Somer Weisse - Night Shift Brewing

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

First had: on tap at Night Shift

Poured a cloudy, white peach color with a nice white head that receded to a thin layer and left a bit of lacing on the glass. Aroma was citrus, musty, mildly acetic. Well-rounded taste, clean and fresh (would be good in the summer, though I did have this in the winter), lemongrass, citrus zest, a twinge of tartness, pale malts, and a dash of gingery spice. Smooth mouthfeel, medium body, very enjoyable overall. My favorite of the NS brews I sampled.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2013 23:00:44 | More by Rifugium

NilocRellim

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the tap at the brewery on September 8th, 2012.

This beer poured a rich, gold, hazy colour with a large, fomay head. It smelled sweet with hints of lemongrass and ginger... almost like a soda. It tasted just like it smelled, sweet with lemon and ginger with a slight earthiness to it. It was low-carbonated with a tart/sour finish. Definitely a very refreshing summer beer... perfect for a hot day.

Would I buy it again? Absolutely.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2012 21:51:51 | More by NilocRellim

flexabull

California

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of cbeer88, thanks again!

Pours a bright and clear gold color with a tiny white head that disappeared to nothing.

Aromas are very nice. Notes of white wine, ginger, lemon, and faint vinegar.

Taste is lactic and sour up front. Thick, with creamy sweetness, tart lemon, light ginger, and a nice subtle vinegar and funky sourness on the finish.

Mouthfeel is great. Thick, full, and very smooth without being heavy.

Overall, this is quite nice. I'm not sure this is a true Berliner Weiss, but that being said, this is still a tasty sour.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 03:50:40 | More by flexabull

cfrances33

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared thanks to bstyle. Poured into a Hill Farmstead stem.

Pour: Comes out a bright, hazy yellow orange, with a finger of fizzy white head that dissipates rapidly. No lacing, and body is quite still.

Smell: Ginger right up front, followed by a really nice lemon rind. Some bready yeast, and a slight lactic smell.

Taste: Again, the ginger and lemon rind really meld. A nice clean lactic tartness, minimal funk, and some bready yeast. Just an overall clean beer.

Mouthfeel: This beer is exceptionally drinkable. Would be perfect on a summer day (or any other time). Despite the lack of carb on the body, still a nice carb on the tongue, especially when mixed with the tartness.

Overall: This beer was a pleasure to drink. Clean, simple combination of some new ingredients. I really look forward to what Night Shift offers in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 19:02:47 | More by cfrances33

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Eric for this one. 5.2%... strong for a Berliner. Corked and caged bottle into a decanter, into a Lost Abbey Teku glass. Shared with schen9303.

1 Finger white head with moderate retention. Beer is semi-cloudy yellow. No lace. Decent for the style.

Nose is exactly as advertised. Lemongrass, big ginger, some light lactic tartness in the background. Aromatic too. Again, solid.

At first sip, I hate it, but on the second, third, and fourth, I find myself liking this one more and more. Opens with a huge ginger presence that lingers throughout. Lemongrass towards the middle with a slight lactic tartness building from the beginning and peaking at the end. Finishes lactic and ginger peel. I like it.

Light bodied with moderate carbonation. Light and crisp in the mouth and effervescent and slightly puckering going down. Messy finish with a lingering aftertaste. Good for the style.

I'm not a huge fan of ginger but I love me a solid berlinerweisse and this one delivers. A little weird and takes a bit getting used to but it works for some reason. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 23:37:26 | More by SpeedwayJim

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hazy gold with a big and pompous white head. As is typical with the style head is all bluster and quickly fizzles itself out. The cork actually fits back in the bottle which is an idea more breweries should follow.

Smells like hay and vinaigrette with green apple peel highlights. Sugary Twinkie malt comes through as it warms.

Tastes like ginger lemon vinaigrette and sweet white cake. Very summery.

This is my second Nighshift beer and I'm not just impressed I'm in awe. Now Teddie isn't the only good thing to come from Everett.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 03:54:33 | More by donkeyrunner

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 750 mL chilled bottle poured into a Dogfish Heead tulip glass. Served straight from the refrigerator, so this is nice and cold. Batch #3, bottled on 6/18/2012, 4.9% ABV.

