History: Huguenots may have originated the style as they traveled through France to Flanders, having first mentioned it in the 1600s. During their time, there were said to be seven hundred weissbier breweries in Berlin.
Later, in 1809, Napoleon and his troops identified Berliner Weisse as the Champagne of the North. He requested the beer be served w/syrup to cut its extreme level of acidity.
About "1809":
“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. "18099" 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).
Produced by Dr. Fritz Briem, Weihenstephan & Doemens.
Beer Ratings and Reviews:
[1] Review by RJA from Palm Springs, FL, USA who has tried this beer once. (11/2/2008 5:57:21 PM)
"Pucker up. ‘Cause this is a sour experience. And that’s why the retailer I brought this rare treasure from suggested I serve it with a raspberry flavored simple syrup. To get a sense of the beer I pour a portion and was impressed by the cloudy yellow bidy and the huge frothy white head. It dissipated quickly. A complexity of fruits and tartness strike the nose and with the added effect of heavy carbonation attack the palate. The beer has the texture of a champagne. The simple syrup was a good idea. A teaspoon or two is all that is needed to take the edge off the tartness. This is an excellent beer to pair with a dessert such as a classic New York cheese cake."
Aroma:
7/10
Appearance:
8/10
Mouthfeel:
10/10
Flavor:
7/10
Overall:
8/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4)
Sampled: Bottle Sample Size: 500ml @ $4.79 Unit Cost: $4.53 per Pint
[2] Review by pfoxyjohn from Watertown, WI, USA who has tried this beer once. (9/30/2008 12:22:12 AM)
"Pours an extremely pale lemon-yellow with a transient effervescent white head. Some sediment flakes quickly settle out. Mild aroma of sour lemon. Quite a rush with first taste; full, clean, spritzy mouthfeel. Fresh lemongrass flavor turn very tart, then balance out for a long, tantalyzing, faintly spicy lactic finish. Nicely crafted; quite possibly the best Berliner I've had. MUSIC: 'Berlin Tonight' by Bruce Cockburn; " shapechanging over glass on the front line of the last gasp"; 'Napoleon' by Ani DiFranco; "and i know you would always want more, i know you would never be done, 'cuz everyone is a f***ing napoleon; 'Champagne Sparkle' by Dan Baird & Homemade Sin; "champagne sparkle and no regrets""
Aroma:
7/10
Appearance:
7/10
Mouthfeel:
8/10
Flavor:
10/10
Overall:
9/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4.1)
Sampled: Bottle
Value of this beer for its style: Not Sure
[3] Review by lenusik from Toronto, Canada who has tried this beer once. (9/2/2008 4:15:17 PM)
"A recent party in downtown Toronto saw rise to the introduction of Weihenstephaner brews into Ontario. This was one of the brews served at the party and was a damn fine treat. It poured a hazy gold colour and the aroma was replete with lemon and banana and clove. The taste was magnificent. Not as sweet as the regular Weihenstephander, but still a little tasty with a creamy feel."
Aroma:
8/10
Appearance:
7/10
Mouthfeel:
9/10
Flavor:
9/10
Overall:
7/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4)
Value of this beer for its style: Not Sure Compared to this brewer's other beers: Not Sure
[4] Review by doulos31 from Middletown, DE, USA who has tried this beer once. (8/9/2008 10:07:02 PM)
"Pour goes into the bottle clear but clouds up to a golden solid blanket. Nice head and the lacing gives testimony to where beer once was. Aroma is that of tart fruit. The first sip yields banana at the fore, followed by a citrus tartness and slight sourness over a thick wheat base. Some spices accent the complex flavors. There is a lot going on in this and this is about as good of a wheat beer as I’ve had. I’m stating that this is the best 5% abv beer in the world, bar none."
Aroma:
9/10
Appearance:
9/10
Mouthfeel:
9/10
Flavor:
9/10
Overall:
9/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4.5)
Sampled: Bottle
Value of this beer for its style: Not Sure
[5] Review by beerguy101 from Newark, CA, USA who has tried this beer once. (6/5/2008 9:32:13 PM)
"This Berliner Weisse pours a medium yellow gold color from a 50cl bottle. Small sized white foamy head. The aroma is tart lemons, yeast and some malts. A medium bodied Berliner Weise The malts are cereal and grain, some papaya and orange. Its tart, but not overpoweringly tart. Lively carbonation. A nice tart and refreshing summer beer. The lower alcohol content would make this a nice summer session beer. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly tart. "
Aroma:
8/10
Appearance:
8/10
Mouthfeel:
8/10
Flavor:
8/10
Overall:
8/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(4)
Sample Size: 500ml @ $5 Unit Cost: $4.73 per Pint
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