35th Anniversary Berliner Weisse

Описание

Brewed in the depths of winter, this almost-traditional Berliner Weisse started out with pilsner malt, wheat malt and unmalted wheat at a ratio of 50% barley to 50% adjunct with a light kiss of noble hops for balance. Unlike the more common kettle souring used to make most North American versions of the style, it was then fermented and conditioned for several months in the traditional mixed-fermentation method that led to Napoleon's troops dubbing this style "the champagne of the North". Saccharomyces and lactobacillus co-fermented with a crucial ingredient: several strains of brettanomyces salvaged from unopened bottles of berliner weisse brewed by now-defunct breweries in Berlin. After extended conditioning in stainless steel it was blended with a small portion of this batch that aged in red wine barrels before being keg conditioned for the last six weeks. The final product has a spritzy carbonation and a refreshing acidity with notes of white wine (Gewürztraminer, Reisling), tropical fruit, apricot and citrus. While hints of brett funk are present, the salvaged brett strains have a significantly less aggressive profile than what you find in traditional Belgian mixed fermentation beers like lambic.