Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse | Professor Fritz Briem
Brewed by:
Professor Fritz Briem
Germany
Style: Berliner Weissbier
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Created by Dr. Fritz Briem of Doemens Institute ( http://www.doemens.org ), brewed by Weihenstephan & Doemens.
Added by MaltyGoodness on 04-16-2007
Reviews: 577 | Ratings: 1,383
4.03/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a very pale straw color, cloudy with all the yeast, with a big fizzy white head that disappears quickly. Aroma resembles some wheat beer characteristics, a little citrus and clove, but there's a lot more twang here, some acidity. Taste is very tart, mouth puckering with a touch of sour. Lots of citrus acidity that resembles lemon juice. A drastic departure from most wheat brews, but still retain some of the defining characteristics of that style. Another top notch brew from Weihenstephan.
★ 499 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a very pale straw color, cloudy with all the yeast, with a big fizzy white head that disappears quickly. Aroma resembles some wheat beer characteristics, a little citrus and clove, but there's a lot more twang here, some acidity. Taste is very tart, mouth puckering with a touch of sour. Lots of citrus acidity that resembles lemon juice. A drastic departure from most wheat brews, but still retain some of the defining characteristics of that style. Another top notch brew from Weihenstephan.
★ 499 characters
4/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A cloudy, hazy, yellow color that looks a lot like the skin of a lemon. Some noticeable wheat and yeast particles float around. A huge, thick, creamy white head with great retention. Leaves some lacing behind.
A big twang in the aroma that is both wheat and some tartness.
The taste has some moderate tartness, wheaty, bready. A little bit like a very light white wine. Pretty good.
A creamy mouthfeel with good carbonation.
Pretty drinkable, good beer.
★ 457 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A cloudy, hazy, yellow color that looks a lot like the skin of a lemon. Some noticeable wheat and yeast particles float around. A huge, thick, creamy white head with great retention. Leaves some lacing behind.
A big twang in the aroma that is both wheat and some tartness.
The taste has some moderate tartness, wheaty, bready. A little bit like a very light white wine. Pretty good.
A creamy mouthfeel with good carbonation.
Pretty drinkable, good beer.
★ 457 characters
4.95/5 rDev +21%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
It poured very heady, but the head quickly receded to one finger. It had a pale yellow hue. There was a lot of carbonation.
It had a unique scent. A perfect balance of old bread dough, sour milk, and lemon.
It tasted a little sour. It had a touch of citrus. There was a nice mellow wheat flavor. It was lite bodied. It had a clean finish, it had a little punch to it.
Just a great beer. I was not expecting this. If you don't get a similar experience; try drinking it out of a tulip glass, that's what I did.
★ 512 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
It poured very heady, but the head quickly receded to one finger. It had a pale yellow hue. There was a lot of carbonation.
It had a unique scent. A perfect balance of old bread dough, sour milk, and lemon.
It tasted a little sour. It had a touch of citrus. There was a nice mellow wheat flavor. It was lite bodied. It had a clean finish, it had a little punch to it.
Just a great beer. I was not expecting this. If you don't get a similar experience; try drinking it out of a tulip glass, that's what I did.
★ 512 characters
4.1/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
500ml bottle. no date, no batch number found.
poured into tuliped 12oz pint glass, tasted approx 9 oz without any flavoring added. made a raspberry "syrup" from preserves/jam to try the second half of the bottle...
murky pineapple juice color, with straw tones. looks like a witbier. vigorous pour gives lots of foamy head, but soon reduces to fizzy wisps and a sudsy, thin ring. no lace. (lots of lace and creamy foam once i add the pectin-containing raspberry preserves however...)
aroma: blend of fresh cider vinegar and bready malt, with touch of noble hops. faint micro-trace of funk? more bready yeast in the backend. all somewhat subdued however.
taste: tart acidity - snappy, almost citrusy. touch of bread and yeast. mild bitterness from the faintly grassy hop, all combining towards the snappy finish, along with crisp carbonation.
thin, almost watery, but tart with acidic snap and spritzy carbonation, thus giving some body.
i don't have much frame of reference, but this is refreshing, and also fun to drink with fruit flavoring added.
★ 1,054 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
500ml bottle. no date, no batch number found.
poured into tuliped 12oz pint glass, tasted approx 9 oz without any flavoring added. made a raspberry "syrup" from preserves/jam to try the second half of the bottle...
murky pineapple juice color, with straw tones. looks like a witbier. vigorous pour gives lots of foamy head, but soon reduces to fizzy wisps and a sudsy, thin ring. no lace. (lots of lace and creamy foam once i add the pectin-containing raspberry preserves however...)
aroma: blend of fresh cider vinegar and bready malt, with touch of noble hops. faint micro-trace of funk? more bready yeast in the backend. all somewhat subdued however.
taste: tart acidity - snappy, almost citrusy. touch of bread and yeast. mild bitterness from the faintly grassy hop, all combining towards the snappy finish, along with crisp carbonation.
thin, almost watery, but tart with acidic snap and spritzy carbonation, thus giving some body.
i don't have much frame of reference, but this is refreshing, and also fun to drink with fruit flavoring added.