Appearance: Light yellow in color with a nice light, fizzy white head that recedes almost immediately. Pretty cloudy.

Aroma: The ginger and lemongrass really stand out. Some light lemon notes in there as well. Almost reminds me more of a ginger soda than a berlinner weisse.

Taste: Once again the ginger and lemongrass really dominate. There's not a lot of spice in the ginger notes, just really strong aromatics. There are some sour lemon notes in the background, but it is not overly sour at all.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and nicely carbonated. Very refreshing.

Overall, an interesting take on a berlinner weisse. I feel like the ginger and lemongrass really overpower everything and can become too much too handle. Some lighter touch with the spice notes would do wonders. The sour component is pretty nice, but hardly ever shines. Definitely a unique beer unlike anything I've ever tasted.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 02:39:54 | More by Gosox8787

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared with a few friends, thanks guys. Very cloudy yellow color. No real head. Minimal lacing. Tons of ginger in the nose. Taste really does hit you with a load of lemongrass and ginger. Mouthfeel is very tart yet refreshing and light. Love that twang left on the palate. Nice beer to sip, but I wish it was a bit more inviting to look at from the beginning.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 20:58:20 | More by morebeergood

afksports

New York

3.4/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Looks like pee. Appropriate for style I suppose. smells like ginger, overwhelmingly. Tastes like ginger and water, and a hint of lemon. Hops are present only a little, but grassy. sticky finish worth a mild tartness that's vey appropriate for the style. Malts and mouthfeel medium, rather than thin, and the 5.2 abv is a little high. Still enjoyable thigh, especially for a summer beer. I hope they make more of this. Thanks, mike!

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 03:25:26 | More by afksports

Keene

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

As my introduction to Night Shift, I was very happy with their take on this uncommon style. (Note: I tasted Batch #1, bottled 4/12/2012.) A foamy white fluff appears immediately upon pouring, collapsing into a liquid the color of tarnished gold. The smell is outstanding; lemongrass with a salty prickle that fades into ginger as the beer warms in the glass.

Their Berliner Weiss also shines in the flavor department. I picked up lots of citrus and ginger, but also green mango as well as a mellow, agreeable sourness that I wanted to find in the first place. Medium-bodied with some acidity, Somer Weisse finishes clean and paired well with an Indonesian rendang. In general its tart profile makes it a great companion to Southeast Asian food.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 12:45:17 | More by Keene

JohnCurran

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thin, quickly-dissapating head. Vigorous carbonation. Cloudy yellow appearance.

Great summer sour brew. Ginger, ginger, ginger up front. Strong sour lemon finish with a hint of sweet citrus. Doesn't cause a huge pucker but a nice long citric acid burn. Refreshing and highly drinkable.

This is a wonderful summer beer that would work perfectly with burgers and potato salad. Would compliment a spicy Thai meal perfectly.

Great job Night Shift!

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 22:51:00 | More by JohnCurran

Dope

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 1, bottled 4/12/12, 5.2% ABV

A: Cloudy pale straw pour with a large fizzy white head adorning it. Fades quickly, leaving just the lightest smidge of lacing. None of the night shift beers seem to have much lacing, odd.

S: Loaded with fresh ginger up front. Wheaty with hints of tart lemon.

T: Quite sour lemons and wheat up front. Turns into that strong ginger flavor once the tartness has cleared. The slightest grassy touch in the finish. Very crisp.

M: Medium-bodied with higher carbonation, crisp and smooth.

O: Definitely sour but not overpoweringly so. Simple, crisp and refreshing combination of citrus and wheat. Good hot weather beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 02:33:39 | More by Dope

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Somer Weisse pours a cloudy honey yellow with a small fizzy white head on top. The foam disappears quickly leaving only a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is loaded with ginger and lemongrass. A touch of wheat and orange peel are also present.

Each sip of this light to medium bodied beer is soft and creamy with a mild carbonated fizz. Ginger and tart lemon dominate the flavor. In the background a sugary sweetness balances out the sour notes. It finishes with some tart orange citrus with lingering ginger and lemon when gone.

The appearance of this beer is rather flat, but the flavor is terrific.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 01:50:59 | More by WanderingFool