1809 Berliner Style Weisse
Created by Dr. Fritz Briem of Doemens Institute, brewed by Weihenstephan & Doemens (ed: Weihenstephan denies this), “1809” is a very traditional interpretation of the “Berliner Style” Weisse with an intense blend of lactic tartness and complex fruitiness.
It is bottle-conditioned, unfiltered and unpasteurized. "1809" will age beautifully in a dark and cool location. Its complex fruitiness and tartness will most likely develop in quite astonishing ways.
“1809” is fermented in traditional open fermenters and horizontal lager tanks. The applied mashing regime is a single step decoction mash with 50 % wheat malt.The total amount of hops is added to the mash so that isomerisation takes place in the decocotion part of the mash. The wort is not boiled but only heated up to boiling temperature and then transferred to the open fermenters and pitched with yeast and lactic acid bacteria (isolated from malt) at 18 °C (64°F).
It is bottle-conditioned, unfiltered and unpasteurized. "1809" will age beautifully in a dark and cool location. Its complex fruitiness and tartness will most likely develop in quite astonishing ways.
“1809” is fermented in traditional open fermenters and horizontal lager tanks. The applied mashing regime is a single step decoction mash with 50 % wheat malt.The total amount of hops is added to the mash so that isomerisation takes place in the decocotion part of the mash. The wort is not boiled but only heated up to boiling temperature and then transferred to the open fermenters and pitched with yeast and lactic acid bacteria (isolated from malt) at 18 °C (64°F).
3.6
924 reviews
Friesing, Germany
Community reviews
Bottle. Clear gold pour with quickly diminishing head. Aroma is tart and crisp with a touch of sweetness. The flavors come together beautifully and transition back and forth between sweet and tart. The body is perfect for this type of beer. Super easy to drink and very refreshing.
On tap at ABV Social in Wauwatosa. Pale golden pour. Aroma of light pale malts, mild citrus. Lemon. Taste is mildly funky, and certainly sour. Light bodied with a decent blend. Finishes sour/tartly. 13.4
This was the Sour that got me into Sours!:) It pairs great with Fatty Meals and you get the added health benefit from the probiotic lactic acid bacteria.
Originally rated on 1/9/2009. I bought this one just to try the style, have to say it was pretty interesting. Described above by Napoleon as "champange of the north" is a pretty accurate description. It pours a very murky, super carbonated body with a massive head. Aromas of apple, pear, banana, clove and yeast. Mouthfeel was light but crisp and refreshing like champange. Flavor was sour apple, with a fruity clean aftertaste. I wish i had another but oh well. A fine brew and style i would like to find again
Bread dough, lightly fruity, lactic. Cloudy pale yellow with tons of bright white super fizzy head. Settles down over a couple of minutes to a quarter inch of foam. Very dry. Very effervescent. A little bit bready. The bottle says Napoleon called it "lively and elegant". That seems accurate. Tart. Crisp. Lightly fruity. Very well balanced. Easy to drink. Really nice.
A golden color with a large white head. The aroma contains some grassy notes, lemons, and a bit of vinegar. The flavor is slightly sour with some lemons and grassy flavors. The aftertaste is crisp and dry. Overall a good simple beer.
2 year old bottle, very carbonated, cloudy and golden with big white head. Smells very sour and acidic. Taste is medium sour, wheaty, light funk and wet grains, pretty clean finish. Glad to try the classic rendition.
Bottle from Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood City, CA. Pours a light hazy gold with a big airy head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is creamy fruit yogurt, apples, lemons, bread. Taste is creamy lemon yogurt with some apple and sour cookies. Incredibly creamy and sour with lots of fruit in the aroma. A full-bodied Berliner Weisse but still crisp and summery. Top notch.
Shared 16.9 oz. bottle. Pours a hazy pale golden with a large foamy white head. Heavy carbonation. Aroma is fruity, wheat, spice, citrus. Taste is wheat, more lemony than citric, some lactose. Tart, refreshing finish. Tasty. Nice summer beer.
Aroma: yeasty and bready; Appearance: hazy golden pour with intense carbonation; Taste: bigger taste than expected; slightly sour with yeasty body; Palate: medium body with long, mildly sour finish; Overall: very nice; would buy again.
Bottled 7/5/15, drank 8/6/16. Bottle into hefe glass. Hazy lemonade color, quickly dissipating white head leaves a very fine lace. Nose of yeast, a bit of bread or muffin, just a touch of sour. In the mouth I’m mostly struck by the sour -- not as sour as some sour beers I’ve had, but notably more than a hefe. Not a lot of wheat or fruit flavors. It is refreshing, with fine carbonation. The bread, and a touch of sweet fruit, come in on the aftertaste.
Fresh hop and grass notes in the nose. Bright golden with a strong white foam. Tart notes of lemon with a subtle underlying herbal quality. Medium light body with a crisp tart finish.
Poured from a 16 OZ bottle into a mug. The appearance is a bright slightly cloudy golden color with a small white head. The aroma is full of citrus, hops and grass. The taste is slightly tart with a lemon feel.