★ 1,054 characters
4.1/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Picked this up a while ago at West Lakeview Liquors. Was looking for something low in alcohol to start with, and this fit the bill.
A - Started gushing as soon as I popped the cap. Huge cloud-white foam that settles around three fingers before slowly dissipating. Minimal lacing is left behind. The brew is a slightly hazed golden straw color.
S - Sour, sharp wheat smell, with hints of lemon, white wine, and a touch of funk. It's a little bit too acrid for my liking, but it's plenty potent and true to the style.
T - Taste is more understated, with more of the regular wheat beer flavors - banana, bubblegum, yeast. There's a touch of lemon and funk, but nowhere near as much as in the smell - it does build up a little in the aftertaste though.
M - Crisp, high carbonation, but still a bit sticky after swallowing. The body is a little bigger than I expected, with some nice creaminess to it once you get past the carbonation tingle. There's just a little too much bite for my liking.
D - 500ml will not be a problem. Even though the carbonation is lively it somehow doesn't feel too bloaty. The aftertaste doesn't get too sour or funky, either. All in all it scores well in this area.
I definitely liked this more than the New Glarus Berliner...this seemed to have more subtlety and finesse.
★ 1,302 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Picked this up a while ago at West Lakeview Liquors. Was looking for something low in alcohol to start with, and this fit the bill.
A - Started gushing as soon as I popped the cap. Huge cloud-white foam that settles around three fingers before slowly dissipating. Minimal lacing is left behind. The brew is a slightly hazed golden straw color.
S - Sour, sharp wheat smell, with hints of lemon, white wine, and a touch of funk. It's a little bit too acrid for my liking, but it's plenty potent and true to the style.
T - Taste is more understated, with more of the regular wheat beer flavors - banana, bubblegum, yeast. There's a touch of lemon and funk, but nowhere near as much as in the smell - it does build up a little in the aftertaste though.
M - Crisp, high carbonation, but still a bit sticky after swallowing. The body is a little bigger than I expected, with some nice creaminess to it once you get past the carbonation tingle. There's just a little too much bite for my liking.
D - 500ml will not be a problem. Even though the carbonation is lively it somehow doesn't feel too bloaty. The aftertaste doesn't get too sour or funky, either. All in all it scores well in this area.
I definitely liked this more than the New Glarus Berliner...this seemed to have more subtlety and finesse.
★ 1,302 characters
4.45/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
I LOVE this style. Not my favorite, but really good. I would love to try it in Germany.
On the pour, this one had a three finger, fast and loudly fizzy head that was rocky as it subsided. This was atop a hazy yellow body, which is expected for the style.
Aroma was sour, again expected. There was a little bit of hoppiness, and definite wheat malt presence.
Ooooh, the taste. Lightly fruity, with hints of carbonated apple juice. Slightly sour with crisp wheat. Nicely balanced, really really good. No bitterness to speak of, but there is some sour bite.
Mouthfeel is very good. The style is expected to be thin, but there is some perceived body because of the pucker factor. Nicely carbonated, sparkly and just damn pleasant.
Great marks for drinkability. This could easily be a session beer for me, and one I will revisit from time to time.
★ 847 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
I LOVE this style. Not my favorite, but really good. I would love to try it in Germany.
On the pour, this one had a three finger, fast and loudly fizzy head that was rocky as it subsided. This was atop a hazy yellow body, which is expected for the style.
Aroma was sour, again expected. There was a little bit of hoppiness, and definite wheat malt presence.
Ooooh, the taste. Lightly fruity, with hints of carbonated apple juice. Slightly sour with crisp wheat. Nicely balanced, really really good. No bitterness to speak of, but there is some sour bite.
Mouthfeel is very good. The style is expected to be thin, but there is some perceived body because of the pucker factor. Nicely carbonated, sparkly and just damn pleasant.
Great marks for drinkability. This could easily be a session beer for me, and one I will revisit from time to time.
★ 847 characters
4.2/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into 10oz pilsner type glass. Pours a light golden color with tons of fizzy soapy head. Smell is faint and in my opinion apple like. I've never had a lighter beer that tasted quite like this. Very funky taste in a good way. Tastes like a really light sour to me. Light mouthfeel almost like drinking water. Very drinkable, I will be enjoying this beer often in the summer months.
★ 386 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into 10oz pilsner type glass. Pours a light golden color with tons of fizzy soapy head. Smell is faint and in my opinion apple like. I've never had a lighter beer that tasted quite like this. Very funky taste in a good way. Tastes like a really light sour to me. Light mouthfeel almost like drinking water. Very drinkable, I will be enjoying this beer often in the summer months.
