Octagon City
Modern Times Beer

16oz can poured into a tulip

A- pours a bright clear amber color with a one-finger foamy white head that has great retention

S- lemon peel, wheat, lactic tartness, general berry aroma undertones

T- tart up front with an immediate flavor of raspberries, followed by notes of lemon and some tropical guava notes popping through. The finish gives more tart raspberries, as well as a hint of cracker malt on the linger

M- medium-light body with medium carbonation leads to a bubble mouthfeel that continues into an effervescent dry finish

O- easy drinking with nice fruit notes throughout

Not bad

 

 

Can poured into a Modern Times Beer glass

A: Pours hazy reddish copper with a frothy pale pink head that settles to a light layer and laces nicely.

S: Super fruity, berries and some tropical notes, mild tartness, faint floral notes, and crackery malt.

T: Pleasantly tart, raspberries come right out up front, guava slowly comes out along with hints of passion fruit, mango, apricot, and peach, some floral notes, and some crackery malt.

M: Medium body, moderately lively carbonation.

O: Let me say upfront, I'm a sucker for berries and I've enjoyed MT's previous berry Berliners. I was a little skeptical about the guava addition, but it adds an extra layer of flavor. Still not sure why there are so many negative reviews. It grew on me more and more as I drank it.

1 PINT can
Served in a snifter

This beer pours amber with a pink tint to it. It is highly effervescent. Bubbles coat every surface inside the glass. It is topped with a couple inches of tan, large bubble head that leaves little lacing.

It smells like raspberry scented soap.

The taste is marginally better. It is raspberry forward. The guava starts to come in and is interrupted by a bitter flavor. It has a soapy aftertaste.

Medium bodied with a semi dry mouthfeel

I thought Modern Times was supposed to make good beer. I have been far from impressed with the couple that I have seen in the wild and purchased. I doubt a buy another four pack of any of their beers unless I try it first. Bitterly disappointing.

 

 

The smell of this beer is awesome, this beer is smooth! The right amount of tart, sourness and Pucker-ness. This beer would be perfect when the temperature outside starts to get warmer.

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: Berliner Weissbier
Glass: Revision 12-oz. tulip
Price: $2.75
From: Trader Joe’s in La Mesa, Calif.
Purchased: Jan. 2, 2020
Consumed: Jan. 3, 2020
Misc.: Canned on Oct. 4, 2019

Not sure why I hadn’t picked this one up as I usually grab every Modern Times release (not the special ones), but did when I saw it at Trader Joe’s in La Mesa. Their website called it, “This tart, fruit-laden Super-Berliner will be stuffed to bursting with black raspberries, red raspberries, and guava for an explosion of berries and tropical magic fit to rival any NYE fireworks display.” That’s right up my alley for a style that’s quickly moving up the ranks for me.

Poured a medium amber murky color with 2-to-3 fingers of frothy-to-rocky white head. Tons of bubble streams coming up along the sides of the glass at a quick pace. Almost perfect foamy layered lacing. Excellent retention. (Sight - 4.75)

Smelled big notes of raspberry, black raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, guava, mango, passion fruit and mixed berry. Much better and more flavorful out of the glass than the can. (Smell - 4.25)

Taste was not nearly as good as the nose. It was a mix of ingredients that should have been better than it was. In order got sour raspberry, black raspberry, blackberry, rose blossom, guava, strawberry, mixed berry, passion fruit and mango. (Taste - 3.50)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average-to-lively carbonation. Long, sour, juicy finish. (Feel - 3.75)

Man, really wanted this to be better. Something just wasn’t quite working here, but it was still very good overall. (Overall - 3.75)

3.83 | 86 | B+

Pours a hazy pink, like a slightly less opaque grapefruit juice. Slightly pink head that dissipates in a hurry.

Aroma is smarties, grapefruit juice, watermelon, and strawberries.

Taste is sour watermelon, strawberry, and raspberry. Smarties candy in the flavor as well. Nice, green fresh fruit note. Pleasant light sourness. Sweet, but not overly sweet.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a mid- high carbonation. Slightly sticky. Hint of alcohol warmth.

Overall, this is a very nice beer. Pleasant spring afternoon (or maybe fall) beer. Delicious.

A Fruited Berliner Weisse.
I love Berliner Weisses, for being so tart, sharp and exciting. This one takes that to the next level, by putting all these raspberries in it and making it fruitED. Not fruity, fruited.
What I felt was, the amazing aroma of those berries in the nose, and the taste, well it was so masterfully combined with the weisse that it felt 100% like the real thing, I never even thought about the beer anymore. It was ripe, fruity, juicy and tart just like those fruits might have been. It was delicious and refreshing and fruity full on. It was fruity from the beginning to the very end, not like when you call a beer fruity or when you drink a beer that has fruits added to it or made of fruits, no. This was intensive and amazing. I loved it very much.
I truly expected something lighter and more like a typical Berliner Weisse with some fruity overtones, instead I got an amazingly zesty fruit explosion. Could easily be the best fruitED beer that I’ve ever had.

Cloudy pink colored beer with a pinkish white head.

Smells sour as expected. Sour fruit scent. Raspberries and something like mango or guava.

Starts out sour and fruity. Sour raspberry mostly. Not super sour just tart. Pretty much it sour raspberry.

Mouthfeel is light per the style.

Overall a good summer alternative to lemonade.

 

 

Pinky orange color is quite attractive. Adequate foam in the New Belgium snifter. Smell is very odd, like old shoes and foam rubber. The first taste is just wretched-- such an astringentcy with a sweet Hawaiian Punch taste. After more careful sipping, I have to say it's undrinkable but at least interesting.

The fruit flavor is surprisingly intense, and it does taste like raspberries. But the over salted and sour style does not do all that fruit any good. And the medicinal bitter aftertaste is not to be tolerated. From the 16 oz can single purchased at the liquor store.

 

 

 

Not a very good beer, but different and at least palatable, in my opinion.

L: Nothing special about MT’s can art and this is no exception. Looks like someone made the design in Microsoft paint. Pours with a hazy pink body, looking like bubbly raspberry lemonade. Head dissipates quickly leaving no lacing.

S: Sour raspberry, lemon, guava, passion fruit and quince are all strong and up front. Lacto funk under that, prominent, but restrained, with hints of strawberry wine and wheat crackers on the finish. Smells pretty nice.

T: Nothing too offensive on the palate either. Fermented strawberry and raspberry are the major players, with crackers and white wine vinegar in the background. There is an excess of astringent pithy bitterness, particularly on the finish. Not like citrus, more like pomegranate pith or underripe blackberries. Let's just say it's not gonna be a hit at a kickback.

F: It’s a little syrupy and poorly carbonated, especially for a sour. But not so much as to be unpleasant, I just prefer my sours crisp and light.

O: Not bad, not great. Worth picking up? Only if you love raspberry sours.