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I've been trying to get a hold of a Berlinerweiss, for the last 2 or 3 years during random trips into Germany and have always come away empty handed. A friend recently made it back from Berlin with 2 bottles of the "regular" Berliner Kindl Weiss and one of the green bottles with the woodruf syrup premixed in.

-It's medium-sour, and is a really nice "clean" sourness, it has none of the "funk" associated with a lambic; it's not very "beery" tasting drink and is quite pleasant. I was told that it's traditionally drank in large wine glasses through a straw so this is how I tried it. I've only tried one bottle of the regular so far but the first week of January, when I get back to Dublin, I'll be trying the version with woodruf. (My same friend also ended up in Leipzig for one day and was trying to find a bottle of the even rarer and stranger "Gose" style for me but came up empty handed.) -Gose is basically a Berliner Weiss but is brewed with Coriander and has added salt to give it a SLIGHT saltiness; obviously it's not even remotely compliant with the Rheinheitsgebot, but it's the next style I want to try.


I think Berlinerweiss is a GREAT introduction to sour beers, especially if you're not ready for the CRAZY high acidity and funk in some unblended, aged lambics. I also think it's a beer with a TON of potential for experimentation and blending in lots of different ingredients and fruits. (It's a beer that can be "dangerous" if brewed wrong, but one that I've been researching for a while and that I think I could do safely sometime if I'm willing to "infect" a corney with lactobacillus.)

The sourness is very different than a Flanders Red, too so don't automatically discount all sour beers; give Berliner Weiss a try; it's a nice gentle sour compared to many lambics or Flanders Reds. (But doesn't have the backing sweetness like the few Flanders Browns I've tried.)

Edited to add a picture of just how green the Woodruff syrup added version is: [img:3orqzug2]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5330227373_c3587c324a_m.jpg[/img:3orqzug2]
Adam

I really want to try a few more berliners. Im going to have to research a few recepies.

There were some bottles of 30 year old examples circulating a few years ago on ratebeer. Cant remember where they came from but the people who got to try them where blown away by how good it was!!!

"Biertourist":3647orkj wrote: I think Berlinerweiss is a GREAT introduction to sour beers[/quote:3647orkj]

Not sure about that Adam. I tried Berliner Kindl Weiss as my first sour beer and thought it was shocking! I have since tried a few Geueze's (Boon Parfait, Cantillon) and found them much better, so maybe they would be a better first sour beer to try <!-- s:?: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_question.gif" alt=":" title="Question" /><!-- s:?: -->

&amp;quot;MAF&amp;quot;:1p8ewr71 wrote:

&amp;quot;Biertourist&amp;quot;:1p8ewr71 wrote: I think Berlinerweiss is a GREAT introduction to sour beers[/quote:1p8ewr71]

Not sure about that Adam. I tried Berliner Kindl Weiss as my first sour beer and thought it was shocking! I have since tried a few Geueze's (Boon Parfait, Cantillon) and found them much better, so maybe they would be a better first sour beer to try <!-- s:?: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_question.gif" alt=":" title="Question" /><!-- s:?: -->[/quote:1p8ewr71]

Maybe it's just me then. I found some of the REALLY sour beers difficult to handle early on (Rodenbach Grand Cru and the "Duchess"); I'm also in general not a big fan of most phenols and the Brett Phenols from many Geuezes / other Lambics might be one of the things that I didn't like from my first few lambics. (I also have SUPER sensitive teeth, so the more total acidity in a beer, the more my teeth hurt.)

-I just tried the Berliner Kindle Weiss with the green Woodruf syrup; probably the weirdest and least "beery" beer I've ever tried. It smelled like this marshmallow, coconut "fluff" desert that my family used to make on some holidays and actually tasted pretty close, too. Weird, weird, sweet beer. I don't think I'd consciously try the woodruff version again (although it's certainly the only naturally green beer that I know of).


Adam