★ 386 characters
4.63/5 rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
A- pours a nice light yellow with no head or lacing... remarkable
S- yeast, a tart sugar smell, wheat, very inviting
T- very tart and refreshing,very easy to drink but complex at the same time, some hints of wheat and sugar but not very sweet
M- really really carbonated, refreshing, its so hard to believe its so carbonated cause it looks so flat... sneaky sneaky
D- this beer is 5 percent, awesome... give me this one all day
★ 427 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
A- pours a nice light yellow with no head or lacing... remarkable
S- yeast, a tart sugar smell, wheat, very inviting
T- very tart and refreshing,very easy to drink but complex at the same time, some hints of wheat and sugar but not very sweet
M- really really carbonated, refreshing, its so hard to believe its so carbonated cause it looks so flat... sneaky sneaky
D- this beer is 5 percent, awesome... give me this one all day
★ 427 characters
4.29/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
My first Berliner Weisse; enjoyed in a pint. Looks official - "Historic signature, Dr. Fritz Briem series" from the "Doemens Institute". This is one fancy-pants beer ;-)
A: Moderate pour yields 1 finger of head that fizzes away quickly - poor retention. More head please! Cloudy light yellow, like a Wit. After rousing the yeast, it became very thick looking.
S: Champagne-y tang - citrus notes and brightness. Sour, lactic smell.
T: Bright and tart, good malt backbone. I expected more tartness due to the syrups used in the German bars for sweetening this style. I enjoyed it more before mixing in all the yeast.
M: Refreshing champagne dryness and tartness.
D: Strong! Very enjoyable.
★ 688 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
My first Berliner Weisse; enjoyed in a pint. Looks official - "Historic signature, Dr. Fritz Briem series" from the "Doemens Institute". This is one fancy-pants beer ;-)
A: Moderate pour yields 1 finger of head that fizzes away quickly - poor retention. More head please! Cloudy light yellow, like a Wit. After rousing the yeast, it became very thick looking.
S: Champagne-y tang - citrus notes and brightness. Sour, lactic smell.
T: Bright and tart, good malt backbone. I expected more tartness due to the syrups used in the German bars for sweetening this style. I enjoyed it more before mixing in all the yeast.
M: Refreshing champagne dryness and tartness.
D: Strong! Very enjoyable.
★ 688 characters
4.07/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to rgtravers for the trade!
Poured a cloudy, translucent straw color with decent head, about two fingers.
Smell was good & unusual: strong lemon, some honey notes, slighty cheesy aspect to it, along with that classic wheat character (which I also thinks echoes root beer -- call me crazy). Don't know if I would've picked this up if I didn't know about it from the style notes, but the lactic aspect is really noticeable, getting a buttermilk kind of scent.
The sourness really hits in the taste, great fruit characteristics: lemon, grapefruit, some peach. Again with the dairy notes, cheesy & buttery.
Mouthfeel is good -- stimulates the salivary glands with a moderate gush, not quite as intense as a gueuze, but strong enough. I really liked this, but I think I could stick with just one. Very satisfying.
★ 821 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to rgtravers for the trade!
Poured a cloudy, translucent straw color with decent head, about two fingers.
Smell was good & unusual: strong lemon, some honey notes, slighty cheesy aspect to it, along with that classic wheat character (which I also thinks echoes root beer -- call me crazy). Don't know if I would've picked this up if I didn't know about it from the style notes, but the lactic aspect is really noticeable, getting a buttermilk kind of scent.
The sourness really hits in the taste, great fruit characteristics: lemon, grapefruit, some peach. Again with the dairy notes, cheesy & buttery.
Mouthfeel is good -- stimulates the salivary glands with a moderate gush, not quite as intense as a gueuze, but strong enough. I really liked this, but I think I could stick with just one. Very satisfying.
★ 821 characters
3.92/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Rated from a bottle conditioned 500ml poured into a pint glass (didn't have the appropriate glassware).
Poured a hazy light gold with a very deep head that dissipated rather quickly. The nose of the beer was mild at best - perhaps some buttery notes. The taste and mouthfeel were very good. I would classify it as a mildly sour beer with a good pale ale base. Minimal hop flavor.
Overall, a very good beer - something I would drink more than one of in a night.
★ 462 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Rated from a bottle conditioned 500ml poured into a pint glass (didn't have the appropriate glassware).
Poured a hazy light gold with a very deep head that dissipated rather quickly. The nose of the beer was mild at best - perhaps some buttery notes. The taste and mouthfeel were very good. I would classify it as a mildly sour beer with a good pale ale base. Minimal hop flavor.
Overall, a very good beer - something I would drink more than one of in a night.
★ 462 characters
3.91/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
So 1809 just landed in our fair state and I simply knew I had to take a crack at it... interestingly, the word "Weihenstephan" is nowhere to be seen on the label, instead this says it was brewed by "Dr. Fritz Briem, Munich". Hmm... oh well, time to pop this and see what's up. A new Berliner Weiss is always welcome. Wish I knew how old this was, though.
