Piwo Grodziskie - Grätzer Ale

Professor Fritz Briem
Brewed at Schlossbrauerei Au
Style: Grodziskie/Gose/Lichtenhainer
Friesing, Germany

Serve in Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

Very unique style. Not too sour and not too smoky. Drank at Redlight Redlight in Orlando. Highly recommend trying if you can find it.

500mL Bottle at Track 84 - Warwick, RI. Aroma of distant baba ganouj came with salted lemon and grain sugars. Flavors were much, much, much lighter than I had anticipated. It’s a delicate, but eminently drinkable and enjoyable true "session" beer. The crisp, prickly sour mash creates a nice light acid that blurs into a hint of smoke, kind of like potatoes on the grill or eggplants, followed by rich, earthy grain and juicy Noble hop quenching sensation. Very well executed. I love the elegant flourish through many different flavors and sensations this gives. Complex for such lightness.

Bottle from 5 Points Bottle Shop. Boy was I excited about this one. They had me at sour-smoked ale. I guess I was expecting something more intense, but this is not as sour as a Berliner weisse nor as smokey as a Bamberg rauchbier. Instead, this is a beautifully harmonious, tasteful, light-bodied ale. The aroma did surprise me with its assertive Euro-hop character. This blended well with a citrus tartness and delicate notes of banana. The flavor finally reveals subtle smoke which gives this a little heartiness. Finish is pleasantly tart with an ongoing lemon quality. It’s complex and unique.

Bottle from South Lyndale Liquors (Minneapolis, Minnesota, 5/12/12)
Aroma: Sauerkraut, wheat, hay, earthy, and smokey.
Appearance: A hazy light amber color with a small white head.
Taste: Medium sweetness and a medium sourness. The smokiness comes in right before the finish.
Palate: Full bodied, slightly thin in texture, with a soft carbonation.
I love sour ales, smoked ales, and wheat ales, so this is a bit of a dream come true for me. If it weren’t a historic style I’d have even called it innovative. I’m surprised by how well everything works together in this one.

It starts off with a slight tart smell that transitions to a very dough yeast scent. It is a cloudy amber color with constant tiny bubbles rising through it, Taste tartness over all with hints of yeast wheat and smoke, would have liked them to be a little more present. The mouth feel is great refreshing while a slight roughness traces over the roof of your mouth and your tongue. The after taste leaves a yeasty coat that is enhanced by running your tongue over the surfaces. like stepping on the sand as a wave recedes. Over all it would be great if the smoke and wheat was a little more present but still and outstanding beer.

Translucent deep yellow with a white head. Unique smoke and lactic aroma. Taste is medium sweet malt with orange rind and melon notes and with light tartness and smoke. Weird, weird flavour combination but intriguing. It grew on me.

Bottle. Slightly sour and smoky wheat malt aroma. Cloudy golden yellow color with large white head. Moderate smoked meat and light wheat malt flavor. Very nice - really love this beer even if it is on the lighter side. Danke, Herr Professor Briem.

Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow color with a minmal head but lots of bubble.... Aromas are subtle but nice hints of wood, smoke, wheat and a touch of tart fruit. On the palate its also pretty subtle but lots of complexity lies within the subtleties. Good carbonation with a light to medium mouthfeel... Earthy tart flavors lead into a smokey fruit driven mid palate that rounds out into a wheat soaked medium hop bitterness in the finish. Probably one of the most refreshing smoked beers Ive had the pleasure of trying.

Bottle. Poured pale golden with a largish white head. Quite cloudy. Aroma was a fascinating mix of light smoke, citrus, tart stone fruit, and some light wheat elements. All of that was in the flavor. Smoke was pronounced but did not dominate. Moderate tartness. Lots of fruit esters, some light banana. Dry finish. Highly effervescent. Delicious and refreshing.

500 ml bottle into pint glass, no bottle dating. Pours hazy golden straw color with a nice 2 finger fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some ok lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of lemon zest, herbal, toasted grain, bread, citrus peel, light smoke, and earthy spiciness. Some nice and balanced aromas with decent strength. Taste of lemon, orange peel, herbal, toasted grain, bread, wheat, floral, pear, and earthy spiciness. Lingering notes of lightly tart citrus, herbal, bread, toast, and earthy spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Great balance of malt flavors with the earthy spiciness; tartness is quite subtle overall. Medium carbonation and light-medium bodied; with a slightly slick and extremely smooth mouthfeel. Extremely easy to drink; with no alcohol presence as expected of 4%. Overall this is a really nice traditional style ale! Nice flavor balance and complexity; and extremely smooth. I really enjoyed this one.