Sauerstrom Ale
Lightning Brewery

Sauerstrom AleSauerstrom Ale
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From:
Lightning Brewery
 
California, United States
Style:
Berliner Weisse
ABV:
4.2%
Score:
75
Avg:
3.06 | pDev: 24.51%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
30
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 03, 2014
Added:
Aug 29, 2011
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by mactrail:
Photo of mactrail
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

3.97/5  rDev +29.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sauerstrom Ale from the 22 oz bottle from Best Damn. Pours a hazy golden at first, lots of sediment starts stirring up after that. Very nice foam and lacing in the tulip glass. Light body with pleasant creamy mouthfeel. Label says 4.5% ABV.

More tart than sour, without any suggestion of vinegar. Just a suggestion of malty sweetness gives it more interest than some of this style. Certainly more drinkable that other examples, like the DFH Festina. Nice nose that hints at the German wheat esters. Slight warmth and spiciness balances against the acidity. The tartness fades with each sip, leaving that touch of malt. I think this should add some credibility to Lightning's capabilities. A new West Coast Berlinerweisse style?
Dec 11, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.1 by wethorseblanket from California

Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by lillitnn92 from Virginia

Nov 20, 2014
 
Rated: 1.5 by kscaldef from Oregon

Jul 22, 2014
 
Rated: 2.25 by tectactoe from Michigan

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by cjgiant from District of Columbia

Jan 12, 2014
 
Rated: 2.5 by mrebeka from Michigan

Oct 12, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by GraduatedCashew from California

Aug 28, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by RochefortChris from North Carolina

Jul 02, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Gonzoillini from Illinois

Jun 19, 2013
 
Rated: 2.75 by bsuedekum from Missouri

Jun 03, 2013
 
Rated: 2 by Netdigger2 from South Carolina

Mar 18, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by aasher from Indiana

Jan 25, 2013
Photo of Halcyondays
Reviewed by Halcyondays from California

2.96/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
22 oz. bottle,

A: Pours an extremely cloudy goldenrod. Big fizzy white head, good amount of lace, tons of sediment. Bordering on a comical amount of unfilteredness.

S: Lemon zest, wheat malt, some yeast.

T: Tart lemon with a lot of wheat and bready flavours. Some chalky yeast taste as well. Never as acidic as a classic Berliner, but there is a bit to differentiate it from the APWAs of the world.

M: Light-bodied, crisp, mild acidity.

O: Tasting this blind, it would be hard to peg this as a Berliner, since the acidity simply isn't there. A solid wheat ale, but don't go in expecting Kindl.
Nov 19, 2012
 
Rated: 2 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 21, 2012
 
Rated: 2 by thewimperoo from Illinois

Sep 16, 2012
Photo of ngeunit1
Reviewed by ngeunit1 from Massachusetts

4.32/5  rDev +41.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Pours a very cloudy golden-yellow color with a thin finger of frothy white head. The head fades down fairly quickly leaving behind some lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of wheat, lemon zest, sourness and tartness, and some funky barnyard smells.

T - Starts off with a mix of wheat, sourness, tartness, and lemon zest. Through the middle, some funky barnyard flavors come through with some bubblegum yeast esters. The finish is a mix of lemon zest, wheat, sour and tart flavors, and some light funk.

M - Medium-light bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a tart and dry finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice berliner weiss. Good mix of sour and tart flavors with a nice finish.
Sep 09, 2012
Photo of BeerMD
Reviewed by BeerMD from Nebraska

3.34/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Recommended after purchasing 1809 as an additional Berliner Weisse to try. Brought home a bomber to enjoy

Appearance: Pours a golden orange w/ a huge head (probably a bit overcarbonated). Good head retention and lacing. Initial pour is clear w/ substantial bubbles emanating from the bottom of the glass.

Smell: Surprisingly a touch of heat with minimal tartness lingering. Citrus w/ oranges predominating.

Taste: Sweet! and minimally tart/sour. Not expected at all from the style, but very palatable nonetheless.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and velvety; lingers. Not as carbonated as one would expect from visual inspection.

Overall: Good brew, but would not be my first choice when hankering for a Berliner. Curious of the variability between bottles given the wide-ranging reviews. Will drink again.
Aug 21, 2012
Photo of Smakawhat
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

3.6/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from the bottle into a wheat ale glass. Lots of cloudy yeast in the bottom of this bottle.

A real hazy, but also orb glowing neon like yellow and green body, with lemon hues towards the bottom of the glass is presented. Head is soapy and does manage some retention and thick bubbled collar while settling.

Nose is quite tart and refreshing. A real nice sense of dry grain, faint sweet malts on this hiding too. Some faint spicy phenols seem to come out also. Very nice smelling.

Palate hits with a very weak mouthfeel and body, even for a Berliner. Refreshing watery lemon quality, big estery banana finish on the swallow though. Lemon and banana roll all over the palate quite nicely, but I am looking for a malt density that doesn't seem to build, and there's not much sourness to this either in the mouth.

Overall it's not too bad, things could be worse, but not the best Berliner Weissbier I've had.
Aug 15, 2012
Photo of jsanford
Reviewed by jsanford from Georgia

3.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
22oz bottle

Pours a hazy gold with a prickly white head. Aromas of crisp wheat, lemon zest, and lactic acid. Mild, and much more akin to a Wit then a Berliner. Taste is similarly disappointing, wheat, banana, and clove with just a touch of the sought-after lemon and lactic yogurt flavors I want. Not tart, not sour, not flavorful. Mouthfeel is light and crisp, with a thin body and low carbonation. Definitely underwhelming, but I've heard other bottles are better. May need to re-visit.
May 09, 2012
Sauerstrom Ale from Lightning Brewery
Beer rating: 75 out of 100 with 30 ratings