Barrel Aged Reinheitsgewhat!?
Little Fish Brewing Company
- From:
- Little Fish Brewing Company
- Ohio, United States
- Style:
- Berliner Weisse
- ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- 89
- Avg:
- 4.01 | pDev: 20.45%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Feb 21, 2019
- Added:
- Dec 25, 2015
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 2
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
Ever heard of the Reinheitsgebot, the 500-year-old Bavarian Beer Purity Law that says you can only brew beer with malt, hops, yeast, and water? Us either! Or, at least we like to brew that way sometimes.
We started with the idea of a Berliner Weisse, or a tart German wheat beer. Then we eschewed the hops completely and used a variety of herbs and fruits: lemon, grapefruit, and orange juice and zest, chamomile, and rose hips. This made for a light and citrusy sour ale when fresh. Months of aging in cabernet barrels added layers of toasted coconut flavor from the oak, and Brettanomyces funk.
This beer has delicate citrus and herb flavors that are probably better when drunk fairly fresh - within 6 months of bottling. However, only time will tell how the funk develops with aging. We suggest experimentation!
Hope to see you at the taproom some time!
Sean & Jimmy
We started with the idea of a Berliner Weisse, or a tart German wheat beer. Then we eschewed the hops completely and used a variety of herbs and fruits: lemon, grapefruit, and orange juice and zest, chamomile, and rose hips. This made for a light and citrusy sour ale when fresh. Months of aging in cabernet barrels added layers of toasted coconut flavor from the oak, and Brettanomyces funk.
This beer has delicate citrus and herb flavors that are probably better when drunk fairly fresh - within 6 months of bottling. However, only time will tell how the funk develops with aging. We suggest experimentation!
Hope to see you at the taproom some time!
Sean & Jimmy
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by PHBoiler from Illinois
1.43/5 rDev -64.3%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1
1.43/5 rDev -64.3%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1
Beer pours a nice light blonde color with a huge pillowy white head. Loads of carbonation. The smell is distinctly baby diaper. I'm picking up no other scent. Spoiled sourness. The taste mirrors that. Intensely sour and oddly funky. Split with 3 other BA members. All had the same experience.
Apr 29, 2016
Reviewed by Can_has_beer from Texas
4.31/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
I didn't know what to expect from this, maybe it would be like a tart Gruit or a mediocre saison. It poured with a fluffy white head, golden straw color with a few yeasties hanging around (I jossled the bottle a little during transport). It had a funky aroma, some tartness and more funky awesomeness. It tasted great. There was some citrus flavors, a little musty component on the back and a pleasant sourness through the middle. I really enjoyed this.
Apr 24, 2016
Reviewed by jimmy_lfbc from Ohio
4.39/5 rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.39/5 rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Barrel aged coconut and other esters create complexity to augment the citrus/wheat backbone of this effervescent and refreshing brew. A must have for anyone looking for a pale sour.
Feb 16, 2016
Reviewed by patpbr from Ohio
4.16/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.16/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pour is a light someplace between orange and gold. The head was light and foamy and quickly went away. Smell is a bit funky. Orange zest fruits and herbs. Taste follows smell with a lots of different flavors going on. Its tart and light with moderate carbonation.
Feb 09, 2016
Reviewed by bluejacket74 from Ohio
4.11/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.11/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
750 ml bottle, Batch B03, bottled on 10/2/2015. Served in a tulip, the beer pours a hazy gold color with a couple inch off-white head that fizzled away somewhat quickly. There's a decent amount of lacing. The brew smells like wheat/grainy malt, citrus peel, and floral/herbalness. The taste is nice and tart, it tastes like wheat/grainy malt, lemon, citrus peel, herbs, funk and a bit of oak. There's also a lingering tart finish. Mouthfeel/body is light, it's refreshing and a little coating with a good amount of carbonation. The soft carbonation works well with this brew. I'm liking this more and more the longer I drink it, I might have to pick up another bottle soon if I can find one. It's quite enjoyable, there was more tartness in this than I was expecting so it was a nice surprise. This was the first Little Fish brew that I've tried, and now I'll have to make a point to try more! $13.99 a bottle.
Dec 25, 2015
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