Dodo
Rhinegeist Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

Where the gose style traditionally has had a lot of leeway in its acidity- some regions along the Goslar river adapted a palate-stripping sourness similar to berlinerweiss, others were seemingly nothing more than a minerally hefeweizen. But Rhinegeists Dodo lands in the ream where both types meet.

Dodo's pour is bright and lemony straw, but also somewhat milky with its haze. As a delicate stark-white head springs to the surface, it soon dissolves to a necklace around the edge, succumbing to its own acidity. Its tangy, lemony aroma is backed with sour green fruits and hints of fresh baking bread. Sweet and sour in its initial taste, the beer's bready structure keeps the pilsner sweetness and wheaten body elevated... at first.

But the angel-food cakiness and confectioner's sweet begins to dissolve on the middle palate and the sourness rises. Lactic in its nature, the piquant tang of lemon, lime, crabapple, white grape and kiwi all weave into a refreshing, sprite taste. Unlike the more sour versions, the taste retains its wheat structure and keeps a semblance of balance before its minerally, salty, perfumy finish.

With a savory saline character to round out the flavors and to give the fruit flavors and bread structure a brighter, more robust character; the medium-light ale is balanced with a strong chardonnay tartness, a dry finish and an echo of citrusy perfume in aftertaste.