Berliner Weiss recommendations

I had the old Schultheiss as well, and it was extremely sour. I drank it with Waldmeister.

 

I see your point and we are not the first to dispute and disagree on the topic. Oarsman has been flip-flopped between berliner, amercan pale wheat ale and other styles on this site before finally coming to rest back on berliner again.

Of all styles out there, berliner is the most fitting for it. Dont you think? If you look back through the reviews, there was a time people bashed it as an american wheat because it was "infected and tart." If a brewery releases a beer described as an IPA but it isnt as hoppy as you would like but is more malty, does that make it no longer an IPA? Or is it just a poor example of the style?

 

I think I read somewhere about White Birch dropping the suggested price of their Berliner Weisse to $4.99 (I could be wrong on that and/or it may vary from place to place.) It's definitely one of his higher regarded beers.

 

My thinkng is that Oarsman does not fit any of the BeerAdvocate defined styles. If somebody was going to enter a beer like Oarsman in a BJCP completion, I would advise them to enter it in Category 23 SPECIALTY BEER.

Cheers!

 

I'm going solely off memory at this point, but isn't Oarsmen completely unpredictable? I feel like I've had it taste relatively tart and somewhat refreshing, and I've also had it taste like a hodgepodge of misc. flavors that was not at all representative of any style, nor was it desirable. I've written it off since then... but based off some things I've heard in these posts and elsewhere on BA, it seems like it might be a decent beer if you catch it at the right time.

Can someone give me the proper skinny on this beer? What is it supposed to be? When is it good at being what it's supposed to be? Why is it such a mystery? Who is batman?

 

In my opinion, Oarsman is consistent with the description that Bell’s provides on their website. I posted the below previously:

Below is Bell’s description of Oarsman:

“Designed as a flavorful session beer, Oarsman Ale uses a classic German brewing technique to impart a light, refreshing tartness. Oarsman Ale grew out of a desire to explore the tradition of session beers, trading intensity for finesse while still creating a worthwhile experience for the taster. The grain bill includes a healthy portion of wheat, while citrusy hops lend bright notes to the aroma. Fermented with Bell’s house ale yeast, Oarsman comes in at 4.0% alcohol by volume. Rather than being the dominant flavor note, the tartness in Oarsman takes on more of a palate-cleansing role, making it perfect for pairing with food.”

Cheers!

 

Oarsman is just a not very good Berliner Weisse. The only other classification that makes any sense is American Pale Wheat Ale and it's farther from that than it is from Berliner Weisse.

 

Maybe I missed it, but did not notice anyone mention that a lot of people in Germany drink BerlinerWeis with fruit syrup to off set some of the sourness. My friend said he saw people drinking a green version of it.

 

So, your Berliner Weiss recommendation requires some sort of time travel?

 

I do realize this is not a Berliner Weiss, but may be up your alley in terms of light, prickly, and tart. It's been popping up more and more around these parts:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/7715/11218

 

Gasthaus Berliners

 

No, all I'm saying is that, based on my experience of Berliner Weisse brewed in Berlin when several breweries made it, it was fucking sour. All the historic descriptions say it was really sour, the chemical analyses I have from the 19th century confirm that.

If only I could go back in time. Though I wouldn't be off to 1980's Berlin. I'd set the controls for London, 1740, 3rd September.

 

Yes that was probably Woodruff syrup. Berliners can be served with flavored syrups to cut down on the tartness. From my experience, Woodruff and Raspberry are the most common.

 

Actually the style was widely considered a "kids" beer in Germany as its alchohol content was low enough for them to drink (usually around 3%). It was usually flavored with Rasberry (Himbeer) or Woodruff syrup. It was sometimes also mixed with lagers to balance the sourness. 1809 is brewed with an original traditional recipe from the 1800's. Berliner Weiss is actually patented in Germany and only beers actually brewed there (Berlin) can legally carry the name. There were over 700 breweries producing it at one time but today only 2 still exist. Trditionally it's sourness came from the natural fermentation however most productions today use Lacto to create the sourness in the beer.

 

I bought a bottle of it on the way home from work this afternoon, and it was $4.99. Hope it's good!

 

FFF has a Berliner Weiss its called Deesko

 

You must right the wrongs of the beer world. Next stop, London, Oct 17th, 1814.

 

Just in time to drink this:

 

No it isn't. It's nothing like a Berliner Weisse from that period.

 

It has a cool label too.




Pay special attention to the Einstürzende Neubauten logo on the tank. That's early 80s Industrial cool. The beer gets a 69 at RB and an 86 here.