Hidden Barrel Checkpoint Charlie
AC Golden Brewing Company

Ive had this 750ml corked bottle for quite some time in my fridge. It was hot out this weekend so this seemed sn appropriate time to check it out. Poured into snifter it appears golden yellow with a quick dissolving white cap and some chunky yeast finds its way into my glass despite a careful pour.

The nose is lemony lactic with a slight additional fruitiness and a hint of corn/spoiked grain but not distracting.

The taste is tart like greek yogurt meets lemony lacto. Very light in body with modest carbonation. It is crisp and crushable. Other than the corn/spoiled hint to the nose this is nearly perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

thanks to ablackshear for this bottle! thanks Aaron!

750 C&C format; cork comes out with an aggressive pop.

bottle # 407 of 480.

poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: slightly hazy pale yellow bodied beer with 2 fingers of bone white head that quickly drops down to no head at all.

Smell: Lemonade and tart lemons. Greek yogert funk. Slight sweetness from wheat malt profile.

Taste: Lots of lemons and citrus notes. Wheat malts mix with a mild greek yogert and cheesy lacto funk. Moderately tart beer.

Mouthfeel: light bodied beer with low carbonation levels. Crisp and refreshing. Slightly dry finish. A little more carbonation would be nice.

Overall: Another really great Berlinner from Colorado! This is my second beer from AC Golden and I have liked what I had tried both times! This is a little more sour that your traditional Berlinner Weisse, but it is nothing that get out of line. Another really well done beer by AC Golden. I am a fan of these brews and look forward to trying more! This is a great Berlinner Weisse!

 

 

 

first of all, you simply cannot go around making 4% abv beer and charging prices like this, no matter who you are. secondly, this is good not great as berliners go. its lemony and soft, not as tart and clean as I prefer mine to be, but it looks the part. chalky yellow in color, washed out looking with a short lived white head an inch high. nose of light lacto and malted wheat, nothing special. the flavor is good, clean and crisp I suppose, but it doesn't shock and then refresh me like to good ones do. its woody though too, which may limit the extent of its refreshment value, but something seems to be missing for me here. carbonation is ample but it doesn't hold well, the beer is flat in a few minutes. these beers from ac golden have been entirely hit or miss, but almost never worth the price tag. this one isn't bad, but you can do a lot better for your money in the Berliner Weiss category than checkpoint Charlie.