Many of you, my devoted readers, will be familiar with New Glarus Brewery of New Glarus, Wisconsin. They are among the craftiest of craft brewers, and only sell their product in Wisconsin. For long years, I did not even realize this, until I thought about it again and realized that I had only bought their products from vendors across the river--first the Spur Station, and now that they are out of business, the Wine House.
Several times throughout the year, New Glarus allows their brewmeister to go crazy and make whatever kind of artisinal beer he has on his mind. These get bottled with a foil wrapped neck and sold in packs of four as the "Thumbprint Series," and that is where the Berliner Weiss fits into their schema.
According to the side of the bottle (the labels all have a little story about the beer inside), Napoleon dubbed this beer the Champagne of the North." It is brewed with Wisconsin Wheat and Riesling grapes. And, it is tart (for those who were worried that wheat beer with Riesling grapes would be too sweet).
The pour:
Twelve ounce bottle poured into a tulip glass. Quickly develops almost two whole inches of head, I really need to work on my pouring skills. The foam is of a medium consistency, and persists well--as i write this I have drank close to half the bottle and there is still a layer, albeit only a few millimeters thick, floating on the top. It also laces beautifully. The aroma is very similar to Proximity--the grapes come through very strong.
The Drink:
Tart! Delicious!
Light bodied, with a strong green/white grape sourness that does not cling to the palate. Other fruit notes that might have developed from vinting the grapes straight are less present, but so is the typical wheat beer sweetness. Also present on the tongue is the great sensation of the beer's subtle effervescence.
The tart flavors almost remind me of the sourness of a lambic, but it does not have the heavy, clinging sourness of wild yeast--it is tart on the tongue, and then just an echo remains, making you want to immediately take another sip. Dangerously drinkable.
Enjoy at a picnic with friends, or under a starry night sky with a bonfire. I might save a few four packs for New Year's Eve!
Rating: ***** of *****!
