I don’t know much about this beer and I couldn’t find any information on this particular brew from either schneider-weisse.de or brooklynbrewery.com, so I’m going to be reverting back to ratebeer.com for some content.
This unique beer is the result of the long friendship of Schneider brewmaster Hans-Peter Drexler and Brooklyn brewmaster Garrett Oliver. The two brewmasters feel that Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse represents the quality, tradition and terroir of the Bavarian Hallertauer hop region paired with the innovation and creative energy for which Brooklyn is famous.
Sounds enticing. I can’t wait to try it.
This beer comes in a 16.9 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 8.2%.
It poured an extremely cloudy/hazy, dark orange to almost “muddy” water color. Chunks of sediment were floating about. The cap was off white in color, mostly creamy and fluffy. The size was “ok”, the retention time was good and the lacing was adequate.
The aroma of this beer was quite unique I thought. Floral smelling with hints of fruity apples, peach and grapefruit, which brought forth a nice, hoppy profile that was intermingled with a spice of clove, some ripe bananas, wheat and yeast. Very cool. I liked it. It had that whole “push/pull” thing going on. As the brew warmed it started to become very herbal and earthy also. Very nicely balanced, sturdy and precise.
The taste divulged a juicy-fruit gum aspect. Apples and peaches mostly with a slight touch of apricot. Wheat and toasted bread crusts coalesced with spices of pepper and clove. It presented a very nice hop bite and bitterness as well as a little “kick” at the back end from the spices. Only a trace of alcohol was noticed on the swallow. Again, very earthy and herbal to finish it off.
The mouthfeel was very distinctive and complex. Medium bodied, dry, smooth, crisp and thirst quenching. It was somewhat creamy and chewy too with a good amount of carbonation. A slight touch of warmth reminded me that it was 8.2% ABV and enough flavor was left on the palate for me to ponder between sips.
This was a very “cool” little brew right here. I loved the interaction between the hops and the Weizen characteristics. It was super easy to drink too considering the rather high ABV. I definitely think this beer is worth a try if you have not done so. I know I wouldn’t mind having another one, especially when the weather starts to warm. It was fairly robust and sturdy with plenty of complexity for discussion. This was the first time that I’ve ever had a beer like this. I would really like to seek out others of this style and see how they compare. With that being said, if you stumble across the Schneider-Weisse/Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse somewhere, pick it up. I think you may enjoy it.
Thanks for reading and commenting guys. I really appreciate it.
Until next time. Cheers.
Score: 4.0 out of 5
Grade: B+