Marionberry Hibiscus Gose - Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

HalfFull

California

3.15/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle into a large globe glass. Pours a hazed ruby with a half inch of pinkish tinted foam. Moderate retention but solid carbonation allowing for an easily maintained surface cap with a quick spin.

Aroma of wheat and a touch of yeast. Just a hint of berry and a slight tartness are integrated with the wheatiness.

Taste brings forth the berry and coriander up front, a touch of apparent salinity on the close and a lingering fruitiness after. No hop bite though a touch of hops is offered on the aroma, quite smooth and drinkable. Light in body, touch of salty tartness though not tart by any means. Interesting entree to the style though likely a bit of an outlier..

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 04:31:50 | More by HalfFull

nick76

Florida

3.13/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The aroma is floral and tart from berries as well as slightly funky. The appearance is raspberry. The taste is like the aroma. The palate is average. Overall I want to like this beer because the concept is so cool but it is just not that good. It's is just too weird.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 23:47:23 | More by nick76

UCLABrewN84

California

3.38/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 5/8/12.

Pours a murky, turbid raspberry color with a 1/2 inch foamy light red head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is somewhat tart and sour with some sour berry and hibiscus aromas. Interestingly enough, the smells actually seem to disappear as the beer warms. Taste is slightly tart with sour berry and hibiscus flavors up front followed by grain and spice flavors on the finish. This beer has a pretty good level of carbonation with a somewhat crisp and slightly acidic mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that I can see being a good introduction to sours for beginners but to me it's not worth revisiting.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 02:26:12 | More by UCLABrewN84

beertunes

Washington

3.28/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Arrgh! Yet ANOTHER hated 22. Poured into 10oz goblet. Poured an opaque reddish-amber (with the emphasis on RED) color with just under a half-inch of white head (that had a bit of a reddish tint as well) that quickly dissipated and left no lacing.

There was some of the Marrionberry in the aroma, but not an overpowering amount, along with an underlying sweetness and a mild tartness. On the tongue the berries were subtle (which, honestly, I was a bit disappointed in. I love marrionberries!), a subdued spiciness, that mild tartness, and, maybe, just a hint of the salt that's expected of the style.

The body was very good, light, but still substantial, but not heavy or cloying. The beer had good carbonation that carried the flavors across the tongue easily. Drinkability was very good, this was a rare case where if I had another 22, I would have opened it immediately (which goes to show my point, if brewers would put these brews into sixers instead of 22s, I could have had 3-4 and still had some left over). Overall, in my limited experience with the Gose style, this wasn't really a typical example, but was still quite enjoyable. No aspect of this beer dominated, but the beer was very well combined. I enjoyed this beer much more than the number shows. It's a must try if you see it. I'll be grabbing another bottle or two.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 19:07:18 | More by beertunes

smakawhat

Maryland

3.18/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a wheat ale glass.

A ruby grapefruit orange comes out and hits the body with some mix of red and tomato and grapefruit colors, cloudy. Some nice rising carbonation but that pink head is throwing me which settles nicely into a good puck and collar.

Nose is fairly wet and fruity, sweet smelling, as if they dunked syrup into this per style. Not much salinity, but reminds me of red fruits such as cherry although toned down. Not much malt chewy wheat sense.

Tastes is interesting, but lacking the qualities of a Gose. This tastes like drinking grapefruit juice with it's classic bitterness and not from hop. Salinity isn't really anywhere to be found and it doesn't even seem that dry. At 5.5 abv the brew feels heavy for the style but without a dense wheat body to go with it. Carbonation doesn't come off as crisp or lively.

Overall it's an ok drinking brew but not what I am in the mood for. This isn't my thing, and this is not what I want when I want a gose.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 23:07:28 | More by smakawhat

vkv822

Oregon

3.6/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz : tulip pint

Pours a hazy, rosey red with a light pink foamy head.

Nose is of wheat, with the coriander coming through as well as floral notes.

Strong wheat presence, lighter notes of floral and lightly sweet berry.

Near medium, average body for the style, though it does seem a tad light at times.

Easy drinking, with some unique characteristics, though fairly subtle overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 07:49:01 | More by vkv822

shand

Florida

4.23/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint!

Hey, it's pink! Even the head is pink! Very hazy, and the head doesn't last for long at all. The color is really a stunner though. The aroma is fruity and slightly sour, with some wheat and coriander. The taste is very nice, it's got an excellent tart, realistic fruitiness over a wheat base. I've never had marionberries, but they probably taste good! There's a nice floral aftertaste as well that mingles very nicely with the wheat. I also taste a bit of the saltiness on the finish. It's not overpowering, and if you're not looking for it, you won't notice it. The mouthfeel is light and highly carbonated, and the drinkability is great.

Overall, this is just a really fun and different beer, and one of the better fruit beers I've had in quite some time. And it's in four-packs for relatively cheap too!

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 03:33:47 | More by shand

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.03/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle, New Belgium Globe.

A: Fairly pink color, cloudy, with a white head that has a pink tint to it. Very little lacing.