Pours a snappy, fat, 3 finger white head. Sea-foam, rocky, dense, soapy... pretty and lively, but dies fast. Eventually nothing is left, no lace, no nuthin'. The brew is a dirty, unfiltered pale yellow-brown. Some chunks of yeast fall immediately to the bottom of my glass and there's a decent amount of sludge left in the bottle. Okay.
Smell is quite sharp and lactic-sour, and takes a while to open up. Eventually -- well, yeah, it's still lactic-sour. Lots of dry lemon going on, some wheat, a hint of DMS, banana, starch, no hops, very little sweetness present. You don't smell beer like this very often. It's not wild, rather the opposite - quite clean and man-made.
Taste is fully sour. A puckering wallop greets you on first sip, but lessens as your tongue gets used to it. The sourness here crowds out most everything else -- the overall impression is good, if you like this sort of thing -- but I do wish there was a little more nuance let through the lemon-lactic barricade. Wheat is quite noticeable. Very low malt sweetness, almost delivers a salty quality. Refreshing in a way.
Mouthfeel is thin, but the explosive, full carbonation masks that. Lingering sour-wheat finish sticks around after you've sipped this.
Not terribly drinkable, the one 500ml bottle was enough for me. A pretty good, and intense, example of the style, but the sourness is a bit much and hurts the brew overall for my tastes. Recommended to round out your beer experience, if nothing else. I will revisit this.
*** re-reviewed Dec 2010 ***
Clear this time, no yeasty sediment if you pour it proper. Less sour than the first bottle, marvelous mouthfeel. Quite nice with a dash of real Woodruff syrup. Bumping taste up from 3.5 to 4.0. Total score goes from 3.7 to 3.85. This is a very nice example of the style when you get a good one. Would love to try fresh, age can't help this any way that I can think of. Bottle date would be very welcome.
★ 2,292 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
So 1809 just landed in our fair state and I simply knew I had to take a crack at it... interestingly, the word "Weihenstephan" is nowhere to be seen on the label, instead this says it was brewed by "Dr. Fritz Briem, Munich". Hmm... oh well, time to pop this and see what's up. A new Berliner Weiss is always welcome. Wish I knew how old this was, though.
Pours a snappy, fat, 3 finger white head. Sea-foam, rocky, dense, soapy... pretty and lively, but dies fast. Eventually nothing is left, no lace, no nuthin'. The brew is a dirty, unfiltered pale yellow-brown. Some chunks of yeast fall immediately to the bottom of my glass and there's a decent amount of sludge left in the bottle. Okay.
Smell is quite sharp and lactic-sour, and takes a while to open up. Eventually -- well, yeah, it's still lactic-sour. Lots of dry lemon going on, some wheat, a hint of DMS, banana, starch, no hops, very little sweetness present. You don't smell beer like this very often. It's not wild, rather the opposite - quite clean and man-made.
Taste is fully sour. A puckering wallop greets you on first sip, but lessens as your tongue gets used to it. The sourness here crowds out most everything else -- the overall impression is good, if you like this sort of thing -- but I do wish there was a little more nuance let through the lemon-lactic barricade. Wheat is quite noticeable. Very low malt sweetness, almost delivers a salty quality. Refreshing in a way.
Mouthfeel is thin, but the explosive, full carbonation masks that. Lingering sour-wheat finish sticks around after you've sipped this.
Not terribly drinkable, the one 500ml bottle was enough for me. A pretty good, and intense, example of the style, but the sourness is a bit much and hurts the brew overall for my tastes. Recommended to round out your beer experience, if nothing else. I will revisit this.
*** re-reviewed Dec 2010 ***
Clear this time, no yeasty sediment if you pour it proper. Less sour than the first bottle, marvelous mouthfeel. Quite nice with a dash of real Woodruff syrup. Bumping taste up from 3.5 to 4.0. Total score goes from 3.7 to 3.85. This is a very nice example of the style when you get a good one. Would love to try fresh, age can't help this any way that I can think of. Bottle date would be very welcome.
★ 2,292 characters
4.17/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours a hazy pale yellow, some head that quickly dissapears. Smells predominantely of honey, apples, pears, faint belgian clove character, some lemon, . Tastes of light lemony and honey sweetness up front followed by a nice lemony bitterness and sourness. Some astringency from the wheat. Finishes quite crisp leaving a neutral aftertaste. Lots of carbonation that melds well with the wheat crispness and sourness.
A very nice beer. I love the subtle honey overtones among the sour crispness. This beer would be great on a hot summer day in place of lemonade. My first berliner weisse but definitely not my last.
★ 614 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours a hazy pale yellow, some head that quickly dissapears. Smells predominantely of honey, apples, pears, faint belgian clove character, some lemon, . Tastes of light lemony and honey sweetness up front followed by a nice lemony bitterness and sourness. Some astringency from the wheat. Finishes quite crisp leaving a neutral aftertaste. Lots of carbonation that melds well with the wheat crispness and sourness.
A very nice beer. I love the subtle honey overtones among the sour crispness. This beer would be great on a hot summer day in place of lemonade. My first berliner weisse but definitely not my last.