Crazy hazy with but a wisp of white foam. Perfect lemony tartness, crisp and refreshing. Better than any shandy or lemonade. Or any other berliner I’ve had, for that matter.
Light hazy gold color with small white head. Aroma and flavor have sweet tart fruitiness. Very flavorful, a little sour, and very drinkable!
Poured golden and clear. With a small white head that quickly dissolved. Tart and crackery. Seemed a little undercarbed. Not as tart as most American versions of the style.
Tap. Hazy light lemony yellow with a finger of foamy white head. Lactic, tart, peach and sour pear aromas. Flavor is lactic sour, slightly fresh fruit like sourness as well, peachy notes, and quite fruity along with the sour. Lighter soft body.
Not sure why ratebeer says to pour Berliner Weisses into bowls, do I dare go off on a tangent in a review on why we’re not supposed to do that? Ugh, part of me wants to but maybe it’ll be better if I explain to the editors and moderators on ratebeer the correct or traditional glassware for a Berliner Weisse, that’ll probably be better. Anyways, well, here’s the rest.
This was poured into a stange (because that is correct glassware for this style).
The appearance was a hazy burnt orange peel color with a semi-thick to thin foamy white head that dissipated at a nice pace. Lacing was somewhat foamy but small bubbles.
The smell had the sour wheat up front then subtle sour to bitter lemon and orange rind with a nice little bit of sweet wheat sliding in underneath as it warms.
The taste was basically the same with a citrusy aftertaste about it.
On the palate, this one was light bodied with a sly carbonation allowing just enough bitter harshness to accompany the feel.
Overall, now that’s what a Berliner Weisse should be! Would I have this again - maybe a better question is: does a baby like milk?
Bottle at Flora Cafe. Golden body with big head. Nose is floral, citrus, spices. Taste is hops and citrus. Malty. Sour in the finish.
d/yellow color. Aroma is mildly wheaty with a sour presence. The taste is a thrist quenching sour/dry. Almost like a champagne. It is hard to describe, either you like it or you don’t. I love it.
A very nice weisse, Unusual in its lack of banana flavor, its saltiness and its mild lemon rind flavor. This is quite complex and very well balanced with a great mouthfeel. Poured from a large bottle into a big nonic. Good and persistent head, very cloudy yellow color. Aroma of wheat, lemon and yeast.
The flavor is tart and smooth, fruity and lightly salty, with a dry finish that keeps me drinking. Glad this is a big bottle as this is a delicious brew. More than I ever expected from this style,
Berliner weisse beers are a little odd for me still, but since it’s hot as sin outside I thought I’d give this badboy a shot. Aroma is apples, tart yeast like a lambic, and cellar space. Taste also reminds me of apple cider but the lactic acid flattens it out, if only slightly. A bit plain but satisfying bubbily on a hot afternoon. Still can’t say it’s my favorite, but nice.
Pour is a unfiltered but clean looking golden lager color. Smell is straight up citrus: lemons, grapefruit, sour orange and yeasty. Bit malty presence. Taste is a blast of citrus with some grainy mouthfeel and a bit of a acidic aftertaste. Big refreshing hit like a lemonade. The 5% alcohol feels heavier then it rightfully should but that was welcome. Sour, puckering and dry aftertaste
Pours hazy, hubby solar yellow with a thick but effervescent snow-white head. Aroma presents nice fruity and yeasty tones. Flavor has a malty core that supports yeasty and somewhat sour fruit notes. Mouthfeel is on the thin side and has little fizz. Nevertheless, give it a try.
On tap at Trapeze. Crisp, refreshing and delighful. Definitely a summer beer but superb for the style. Super tart and tons of lemon/ citrus notes. Light bodied and crisp but still complex. Lactic notes throughout. Really well done.
Straw colored and effervescent. Light fluffy head that disappears. Fine sediment suspended in the beer. Taste is light malt, fruity, yeast and slightly tart. Bottle conditioned.
floral, lemon, dough, citrus, golden, cloudy, rocky head, white foam, medium bitterness, medium sourness, medium body, thin feel, average carbonation, bitter, long finish,
Poured from a bottle. Slightly heavy haze with a mild straw yellow hue. Has a very big pillowy white head that disappears quickly. Very nice grain and cereal aromas with a citrus and lemon pop in the nose. Above average acidity and tartness that is very pleasant. Champagne like body to heighten and play with the sour quality and bring out some of the grassy and citrus notes. I would buy this often.
4 oz pour on draft at ChurchKey. Hazy yellow with off-white head. Aromas of apples, lemon citrus. Tastes of lemon citrus, light herbs. Light body with a dry finish.
Pours bright light orange with a two finger white head with nice lacing. Aroma is of tart fruits, wheat bread, funkyness, salt, lemonade, and overly ripe fruits. Taste is about the same as the aroma. Has a medium body with a creamy mouthfeel and a dry, sour, long finish. Overall, a very nice Berliner that super refreshing and drinkable.