S: To me, its very Belgian...spices and coriander, hints of grassy notes and funk, and a definite berry note right up front. Still subtle and subdued, not overly acidic or fruity or sweet even.

T: Crisp...watery raspberry, some malty notes, spice...more of a grassy earthiness and dirty funk, I think the hibiscus is coming through as it warms but its faint...just a bit tart.

MF: Crisp and watery, clean finish with a bit of dryness which lets you know its a Gose.

O: Really not impressive, berry notes are subdued and the flavors and aromas are very light. Maybe thats what its supposed to be (I'm no Gose expert), so if you like these kinds of beers this may be supremely drinkable come summertime.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 15:20:06 | More by Scotchboy

mactrail

California

3.93/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beautiful rosy color in the Leffe chalice. Excellent sudsy mouthfeel with lots of champagne bubbles. Interesting aroma of red guavas. Nice lacing in the glass.

Very restrained, even elegant. The other two Goses I've tasted have been so acidic they were virtually undrinkable. The acidity here is more like a Belgian fruity beer. Barely a wild taste, and not much yeast. A cousin to Morte Subite who went to finishing school. Just a little wheaty taste, a scratchy bitter twang, and a tartness of plum skins. Nice berry flavor and a touch of herb tea.

I'm totally charmed by this stuff. If it's not anything like the ancient style, it's what I like about the World Beer movement. Take inspiration and make it drinkable. They could make another version without the training wheels, though. Another of the user-friendly oddball beers from Widmer.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 03:29:09 | More by mactrail

Docer

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: (3.5)

- Cloudy ruby red brew. Reminds me of their old Widberry brew from back in the day. Not much head to speak of but a quickly fizzling white fluff that leaves a thin spotty island behind, and a small ring resting in the glass.

Smell: (2.5)

- The primary aroma is wheat. Wheat malt is heavy, bready, and grainy. Kind of salty as stated too. Sitting far in the background are some currants and herbal aromas, but this doesn't smell much like many of the Goses' I've had.

Taste: (3.5)

- There are some nice tart flavors with this brew. At least in flavor, this beer inches towards a nice gose. Tart and funky wheat malts, slightly salty, and a subtle herbal and grassy flare to compliment the funk. Very light currants and blackberry compliment the salts and wheat.

Mouth Feel: (3.0)

- This is a bubbly and well carbonated brew. I would think it shouldn't be as carbonated, but a little more light in the bubbly department, and heavier in the body. This beer kind of 'Gose' the other way. It's a touch thin, and bubbly. It does have an herbal drying character to it, as well as a parching salty touch.

Overall: (2.5)

- Kind of a bland attempt at a Gose. It's got wheat, brewing salts, and a touch of funk, but it isn't quite there. Certainly a style of beer that shouldn't be done in large batches and with any brewers house yeast or fermentation style. This is strictly a style all in its own, and should be brewed as such. It wasn't tart enough for me, funky enough, nor did it have the fruit I was expecting after seeing its color. Want a good Gose? Hit up Upright or Breakside. Or better yet, grab a nice Berliner Weisse and add a little marionberry syrup to it.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 05:01:14 | More by Docer

Glibber

Idaho

3.85/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was crazy about New Belgians Frambozen years ago, and when they finally brought it back to my area, I did not really like it anymore.
This beer captures everything I liked. Despite the off white head that is gone in a flash, and the red color, the beer is light, carbinated, and refreshing. No hops at all, and a light sour- light lemons. Great mouthfeel and taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 23:34:07 | More by Glibber

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.6/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had a few of these now with Inflatablechair and SAS... Still not convinced this should be in the "Gose" category.

Pours with a short lasting pinkish head.... no real lacing or cap... the brew is glowing red.

Nose shows bunches of berries and floral notes.. good coriander.

Tart berry... hibiscus tea notes ... coriander and good pale maltiness.. I don't know if I get "salt" other than maybe it helps push other flavors forward...

Interesting brew given the price$$... I will definitely buy again and again until it is gone...

Is it a traditional "gose", NO. But still it is damn fun.

3.5/3.5/3.5/3.5/4

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 06:36:09 | More by JohnGalt1

harrymel

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Been looking forward to this since they announced their intent to brew it. Bottled 07MAY12

From the label: Marionberry Hibiscus Gose: Ale brewed with coriander and with marionberries and hibiscus added.

Pours a lovely dark mauve with little clarity and a solid sheet of light, pretty pink foam. The beer is very good looking, I don't usually say that, but it's a looker! The hibiscus comes out up front in the nose followed by the marionberries with a slight tart character. Coriander is evident and shouldn't be here. Flavor is nice and cultured - good use of the salt here as it simply tames the sharpness the berries bring. Some grassy, woody flavors along with a continuation of the coriander burden. There is also a remaining strength of hibiscus. The body is fairly full and carb is restrained leaving a slightly dry finish.

Overall, I'd tone down the hibiscus, and let the berries shine a little more. The salinity is spot on, but there should also be a bit of tartness. Not the best attempt, but I'm glad to see a big name getting into the style!

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 15:12:10 | More by harrymel