★ 614 characters
4.57/5 rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours a great gold color with some cloudy yeast floating around. It is clearer at the bottom than on top.
Smells great. A little soury. Kind of sweet.
This is amazing. Elegant and Refreshing. I wish I could have this by the keg for the summer time.
Very nice mouthfeel. Enough said.
The tartness might be a little much for a long session but this is a terrific beer and I'd like another.
★ 391 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours a great gold color with some cloudy yeast floating around. It is clearer at the bottom than on top.
Smells great. A little soury. Kind of sweet.
This is amazing. Elegant and Refreshing. I wish I could have this by the keg for the summer time.
Very nice mouthfeel. Enough said.
The tartness might be a little much for a long session but this is a terrific beer and I'd like another.
★ 391 characters
3.85/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
02/06/09- Purchased at Sun Devil Liquors in Mesa, CA.
Presentation- 16.9oz bottle. Did not check for freshness info. Poured into a pint glass.
Appearance- Fairly clear, a bit clouded yellow colored pour. Fizzy two fingered head which fades fairly quickly. Doesn't really leave any signs of lace, but I'm not sure what the ideal appearance is for a Berlineer.
Smell- Light nose of funk with mostly lemon peel and some sourness.
Taste- Sour, but not as much as the other ones per style I have had. Lemony tartness and almost a light honeyed tea flavor. Nice
Mouthfeel- Prickly higher carbonation level. Wine cooler like. Nice short tartness in the aftertaste.
Drinkability- Enjoyed this beer. Would like to try a mainstay of the style if I get a chance, just to compare.
★ 774 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
02/06/09- Purchased at Sun Devil Liquors in Mesa, CA.
Presentation- 16.9oz bottle. Did not check for freshness info. Poured into a pint glass.
Appearance- Fairly clear, a bit clouded yellow colored pour. Fizzy two fingered head which fades fairly quickly. Doesn't really leave any signs of lace, but I'm not sure what the ideal appearance is for a Berlineer.
Smell- Light nose of funk with mostly lemon peel and some sourness.
Taste- Sour, but not as much as the other ones per style I have had. Lemony tartness and almost a light honeyed tea flavor. Nice
Mouthfeel- Prickly higher carbonation level. Wine cooler like. Nice short tartness in the aftertaste.
Drinkability- Enjoyed this beer. Would like to try a mainstay of the style if I get a chance, just to compare.
★ 774 characters
3.02/5 rDev -26.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5
16.9oz bottle poured into a nonic.
A - the color is reminiscent of a dehydrated person's urine. pale yellow. A tall white head quickly formed and then quickly dissipated...kind of like pouring 7-up or sprite into a cup. Even though there was no head, there was continual carbonation making its way to the top of the beer. very unappetizing appearance
S - lactic acid, wheat, and grape jelly?
T - way too dry for my enjoyment. I'm not sure whether the tanginess is due to the lactic acid, the wheat, or both. If it's because of the lactic acid then there was no malt flavor to notice. It was a very, tart, sour fruit flavor with a very acidic, biting quality to it. The beer was dry throughout.
M - a very bubbly beer, like champagne.
D - i was not a fan of this beer.
★ 772 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5
16.9oz bottle poured into a nonic.
A - the color is reminiscent of a dehydrated person's urine. pale yellow. A tall white head quickly formed and then quickly dissipated...kind of like pouring 7-up or sprite into a cup. Even though there was no head, there was continual carbonation making its way to the top of the beer. very unappetizing appearance
S - lactic acid, wheat, and grape jelly?
T - way too dry for my enjoyment. I'm not sure whether the tanginess is due to the lactic acid, the wheat, or both. If it's because of the lactic acid then there was no malt flavor to notice. It was a very, tart, sour fruit flavor with a very acidic, biting quality to it. The beer was dry throughout.
M - a very bubbly beer, like champagne.
D - i was not a fan of this beer.
★ 772 characters
4.02/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
First of all, 1809's bottle is great. I love the design and little history lesson included on it. The beer is brewed in a very non-traditional manner. The mash is hopped, and the resulting wort is not boiled. The beer is fermented with the presence of lactobacteria. I bet the brewer adds a controlled bacteria culture, but I suppose historically this beer was sour because of the wort went into fermentation without being boiled.
Totally unlike any German beer I've tried. I would compare it to a Belgian wit, but that is a stretch in itself. Appearance is pale straw, and a little unappetizing.
The use of lactobacteria in fermentation gives it a pervasive, though not dominant sourness. It is a wheat beer, and there is a certain hefe quality to it (banana/clove) as this is unfiltered. Carbonation is high; mouthfeel is effervescent and crisp, with a peculiar aftertaste. The taste is perhaps powdery? with a minor fruitiness (green apple present - acetaldehyde, but not from spoilage because this bottle tastes very fresh). I am a huge fan of sour beer, but 1809's sourness just can't be compared to that of a Belgian.
I really liked this beer. And would be interested in trying it with the raspberry or woodruff syrup that Berliners drink it with.
