Grätzer
Westbrook Brewing Co.

GrätzerGrätzer
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From:
Westbrook Brewing Co.
 
South Carolina, United States
Style:
Smoked Beer
ABV:
3.4%
Score:
80
Avg:
3.49 | pDev: 15.76%
Reviews:
21
Ratings:
87
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 04, 2015
Added:
May 26, 2012
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  5
This is our interpretation of a Grätzer, which is a traditional German style smoked wheat brewed with lots of hops and 90% oak smoked wheat malt. The result is a spritzy, smokey and refreshing ale.

10 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

2.75/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
The brewing world has seen tremendous advancements in the past few decades: advancements in ingredient development, brewing technique, equipment and intelligence. These developments have led us to many unique and refined flavors while relegating others to extinction. The gratzer should probably be the later.

Its hazy golden pour easily leads the eye to wheat to foster expectations of fruit, spice and bread. Instead the nose is met with strong smoky phenols to overwhelm the senses. Smoldering embers link with burning plastics for an unsettles, peaten, peppery irritation of the olfactories. Once the mindshift turns to want mesquite and savory flavors, the tongue is attacked with sourness and immediate astringency.

While the smoke lifts through the middle, there's the evocation of burnt lime, burnt lemon, burnt crabapple. Strong sourness easily infiltrates the tastebuds with the intensity nearly of white wine vinegar and margarita. Light saline qualities link up with the sourness and cracker-thin malt breadiness for faint fullness and savory effects.

Though its strong effervescence ensures a crisp and light body, it also amplifies the smoke, pepper and chemical properties of the phenolic complexes and upsets the balance as much as it assists the body. However, the mind quickly goes to tonic water and soda-like sprite. Simply put, the flavors that are known to the gratzer are not compatible with each other and even the qualified brewers of Westbrook are incapable of saving the style.
May 04, 2015
Photo of suckaj
Rated by suckaj from Florida

1.79/5  rDev -48.7%
look: 2 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.75
Disgusting, taste like smokey bandaids aged in soda water, why do people enjoy this?!
Mar 09, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by rudabegga9 from Georgia

Nov 06, 2014
 
Rated: 2.1 by Blaze5445 from Pennsylvania

Oct 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by hilgart1 from Illinois

Oct 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by williamjbauer from Colorado

Sep 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by threedaggers from Kentucky

Sep 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by SCanthony from South Carolina

Sep 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by LoveStout from New York

Aug 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by acurtis from New Jersey

Aug 24, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by seavercm from Washington

Aug 24, 2014
 
Rated: 1 by IPAchris from Pennsylvania

Aug 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Mattybz28 from South Carolina

Aug 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by HuaiDan from New York

Aug 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by lupercmda from North Carolina

Aug 11, 2014
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

3.03/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
650 mL bottle poured into a plastic cup.

Appearance - Deep golden body. Huge white head.

Smell - Smoky. Bright wheat. Weird.

Taste - Bright citrus. Wheat grain. Smokey. Bitter in the back.

Mouthfeel - Very light, but quite bitter. Smokiness detracts a bit.

Overall - Well, I guess this is what it's supposed to taste like, but I don't get it.
Aug 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by TheRavenger from South Carolina

Aug 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by ari32 from Georgia

Aug 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by EConnOG from South Carolina

Aug 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by loverofthecraft from North Carolina

Jul 29, 2014
Grätzer from Westbrook Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 80 out of 100 with 87 ratings