Ah the venerable Berlinerweisse, the approachable lightly tart German wheat beer. A delicious low alcohol treat on a hot summers day. I much prefer a clean and tangy Berlinerweisse to a sweet and sticky Radler on warm days like we’ve been having lately. These sour wheats do have a broad spectrum though however, some can be much more tart than others, the Desihl Counter Clockweisse is quite tart, as is Aslan’s Disco Lemonade, they are often times cut with syrups such as woodruff or raspberry.
What we’ve got here comes to us from Mikkeller, in Denmark, sporting two different flavors. Each can sits on the shelf wearing a name tag politely saying Hallo Ich Bin Berliner Weisse, or more simply put “Hi I am Berliner Weisse.” Each flavor is peppered all over the can, with either a smattering of cherries or peaches.
Brewery — Mikkeller
Beer — Ich Bin Berliner Weisse (Cherry, Peach)
Price — $4.99 / 500 ml Can
Availability — Limited
Let’s tackle the Cherry variant first
Appearance (2/3) — A bright and rich cherry hued beer pours into the glass with a surprisingly large head on top of it. It sits on top like meringue on top of a pie, really not too far off from whipped egg whites. A nice consistent bit of lacing is left behind with each sip.
Aroma (8/12) — Very subdued with just a hint of pie cherries laying on top of a solid sour wheat malt base, just a little bit acidic and tangy, but overall rather unassuming.
Flavor (13/20) — Clean and simple with just a slight tang of acidity, balanced with a lightly sour tone from the cherries. This is more sweet than sour, but there is just enough dryness to round things out and remain light in stature.
Mouthfeel (4/5) — Light and bubbly, effervescent, refreshing and clean, just about perfect.
Overall (7/10) — Well done, but it does err on the milder side of the spectrum. A wonderful visual in the glass goes a bit down hill from there, still good, but not as good as it could be.
CHERRY OVERALL — 34 / 50 — VERY GOOD
Next up is the peach variant
Appearance (3/3) — A much more classic appearance with maybe just a faint orange tinge. A nice and clear lemony yellow hue with just a slight head and lacing.
Aroma (7/12) — Clean and tangy Berliner notes of sour cereal and grains balanced with some fresh squeezed lemon juice and a hint of sweet stonefruit on the finish, no real wallop of peach, but there is enough sweetness there to let you know.
Flavor (15/20) — Tangy lemons and limes lead way to a semisweet note of peach cobbler and pie crust, overall much more well composed and balanced.
Mouthfeel (4/5) — Light and crisp, refreshing. On the finish though, there is an unusual borderline cloying sweetness that is a bit unpleasant. Starts great, finishes a little less than perfect.
Overall (8/10) — The peach is the better of the two for me, it is cleaner and more closely related to the base beer, though it does still carry a bit too much sweetness for my own palate.
PEACH OVERALL — 37 / 50 — VERY GOOD
In conclusion both are well done and a nice twist upon the style with some nice fruit additions. However, neither really ups the ante, and both suffer from a bit too much sweetness. If I was to grab another again it would be the Peach, as it is more understated and not quite as sweet. Both are sour refreshers, just go with your gut and grab one while you still can!
