19:08:12 | More by BeerForMuscle

jsanford

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Churchkey in D.C.

Smoked Sour What beer from Professor Fritz Briem (maker of one of the finest Berliner Weisse around)? I'm there! Pours a clear honey-gold with a soapy white head. Lovely aromas of Beechwood smoke, wheat malt, and lactic acid with a slight herbal character. Taste is similar to the nose, nice balance of smoke, wheat, and lactic acid with just a touch of funk. Reminds me a bit of the Westbrook Smoked Berliner Weisse I had at Brewvival last year, but not as clean. Mouthfeel is fairly light, with a slightly watery feel and lowish carbonation. Overall a very unique beer that I'm hoping gets bottled in the future. Incredibly happy to have tried this!

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2011 01:43:49 | More by jsanford