★ 1,257 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
First of all, 1809's bottle is great. I love the design and little history lesson included on it. The beer is brewed in a very non-traditional manner. The mash is hopped, and the resulting wort is not boiled. The beer is fermented with the presence of lactobacteria. I bet the brewer adds a controlled bacteria culture, but I suppose historically this beer was sour because of the wort went into fermentation without being boiled.
Totally unlike any German beer I've tried. I would compare it to a Belgian wit, but that is a stretch in itself. Appearance is pale straw, and a little unappetizing.
The use of lactobacteria in fermentation gives it a pervasive, though not dominant sourness. It is a wheat beer, and there is a certain hefe quality to it (banana/clove) as this is unfiltered. Carbonation is high; mouthfeel is effervescent and crisp, with a peculiar aftertaste. The taste is perhaps powdery? with a minor fruitiness (green apple present - acetaldehyde, but not from spoilage because this bottle tastes very fresh). I am a huge fan of sour beer, but 1809's sourness just can't be compared to that of a Belgian.
I really liked this beer. And would be interested in trying it with the raspberry or woodruff syrup that Berliners drink it with.
★ 1,257 characters
3.61/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Brought back from Indy. Poured from a 500ml bottle into a pint glass. The labels had interesting story about the style and how this is part of their lost style series - interesting. No dating info. It was a hazy pale straw color. Amazing amount of carbonation in it. Almost like champagne. No lacing. It had a massive fizzy white head that quickly settled into a thick foam that was constantly fed by the carb.
After reading the other reviews, I was drooling as I love sour beers but this one disappointed. The aroma was almost wit or saison like with some granny smith apple in there as well. Some sour from the apple but pretty muted. The taste had even less sour to it. Just a small sour bite. Not sure if I got a bad bottle or if I'm just used to really sour beers after going on a Wild Ale kick these days. The flavor was good but seemed to be lacking. A bigger sour bite would make this one outstanding. As is, this bottle is good but not great. Gonna have to find another sometime.
Overall, an interesting beer that has potential if it gets more sour to it. Hopefully, my bottle was off and I can try a new one in the future. I do recommend as it is rare style and it does have a unique taste.
★ 1,204 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Brought back from Indy. Poured from a 500ml bottle into a pint glass. The labels had interesting story about the style and how this is part of their lost style series - interesting. No dating info. It was a hazy pale straw color. Amazing amount of carbonation in it. Almost like champagne. No lacing. It had a massive fizzy white head that quickly settled into a thick foam that was constantly fed by the carb.
After reading the other reviews, I was drooling as I love sour beers but this one disappointed. The aroma was almost wit or saison like with some granny smith apple in there as well. Some sour from the apple but pretty muted. The taste had even less sour to it. Just a small sour bite. Not sure if I got a bad bottle or if I'm just used to really sour beers after going on a Wild Ale kick these days. The flavor was good but seemed to be lacking. A bigger sour bite would make this one outstanding. As is, this bottle is good but not great. Gonna have to find another sometime.
Overall, an interesting beer that has potential if it gets more sour to it. Hopefully, my bottle was off and I can try a new one in the future. I do recommend as it is rare style and it does have a unique taste.
★ 1,204 characters
4.22/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into my Erdinger Weissbrau glass. Small champagne like bubbles OUT OF CONTROL. So crazy fizzy, could not control the head as I was pouring it. Died down VERY quickly though, no lasting head, no lacing. However, I think that do to the champagne like quality of the beer, that is what I would expect. Not really a negative for this beer.
Smells very citrus like and light.
Taste is acidic, citrus like and mild. No aftertaste, but a lasting dry acid bite, very white wine/champagne like, more like a wine then a beer. Its weird but I could almost be fooled into thinking this came from the vine.
Mouthfeel, Exceptional, like champagne...exactly, close your eyes its champagne.
Drinkability is really good because, for this type of beer, its the best. I could actually sit and drink this regularly, where as others of this style are more just for trying.
★ 866 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into my Erdinger Weissbrau glass. Small champagne like bubbles OUT OF CONTROL. So crazy fizzy, could not control the head as I was pouring it. Died down VERY quickly though, no lasting head, no lacing. However, I think that do to the champagne like quality of the beer, that is what I would expect. Not really a negative for this beer.
Smells very citrus like and light.
Taste is acidic, citrus like and mild. No aftertaste, but a lasting dry acid bite, very white wine/champagne like, more like a wine then a beer. Its weird but I could almost be fooled into thinking this came from the vine.
Mouthfeel, Exceptional, like champagne...exactly, close your eyes its champagne.
Drinkability is really good because, for this type of beer, its the best. I could actually sit and drink this regularly, where as others of this style are more just for trying.
