228. The Bruery Hottenroth

From the bottle: “Sour = Yum!”

This is our third from the Bruery; we’ve previously sampled Orchard White and Saison Rue. Hottenroth is a pale clear straw color that closely resembles champagne, although the second half of the bottle was a lightly cloudy. There is a quickly dissipating white head, but the carbonation is remains bright and lively in the glass. The nose is a mix of citric tartness (almost lemony), graininess, and some sourness. Hottenroth starts with a light amount of grainy wheat sourness before the tartness takes over; the tartness continues to rise through the middle along with some sourness, giving way to a yeasty grainy wheat flavor. It closes with a return of some of the tartness, although the graininess lingers. Hottenroth has an extremely light body; the mouthfeel is sharp and bright with a decent amount of carbonation and lactic tang, leaving the mouth dry. Crisp, refreshing, and very drinkable—we could drink this all day long, which is most certainly the idea with the style.

Such a lovely April Fool’s joke...

From the bottle: “Brewed in memory of Fred & Sarah Hottenroth, this traditional ale can be served with raspberry or woodruff syrup, or simply enjoyed as is! Our Berliner Weisse is suitable for aging up to year when cellared properly. Best stored and cellared around 55° F (13° C) in a dark place. Ideal serving temperature is 45° F (7° C). Please pour carefully, leaving the yeast sediment behind in the bottle. Best enjoyed in a wide rimmed chalice or a tulip.”

From the Bruery website: “Hottenroth Berliner Weisse is brewed in memory of Fred and Sarah Hottenroth, Patrick’s grandparents. This tart German-style Berliner Weisse is as authentic as it gets. We used lactobacillus and a hint of brettanomyces to sour this very unusual, low gravity wheat beer. To cut the tartness for those with sweeter tastes, raspberry or woodruff syrup is a traditional way to sweeten the beer. Almost an extinct style, we hope to help revive the Berliner Weisse in memory of two great people.”

ABV: 3.1%
IBU: 2

(2/13/2010)