Blackboard Series #3 - Berliner Weisse with Elderflower
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown

RB transfer

 

 

"Enjoy by 11/16/16"; drank 8/7/16 @ the Yarchives.

Semi-opaque dull yellow appearance.

A rough pour yielded a huge, noisy white head; minimal lace.

Tart lemon, wheat, peach & fresh flower notes in the nose.

Thin mouthfeel.

Tart lemon & wheat flavors up front; peach notes on the finish. Pleasantly tart but not over the top; enjoyable & above average.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a stange, the appearance is a cloudy yellow color with a sustaining finger’s worth of white foamy head. It does eventually dissipate a bit more, but definitely at a nice pace. Mild stringy lacing clings to the glass yet slides into an acceptable messiness. The aroma brings in a nice amount sour-ed wheat, but springy light. Elderflower is quite underneath. Light citrus. The flavor takes in a graceful amount of the sour wheat to some citrus. Super quick sour-ed wheaty mash hits the aftertaste and puckers up nicely in the finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light on the body with a nice sessionable sour smooth feel sliding over my tongue. Carbonation seems to hit appropriately. Overall, as a Berliner Weisse with Victory’s creativity to drop in the elderflower it works for me. I would have it again. Definitely crushable on a hot day!

 

 

 

$ 6.00 (Including tax)/six pack ($ 0.083/oz) at Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA
BB 16 Nov 16 at 42 degrees. Served at 42 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Aroma – very faint perfume, sour. I had one about a month ago and the flower smell was much stronger – not strong enough to be repulsive but definitely disturbing.
Head small (Maximum one cm, aggressive pour), off white, thin and frothy, average retention leaving a two mm partial ring fed by effervescence and no layer.
Lacing – none.
Body – light yellow, cloudy, effervescent with extremely tiny bubbles.
Flavor – Basically tart. No distinct flavor of malt, hops, or alcohol. No diacetyl.
Palate – light, watery, lively carbonation.

An unremarkable Berliner weisse but one that I would like to have available year-round, if the flowers were left out.

Appearance 3.75, Aroma 3.5, Flavor 3.75, Palate 4, Overall 3.75.

 

 

I just keep plugging away on the Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody & at times, it begins to feel like Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill, only to have it roll back on him at the end of the day. I know, first world, white man problem. Onward!

From the bottle: "Herbal and floral aromas emerge from this tart Wheat Ale as vanilla wood and spice impressions compliment a mildly sweet finish, inviting you to taste Victory (R)! Brewmasters' Approval [undersigned] Bill [&] Ron".

I was going to let loose on the pour when I was suddenly struck with the inspiration to look at this site's "Styles" section. Good thing, since it reads: "... a clear, pale golden straw-colored appearance" & I could not guarantee that such would be the case with a heavy-handed pour. Once decanted, I utilized a vigorous in-glass swirl to raise two-plus fingers of fizzy, bone-white head with modest retention. Color was Pale-Straw (SRM = 1 -2) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a slight funk and if that was lacto, I am getting better at identifying it. It had the sourness of spoiled milk, which I will never forget, having filled a thermos with it as a kid for a trip & promptly forgetting it until the car took on an unforgettable odor. Needless to say, my parents were not overjoyed. In addition to the sour milk smell, it gave off a ReaLemon juice tartness & my lips began to involuntarily pucker. Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium. The taste was VERY tart, not really sour, but laden with a vinegar & lemon tartness and my eyes began to water from the intensity. I remained unsure what the elderflower was to impart, but it did not seem to be imparting the impressions mentioned on the label. Finish was tart and dry. It was a nice, refreshing change from some of the recent beers & styles that I have been drinking & reviewing of late, but one was plenty.

Very hazy color with a hint of crystal clarity peeking through. The head is large, overflows, and settles to a soapy 2 finger stand-still.

Aromas of lemon, lemongrass, yeast, and pale grain.

Ample sour lemon qualities, sweet tarts, amid quite a few metallic flavors. The metal throws me off a bit, and I don't think it's supposed to be there, so that raises concern with either their production or their storing.

Feel is as it should be, light and carbonated, crisp even.

Overall I'm not sure if this comes in six or four packs, and at what price point - I simply bought a single for $2.49 and hoped for the best. That being said, better Berliners are out there for around that same price or slightly higher; I'd suggest checking those out first.