★ 866 characters
4.15/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A sour beer that is still very drinkable. To someone completely new to the style, this is a rather odd beer. Unfortunately, no other Berliner Weissbiers are readily available for comparison. The beer smells and tastes closer a sour white wine than most beer. It's not entirely unlike other sours that I've sampled. The pucker is relatively weak, and there's only a hint of barnyard tang. It's a bit yogurty, but that's a poor descriptor. All in all, it's actually further from the norms of beer than most sours despite being less "sour." It's not hard to drink at all. It's fairly vinous but less so than a Flanders Red or something. There are strong notes of fruity, spicy wheat, no surprise with its high wheat content and coming from one of, if not the, best wheat beer breweries. My opinion of the beer is higher than my average score. It is not a nice looking beer. The head fizzes up and rapidly dissipates leaving no lacing and a cloudy overripe banana yellow glass. The smell is yogurt sourness mixed with spiced wheat with a metallic note. The flavor is very good. It's refreshing and bizarre, at once. You can taste the lactic acid, but it's very clean and not off-putting. I should really give it a lower mark for feel with a fair bit of wateriness (apparently, water is added just before bottling for unknown reasons, although I imagine its to cut the sourness some) and some weird lactic stickiness, but the sour has such a refreshingly light pucker that I can't. It's astonishingly drinkable for such an odd beer. The bottle says that Napoleon's troops drank it in celebration of their victory in Prussia. I like that. I can imagine soldiers in funny hats having glasses of it. "A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon." -Napoleon Bonaparte
★ 1,777 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A sour beer that is still very drinkable. To someone completely new to the style, this is a rather odd beer. Unfortunately, no other Berliner Weissbiers are readily available for comparison. The beer smells and tastes closer a sour white wine than most beer. It's not entirely unlike other sours that I've sampled. The pucker is relatively weak, and there's only a hint of barnyard tang. It's a bit yogurty, but that's a poor descriptor. All in all, it's actually further from the norms of beer than most sours despite being less "sour." It's not hard to drink at all. It's fairly vinous but less so than a Flanders Red or something. There are strong notes of fruity, spicy wheat, no surprise with its high wheat content and coming from one of, if not the, best wheat beer breweries. My opinion of the beer is higher than my average score. It is not a nice looking beer. The head fizzes up and rapidly dissipates leaving no lacing and a cloudy overripe banana yellow glass. The smell is yogurt sourness mixed with spiced wheat with a metallic note. The flavor is very good. It's refreshing and bizarre, at once. You can taste the lactic acid, but it's very clean and not off-putting. I should really give it a lower mark for feel with a fair bit of wateriness (apparently, water is added just before bottling for unknown reasons, although I imagine its to cut the sourness some) and some weird lactic stickiness, but the sour has such a refreshingly light pucker that I can't. It's astonishingly drinkable for such an odd beer. The bottle says that Napoleon's troops drank it in celebration of their victory in Prussia. I like that. I can imagine soldiers in funny hats having glasses of it. "A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon." -Napoleon Bonaparte
★ 1,777 characters
4.15/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A very conservative pour yields a white bubbly three finger head, which recedes in a couple minutes. The beer is a light, cloudy yellowish orange.
The first thing I notice about the aroma is the tartness of it. Light fruits are present, such as apricot and white grapes. There is a lactic and vinegary character. Some funkiness in the nose. Not unlike a saison.
Tart apricot and lemon. Slightly sour from the lacto. Yeasty. The malt flavor is bready. The ABV is on the high end for a berliner weiss but it isn't noticeable and it doesn't detract from the other flavors. The finish is mostly sour and is very clean, crisp, and bubbly.
The carbonation is very good. The mouthfeel is very dry and somewhat sticky.
1809 is very light and refreshing.
★ 750 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A very conservative pour yields a white bubbly three finger head, which recedes in a couple minutes. The beer is a light, cloudy yellowish orange.
The first thing I notice about the aroma is the tartness of it. Light fruits are present, such as apricot and white grapes. There is a lactic and vinegary character. Some funkiness in the nose. Not unlike a saison.
Tart apricot and lemon. Slightly sour from the lacto. Yeasty. The malt flavor is bready. The ABV is on the high end for a berliner weiss but it isn't noticeable and it doesn't detract from the other flavors. The finish is mostly sour and is very clean, crisp, and bubbly.
The carbonation is very good. The mouthfeel is very dry and somewhat sticky.
1809 is very light and refreshing.
★ 750 characters
3.68/5 rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Reviewed on 7/22/08. Bottle. Pours a cloudy yellow gold with a fizzy white head. Aroma of lots of spices, yeast. Smells like a witbier. Flavor of initial carbonation, yeast/bread, spices, with a slightly sour finish. Not as sour/tart as I'd expected from a berliner weisse and a little bit spicier. Still quite tasty and very drinkable.
7/4/7/4/13 (3.5/5)
★ 355 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Reviewed on 7/22/08. Bottle. Pours a cloudy yellow gold with a fizzy white head. Aroma of lots of spices, yeast. Smells like a witbier. Flavor of initial carbonation, yeast/bread, spices, with a slightly sour finish. Not as sour/tart as I'd expected from a berliner weisse and a little bit spicier. Still quite tasty and very drinkable.
