Tartare - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

musicman575

California

4/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Now this is a sour beer, true to it's style.

Hazy lemon with no head.

Smells of brett, cherry, green apple, and a littlle banana.

Beneath the zing lies the brett flavor and some earthy funk. Very good for an american version of this style. Better than DFH's berliner weisse.

finishes bright and dry with lingering tart.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2011 05:23:25 | More by musicman575

HopHead84

California

4.33/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

12/19/2011

On tap at Stone.

A: Hazed yellow with a fast fading bubbly white head.

S: Tart lemon with notes of melon and a pronounced lactic sourness. Flowery characteristics accompany passion fruit and a restrained cheesiness. Earth is evident and I get a touch of leather.

T: Tart and lactic up front with an upper moderate sourness. I detect light cheese notes, as well as earth and grain. Lemon is pronounced, accompanying a lower moderate citric acidity and a touch of vinegar.

M: Light in body with low carbonation. The carbonation is my only complaint with this beer as it's a little too low. The acidity makes up for it a bit, but I'd love high carbonation on this.

Overall: A very good Berliner Weiss. Don't pass this up if you enjoy the style.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2011 03:57:46 | More by HopHead84

scottfrie

California

4.33/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks for sharing, Mike.

A: Pours a lightly cloudy pale lemon color with a short lived white head that faded into a faint collar.
S: Funky and tart notes of acidic citrus, lemon and sweat. Powerful.
T: Sweet fruits come through in the beginning. I even get a bit of cantaloupe. Then the sour comes with a blast of acidic and tart lemon zest and sour patch kids. The tartness is clean but this would be very hard to drink a lot of.
M: Fizzy frothy carbonation, medium body, very mouthwatering and acidic mouthfeel.
O: Very tart but great flavor. Super lemon flavor and clean. Thanks again for bringing the growler Mike!

Serving type: growler

12-16-2011 17:32:19 | More by scottfrie

wagenvolks

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

7 oz pour at City Beer Store in San Francisco, CA.

Attractive in the glass, Tartare sits with a bright goldenrod body that fades to a hazy pale yellow at the edges. Up top, a well-retained cap of off-white foam holds court. Aroma is incredibly balanced for the style, with a pungent burst of sour citrus backed by bread crust and a tinge of earthy hops.

I've gotta hand it to Bear Republic...they usually win me over with their hoppy beers (e.g., Racer X, Mach 10), but this beer takes the cake. Tartness hits the tongue and refuses to let go, but at the same time it doesn't overwhelm the palate with sour acidity. Lemon, sourdough, and vinous funk are equally in effect. Mouthfeel is ultimately crisp and well-carbonated. The 4% is perhaps the crowned jewel of this beer...so flavorful, yet entirely sessionable all the while. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2011 06:57:46 | More by wagenvolks

Halcyondays

California

4.35/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours a hazy yellow with a medium white head. Solid head retention for the style, but doesn't last all the way through the glass.

S: Lots of acid and funk, bit of acetic, smells a bit like a The Bruery sour intially. Fragrant and floral.

T: Lemons and acid. Full-flavoured with a strong citrus component. Very tasty.

M: Medium-high acidity, it's got it, but not to the degree of those around me that had it stated IMO. Light-bodied, refreshing for sure.

O: A really good and impressive Berliner Weisse. Maybe not completely to style, but this was one good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2011 01:26:57 | More by Halcyondays

DoubleJ

California

4.43/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Kyle is one of the main guys behind the bar at Beachwood BBQ, and when I saw him giggling as he sampled a newly tapped keg of Tartare, I knew this had to be good. On to the beer:

Highlight yellow in color. It almost looks like it's glowing. The nose is simple, yet the intensity and balance of the acidity and tart fruits are excellent. You can say the same for the taste as well; simple and surprisingly delicious. Tart tart tart tart tart. You certainly feel your saliva glands kicking in as the acidity washes over the palate.

Bear Republic is a very good brewery, though it is not known for sour ales, so it was a great surprise to everybody that this came out of Headlesburg. This is a beer that should turn some heads.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2011 04:37:00 | More by DoubleJ

PerHops

California

4.88/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Awesome beer! I had this on draft today at the pub and it blew me away. Unfortunately so did a couple of their other beers and I opted for a different growler. I regretted not getting this one the minute I left. I can only hope I will be able to try it again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2011 06:01:18 | More by PerHops

ChrisPro

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at FoBaB 2011.

A - Cloudy golden with a foamy white head that dissipates quickly.

S - Nice funk. Some hay, a little earthy spice and some good lemon zest.

T - A bit grassy, then nice lemon tartness. Incredibly drinkable. A bit more tart than other berliners, but I really liked it.

M - a bit fuller than I expected, and felt like the ABV might be a bit high for the style, but it had mild carbonation that worked well.

O - Super drinkable and nice and complex. Lots going on with this beer and I went back for a couple servings. Well made berliner that I would drink often.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2011 21:20:34 | More by ChrisPro