Lichtenhainer?

Definitely, not a lot of people make it but it doesn't fit into the current list of styles, and it's historical. BA even wrote an article about it.

 

Yeah, it's not a style I see very often but I'm pretty sure I've tried some at a couple places. Think I've only tried them at the breweries so I don't have any reviews of those style of beers since I don't typically review beers if I'm out somewhere drinking. I thought Restoration Brew Worx in Delaware Ohio made one, and I thought Three Floyds made one too but I could be wrong about that. Isn't it a sour smoked wheat style of beer? Doesn't quite fit into the Gose category, so maybe more get input into the Smoked Beer category?

 

Yes. Rapp jokingly explained it to me as hot dog water, but, it's even more like a smoked brat with sauerkraut on top.

I'm surprised it's not more popular in Cleveland.

 

I'm by no means an expert on beer styles, but from what I've read and what I've seen from other breweries descriptions of Lichtenhainers it seemed that they're all sour and smoky to some extent. If I'm wrong someone can correct me. From the few I can remember trying it seemed that both were part of the character of those brews.

 

I'd be in favor of Lichtenhainer as a separate style. I don't mind more styles as long as they make sense (to me anyway ) but I've seen this style of beer at more than one place in my travels. Not sure if it's just an Ohio/Midwest thing, but I know I've occasionally seen this style of beer over the years since I try to make a point to drink different styles of brews at places if I can. I think Untappd has a Burton Ale style too, one of which I tried at another Ohio brewery earlier this summer. Just wondering in general if all these styles should have listings or have one generic "traditional ale" style until there's enough listings to justify having enough reviews to have different listings for all of them.

 

Lichtenhainer is an excellent example of the type of beer referred to in this other thread.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...-and-unrecognized-styles.653076/#post-7138947

I have had several, and agree they are unique and worthy of promotion. BA has a number of self identifying Lichtenhainer beers.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/search/?q=Lichtenhainer

 

Perhaps for historical rare styles we add them to the site for beer advocacy/awareness, but for when brewers invent something that seems new/unique in relation to existing styles then we wait until it starts to get some wider traction and “buzz” at least at a regional level before adding it as a new style (for example Brut IPA, Fruited Sours etc). I think Todd’s goal (hopefully I read it correctly) is to accelerate Beer Advocate’s response time to adding new styles and looking for our input and opinions.

 

There is also frustrations with ancient styles 1) a brewer makes a very rare style from history but decided to modify it fairly drastically. So is it fair to log this new extremely rare beer as an ancient/historical style of it’s not re-introducing the style to current beer drinker in its original style form? 2). When a brewer makes an obscure/rare style but markets the name under a more recognizable style and misleads to sell product. The Brewer and more advanced beer drinkers would know, but 99% of people wouldn’t and the beer highly likely would be misclassified (but hopefully a Poobah would report it later to be moved). An example of this was a beer I had recently was named in big print on the can as an Amber Ale (a more familiar beer style name), but it was really an English Dark Mild when you read the small print description.

 

Here is one such example.
Gotlandsdricka | Jester King Brewery | BeerAdvocate

I am familiar with this, as I'm planning to brew one myself. (BTW, my brewing skills are armature level.) So I have been researching with very limited luck. Apparently I have either found the limits of the internet, or the limits of my search skills.

 

As for my opinion on a style guide for Lichtenhainer... Below is what i cobbled together from a variety of sources, including BJCP. I make no claims regarding it's accuracy, and offer it merely as a jumping point.

BTW, this is too long and detailed for what I think BA should be providing.

(HOPEFULLY there are no copyright issues. If anyone thinks there is such a risk, please let me know, so I can delete this post and avoid repeating the mistake.)

general: Short shelf life. Smoke and sour combination.

Originating in Lichtenhain, in Thüringen (central Germany). Height of popularity was towards the end of the 1800s, and was widely available throughout Thüringen. Like a pre-1840 Berliner Weisse.
appearance: Tall off-white head, rocky and persistent. Deep yellow to light gold color. Fair clarity, may be somewhat hazy.

aroma: Moderately strong fresh smoky aroma, light hints of sourness, medium-low fruity esters, possibly apples or lemons, moderate bready-grainy malt. The smoke character is stronger than the bready notes, and the smoke has a ‘dry’ character, like the remnants of an old fire, not a ‘greasy’ smoke.

flavor: Moderately strong fruity flavor, possibly lemons or apples. Moderate intensity, clean lactic tartness (no funk). Similar smoky character as aroma (dry wood fire), medium strength. Dry finish, with acidity and smoke in the aftertaste. Low bitterness; the acidity is providing the balance, not hops. Fresh, clean palate and slightly puckery aftertaste. The wheat character is on the low side; the smoke and acidity are more prominent in the balance. The lemony-tart/green apple flavor is strongest in the finish, with smoke a close second. Complex.

palate: Tingly acidity. High carbonation. Medium to medium-light body.

impression: A sour, smoked, lower-gravity historical German wheat beer. Complex yet refreshing character due to high attenuation and carbonation, along with low bitterness and moderate sourness.

ibu: 5 - 512 / abv: 3.5 - 4.7% / srm: 3 - 6 temp: 45 - 50˚F
glassware: Pint Glass (or Becker, Nonic, Tumbler), Goblet (or Chalice)

food pairing: Cuisine (German) Cheese (buttery; Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss, sharp; Blue, Cheddar) General (Salad, Apéritif)

 

Absolutely love this style, so obscure though.. this is a great one



Can't say I have had many, but it's pretty rare to find it out there in beer land. Not sure how worthy or necessary it is to add a style that has so few existing examples out there.