7/4/7/4/13 (3.5/5)
★ 355 characters
3.88/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I love beer, but every now and then I get into a kind of beer doldrums where nothing sounds good and I'm temporarily bored of all my usual favorites. When this happens, I find that the best way to cast off my beer blues is to find something new and different: 1809, in this particular case. I've wanted to try this brew for some time, but at $5.99 the price was usually enough to make think "I'll try it next time." Damn I'm glad I bit the bullet this time. Appearance is dramatic - I popped off the cap and a fountain of tart-smelling fizz burst out. Glad I had it over the sink... Poured into my hefeweizen glass, 1809 had a towering puffy white head which slowly dissipated to leave a constant layer of froth on the surface. The beer itself looks like liquid wheat and is impenetrably cloudy. The smell of wheat is unmistakeable, but I've never smelled a wheat-beer quite so sour as this. Taste is even more tart than the smell suggests - flavors akin to sour green apple, under-ripe nectarine and grape skin are dominant. The sourness, while extreme, is not in any way unpleasant (quite the opposite), which is good because the tartness lingers on your palate long after you swallow. Mouthfeel is prickly with tenacious carbonation, but otherwise a bit spritzery - could use some more body. Drinkability is good for the style, but this certainly isn't anything you'd want to drink all night. Still, I find it enjoyably different. 1809 is certainly a special beer, and although I wouldn't seek it out as a staple, I look forward to revisiting it.
★ 1,549 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I love beer, but every now and then I get into a kind of beer doldrums where nothing sounds good and I'm temporarily bored of all my usual favorites. When this happens, I find that the best way to cast off my beer blues is to find something new and different: 1809, in this particular case. I've wanted to try this brew for some time, but at $5.99 the price was usually enough to make think "I'll try it next time." Damn I'm glad I bit the bullet this time. Appearance is dramatic - I popped off the cap and a fountain of tart-smelling fizz burst out. Glad I had it over the sink... Poured into my hefeweizen glass, 1809 had a towering puffy white head which slowly dissipated to leave a constant layer of froth on the surface. The beer itself looks like liquid wheat and is impenetrably cloudy. The smell of wheat is unmistakeable, but I've never smelled a wheat-beer quite so sour as this. Taste is even more tart than the smell suggests - flavors akin to sour green apple, under-ripe nectarine and grape skin are dominant. The sourness, while extreme, is not in any way unpleasant (quite the opposite), which is good because the tartness lingers on your palate long after you swallow. Mouthfeel is prickly with tenacious carbonation, but otherwise a bit spritzery - could use some more body. Drinkability is good for the style, but this certainly isn't anything you'd want to drink all night. Still, I find it enjoyably different. 1809 is certainly a special beer, and although I wouldn't seek it out as a staple, I look forward to revisiting it.
★ 1,549 characters
4.5/5 rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a yellowish color and a cloudy consistency. Some sediment. There was a big, foamy, long-lasting head and good lacing.
S: A sweet smell of fruit, wheat and a little hops.
T: This beer tasted of bananas, wheat, some lemon and mild hops. The fruity part was most evident when going down, but overall a tasty experience.
M: A highly carbonated beer with a smooth, dry finish. Medium-bodied. Refreshing mouthfeel. Would be a good summer beer.
D: This is the first Berliner Weissbier I've had and hopefully I'll be able to find more of these.
★ 585 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a yellowish color and a cloudy consistency. Some sediment. There was a big, foamy, long-lasting head and good lacing.
S: A sweet smell of fruit, wheat and a little hops.
T: This beer tasted of bananas, wheat, some lemon and mild hops. The fruity part was most evident when going down, but overall a tasty experience.
M: A highly carbonated beer with a smooth, dry finish. Medium-bodied. Refreshing mouthfeel. Would be a good summer beer.
D: This is the first Berliner Weissbier I've had and hopefully I'll be able to find more of these.
★ 585 characters
Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse from Professor Fritz Briem
4.09
out of 5
based on 1,383 ratings.
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours an incredibly clear and vigorously carbonated yellow color with a fizzy rumply white head that just won't go away and leaves "ok" lacing.
Nose is mild wheat, slight tartness, and some lemon citrus zest. Slight pepper as well.
Wow. Some mighty tasty stuff. I was expecting a little bit more aggressive tartness, but this is quite nice. Nice almost Kristalweizen like wheat profile, a bit softer, not as much wheat yeast flavor, for obvious reasons. A beautifully dry slight tartness really helps the slight citrus zest flavor along. Some green apple like esters in here as well. Good stuff.
Mouthfeel is right where it should be. A nice brisk carbonation, beautifully crisp and dry finish.
Drinkability is the best ive had in a berliner weiss. Could easily pound multiples of these badboys on a hot day grillin on the back deck.
Overall a superb berliner. A tiny touch more tartness would be nice, but the subtelty of it makes it ideal for a refreshing treat. Yet another classic from one of my favorite breweries, and the authority on german styles. Great stuff.
★ 1,073 characters