Grodziskie
Professor Fritz Briem

GrodziskieGrodziskie
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From:
Professor Fritz Briem
 
Germany
Style:
Grodziskie
ABV:
4%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.71 | pDev: 11.59%
Reviews:
86
Ratings:
213
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 11, 2021
Added:
Nov 22, 2011
Wants:
  22
Gots:
  9
Grodziskie or Grätzer is a Sour Smoked Wheat Ale that was brewed in the 1900s in East Prussia and dates back to as early as the 15th century. It was named after the Polish town of Grodzisk Wielkopolski or Grätz in German.

Our historic version is brewed according to the German Purity Law with air-dried barley & beech smoked wheat malt and hopped with Perle & Saaz.

A sour mash is created using the old and forgotten technique called "Digerieren." Finally, a three month aging & maturation process creates a complex sour, smoky & heavily hoppy wheat ale.
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Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
500ml bottle into a pint glass. Couldn't find any freshness dating.

Looks very nice in the glass. Crystal clear pale amber body. Small white head shrinks to a ring and covering, but still manages to leave a spider's web of lacing.

Malty, boiled candy aroma.

On tasting, malty to be sure but not as sweet as the nose would suggest. The smoke aspect is very delicate. There is a nice tart sourness. All of this is very well balanced, nothing dominates.

Mouth above medium. Finish a progression of malt and mild smoke before the sour ending.

Overall, well put together and thought out beer. Would happily have again. Old recipes are sometimes the best.
Nov 11, 2021
 
Rated: 3.54 by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

Jul 22, 2020
 
Rated: 3.08 by Stofko1992 from Pennsylvania

Jul 22, 2020
 
Rated: 3.84 by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

Jul 22, 2020
Photo of VoxRationis
Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York

3.87/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Decanted from a 16.9 oz (500 ml) bottle into a conical pint glass; no production information.
A: Pours a crystal clear, light copper color with fairly limited head formation (but rather large bubbles), little retention and soapy lacing.
S: Aromas of caramel, dark bread rind, cracker and white pepper.
T: Dry and flavors follow the nose closely. Perhaps a touch tart, but certainly produces a nicely crisp finish.
M: Medium bodied with low carbonation. A bit more watery than expected.
O: Not terribly smoky for a smoke beer, nor particularly tart for a sour, but very drinkable and inviting. Entry level for those? Perhaps. I enjoyed it.
Sep 22, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by heerboth from Pennsylvania

Sep 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Dec 13, 2018
Photo of damndirtyape
Reviewed by damndirtyape from Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
500mL bottle, no date, served in a Weihenstephaner glass.

Appearance: Clear dark gold approaching amber color. Just a tiniest bit of haze. Thin persistent white head with some small amount of persistent lacing noted.

Smell: Light smokiness with a hint of sour/vinegar. Some noble hop aroma as well.

Taste: Light smoke, sour tang, a bit of biscuity malt, light noble hop bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Light carbonation, slick, a bit chewy, some lingering mouthfeel due to the sourness.

Overall / Drinkability: Refreshing interesting beer. The initial sips made me wonder if I would finish it due to the sourness combined with the light smokiness, but it quickly grew on me, especially as the beer warmed up. As this is a historical style, I probably should have let this warm up even more before I even opened the bottle as it got better when warmer. This would be a great beer to pair with something hearty for dinner, but in this case it paired rather well with pizza and was good to savor by itself after the meal. I would not mind having this again sometime, but not in the same evening - one half liter is a good portion to have.
Dec 10, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by morrowd3 from Vermont

Aug 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.71 by kuishinbo_tantei from New York

Jun 18, 2017
Photo of Suds
Reviewed by Suds from Missouri

4.09/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Interesting and different...This brew is a clear, golden-amber color with a wonderful white head. The smell is awesome...a wonderful sourdough bread scent...dough...yeasty...a wheat twang. I didn't get a lot of smoke at first, but after a few sips, a subtle, distant-fire smoke quality comes out. The taste is a mix of sweetness and a wheat twang. Full and creamy for a wheat ale. Excellent, interesting and very drinkable.
Feb 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.34 by AnyaS from New York

Feb 18, 2017
Photo of Fordcoyote15
Reviewed by Fordcoyote15 from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Very unique. Not in love with it but I'll certainly buy this again. Shame beer advocate doesn't have a grodziskie category as this is unique from other smoked beers.
Feb 02, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Jan 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.71 by Dewsby from Kentucky

Nov 15, 2016
 
Rated: 3.82 by Haybeerman from Colorado

Nov 06, 2016
Photo of teromous
Reviewed by teromous from Virginia

3.03/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I don't see any bottle or import date.

Appearance: Mostly transparent medium-gold colored body with a lot of visible carbonation. The head is a short pure white creamy cap that is in a perpetual state of dissolving and replenishing itself from the bubbles in the glass. It is a short but very active looking head.

Aroma: Not a huge aroma. It starts out with this semi-fruity smell which is a bit like mulberries or something similar. It doesn't smell exactly like berries but it has a similar presence. It fades out though as the nose lingers on the glass. No real aroma persists.

Taste: It has this sourdough bread taste with a bit of an old strawberry flavor. Its parallel to sourdough bread really is uncanny. I thought I was imagining it so I kept taking a sip and every time I was left with this aftertaste as though I had just taken a bite of a sandwich made from sourdough bread.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a rather thick or viscous presence on the mouth.

Overall: So this is a historically brewed beer and for that reason it is interesting. I was surprised that I couldn't taste or smell any wood or smoked character...at all...in this beer. If you are overly sensitive to woody or smoked beers then you would have no problem with this one. If you are in to the history of beers then I would recommend it but as a beer in general it is very unimpressive and wholly underwhelming. It isn't a beer I would drink again and I would not recommend this to a person looking for a beer made with smoked malt. Honestly the most interesting element of the beer is the information contained on the label.
Jun 07, 2016
 
Rated: 3.99 by Mikexw from New York

May 20, 2016
 
Rated: 4.31 by Hendrick24 from Wisconsin

Apr 10, 2016
Photo of SLeffler27
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York

3.89/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A one-inch white froth lingers within a Spaten dimpled mug before depositing spotty lace above a nearly clear SRM 5-7 (golden ale). Clouds of tiny carbonation tempestuously stream upward. When put to the light it appears honey gold.

The aroma is similar to doughy white bread with a background of faint wood smoke and peat. Warmth draws out lemon.

Balance is superb with a faint banter between bitter, sweet, and sour in each sip. Light smoke, reminiscent of Taylor ham on Wheat Thin crackers. The finish is modest and almost non-existent. Warmth again draws out lemon.

A medium body with a soft smooth texture, soft carbonation, and no alcohol.

This makes for a great relaxing beer to be enjoyed with friends after work. Easy drinking and perfect for long sessions of conversation.
Jan 31, 2016
Grodziskie from Professor Fritz Briem
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 213 ratings