It seems that every time I head into Total Wine lately they have something new from The Bruery. This time around it’s the intriguing Hottenroth Berliner Weisse — a weisse unlike any I’ve had before. I had initially thought of holding onto this one a little while longer (a month of two) before cracking it open, but the timing couldn’t have been more appropriate as I’m currently reading Stan Hieronymous’ Brewing With Wheat (expect a review some time next week).
As far as the brew goes, it’s definitely the most tart weisse of any variety that I’ve ever had. It’s so tart that it’s a bit tough to drink comfortably. Perhaps that’s why the brewery suggests adding “raspberry or woodruff syrup” to help tone down the tartness a bit. Having neither, I did my best to enjoy it all by its lonesome.
Appearance
Pouring a hazy, pale yellow in color the brew had a very champagne like head that bubbled effervescently and audibly — quickly fading to nothing.
Aroma
Hottenroth even has a dry champagne like nose that has a touch of wheat and lots of lemon. It smells inviting and refreshing.
Taste
The first thing you’ll notice is just how damned tart this beer is. Once you get pass the biting pucker, you’ll find that the bubbly nature of the pour doesn’t translate to the mouthfeel. It’s got a slight carbonation activity, but not like a champagne. The lemon is definitely there, as is a little green apple. The finish is rather dry and lingers with the tartness for a good while, yet even with that pucker it’s still pretty refreshing. For as tart as it was, I still enjoyed the overall taste profile of the beer.
Overall
I enjoyed this offering from The Bruery, but not nearly as much as I thought I would. The tartness on the beer is aggressive and certainly makes it less drinkable in terms of just sitting down and enjoying a beer. It’s definitely a beer you have to work with. At 3.1% ABV you’ll be just fine if you need to drain the whole bottle because it was too tart for your better half.
Rating: 3/5
