Tartare
Bear Republic Brewing Co.

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From:
Bear Republic Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Berliner Weisse
ABV:
4%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.3 | pDev: 10.23%
Reviews:
104
Ratings:
591
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 16, 2019
Added:
Nov 19, 2011
Wants:
  182
Gots:
  33
One of the world's classic sour beer styles, Tartare is Bear Republic's interpretation of Berliner Weisse, the tart, low-alcohol beer style dubbed as "The Champagne of the North."

Bronze medal at the 2011 Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer in the Wild Beer/Acidic Category
Winner at 2013 Good Food Awards, Adventurous, Barreled, Big, Bawdy, & Belgian Beer Category
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Rated: 4 by Hellpop65 from Kansas

Apr 16, 2019
 
Rated: 4.31 by Taybeh from Minnesota

Jan 23, 2019
 
Rated: 4.43 by kmoen from California

Oct 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.11 by Dave2234 from Minnesota

Aug 30, 2018
 
Rated: 2.5 by COBEERHUNTER from Colorado

Jul 16, 2018
 
Rated: 5 by JonBoy23 from California

May 31, 2018
Photo of GarrettB
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 2.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
July 23rd, 2015 - The server at Big Sur Tap House had to warn me that the Tartare is a brutally sour beer, and they were right. Both on the nose and flavor it's a tall glass of cold distilled white vinegar mixed with apple cider vinegar and given some bubbles. Pungent, pucking, powerful and piercing, it has a surprisingly short aftertaste for such a screechingly sour brew.

April 7th, 2015 - Out on the road, we stop at Bear Republic and begin a line of tasters. Starting with the tartare seems risky if it is indeed acidic and replete with tartaric acid, but it also has the lightest ABV of today's spread. Cloudy and calm, it looks almost like a lemonade or a shandy, and the aroma is gentle, and soft. There's lots of gentle banana notes at play, like a baby food flavored with banana, and layered with fruit tart custard and a light lemon merengue. The flavor is spritzy, exploding in the mouth with that sweetened essence of banana. Critically, the sourness is enough to offset any of th muddying effects of the yeast's powerful esters, which makes this both weird and wonderful.
Feb 22, 2018
Photo of JBabz
Reviewed by JBabz from Pennsylvania

4.82/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
This beer is so good, especially if you’re a sour lover. Among the more interesting sours out there, while being highly drinkable. Some vinegar taste up front, but not overwhelming like a lambic might be. The taste quickly changes to a buttery finish, reminiscent of popcorn. It coats the mouth so the taste lingers for a while. Feels decadent and refreshing.
Dec 17, 2017
 
Rated: 4.45 by leprechaunandfatman from Ohio

Oct 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4.29 by StormAles from Canada (ON)

Aug 30, 2017
Photo of Mindsculptor
Rated by Mindsculptor from Texas

5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
If you like sours, drink this. If you don't know if you like sours, drink this. If you don't like sours, don't drink this.
Jul 07, 2017
 
Rated: 2 by Dface from Texas

Apr 16, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Zazzi82 from Tennessee

Mar 04, 2017
 
Rated: 4.12 by SpaethJam from New York

Mar 03, 2017
Photo of FriedSlug
Reviewed by FriedSlug from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Funky and super sour beer. Slightly hazy gold beer with a quickly disappearing head. Smells like sour and lactose and peaches. Taste is really sour and funky but in a good way. One of the most sour beers I've had but it is really awesome.
Feb 18, 2017
 
Rated: 3.97 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Feb 07, 2017
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Griffon Gastropub in Clarence, NY.

This one pours a dark clear orange-ish color, with a very small head, and no lacing.

Smells pretty bracingly tart on the nose, super super lactic, with some lemon, salt, a little bit vinegar, and slight spicing- maybe coriander?

This actually feels a bit more like a gose than a berliner, as I get a bit of saltiness there. There's a slight bit of vinegar, but it's luckily not overwhelming. It's very, very sour, but in a pleasing way. There's a indistinguishable kind of spiced flavor, kind of coriander like, or grassy.

This is light bodied, fairly crisp, with a good level of carbonation.

This isn't the best berliner I've ever had, but it was still quite tasty nonetheless.
Jan 05, 2017
 
Rated: 4.09 by Lucular from Maryland

Nov 22, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by NickThePyro from Washington

Nov 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.96 by Boone757 from Virginia

Oct 23, 2016
Tartare from Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 591 ratings