1⁴: Plum Berliner Weisse
The Exchange Brewery

A bit disappointing. Good colour and texture for the style, but the flavours were nothing like as clearly defined and well structured as I would prefer. Only a hint of either the tartness, all the fruit sweetness.

 

Typically tart Berliner Weiss. Not really plummy. Hazy, muddy yellow. No head, no lace. Very subdued aroma. Would be sharp and refreshing, I suppose, on a hot day, but nothing really special.

473 ml can purchased from Fortinos for $4.15 CDN. Served cold in a glass beer mug.

Appearance - Hazy and turbid peach colored beer with shades of cantaloupe orange, yellow and pink. Small half finger of head fizzles off pretty quick. Looks like a milkshake.

Smell - Initially sour and with some stone fruit mixed in. Nose is pretty subtle.

Taste - Soft and subtle ripe plum, possibly some nectarine mixed in followed by a small wave of sourness and a touch of salt. Wheat flows in during the aftermath. Not quite as fruity as expected, quite nuanced but I think this could be enhanced (if possible) with more robust plum.

Mouthfeel - Medium light bodied, spritzy carbonation and slightly watery finish.

Overall - I like the idea and the execution isn't half bad, but I think with some tweaking and a slightly more robust an discernible plum presence this could in fact be very good. Enjoyable enough as is, which is an enjoyable summertime quaff.

437 ml Can. ABV 4.3%.
Appearance: Light purple/brown, Very cloudy/murky, One finger of light pink head, Decent retention, Creamy collar remains.
Aroma: Yeast, Lactic acid, Dark fruit tartness, Vinous.
Mouthfeel: Under medium body, Quite delicate and smooth, Somewhat airy, Off-dry finish.
Flavour: Lactic acid, Soft malt backbone, Dark fruit tartness, Vinous.
Overall: This is a really interesting beer. It has great colour. It may be a bit out of its style range, but it is refreshing and well put together. I'd recommend it and would love to enjoy it again.

Review: 64

 

473 mL can from Superstore; dated May 6 2019 and served barely chilled. I love plums, and I also love beer, but to my knowledge this is the first time I've had the chance to sample their combined result.

Pours muddy, turbid and nearly opaque, with a purplish salmon-pink colour. It's crowned with one finger of soapy, pink-tinged head that settles off within roughly two minutes' time; a thick collar of creamy foam persists for considerably longer. An attractive band of messy lacing has even been left behind - I don't generally expect a BW to look this, well, spiffy. The nose is a bit more on point: a tad funky, with gritty, wheaty grain and lemony lactic acidity being the major constituents. The plum is more of a background note, at least as far as aroma is concerned.

A pleasant-tasting little brew that's not nearly as sour as this style typically trends. The malts provide a sturdier base than I'm used to in a BW - they supply a bready, wheaty cereal grain flavour that stands up to the lemony lactic acidity, largely managing to keep it in check. Suggestions of sweet plum flesh crop up by mid-sip, lingering into a tart finish, with more lactic acidity carrying on into the aftertaste. Medium-light in body - a bit weightier in the mouth than many BWs, with a frothy softness to its texture that I rather like. Nothing too complicated about this one: it's just sour and wheaty with a hint of fruitiness, but I found it very drinkable.

Final Grade: 4.07, an A-. The Exchange's 1⁴ Plum Berliner Weisse was highly enjoyable, though I feel that its sourness has been dialled back considerably compared to most other examples of this style. That's not ideal - at least from the perspective of someone trying to review each style objectively - but it might actually aid this beer in terms of making it more approachable from the 'sour newbie' standpoint... and as someone with acid reflux problems, I'm also OK with it. Recommended, and I'll be back for more in the near future.