It has been a long time since I have had a true Berliner Weisse from Berlin. So long I am not entirely sure I remember exactly what a classic version should taste like. No German versions are exported to Canada (to my knowledge) and North American attempts are few and far between. I also find that North American attempts, while often enjoyable, seem to lack a specific character I remember from Berlin.

So I was hopeful when I saw a bottle of Bruery Hottenroth on the shelf this summer. I have very impressed with this young brewery from Placentia, California. Their oak-aged beer and Belgian-inspired beer have been well made (if maybe a tad expensive in Alberta). I scooped a bottle and gave it a try recently.

As all Berliner Weisses should, it clocks in at a modest 3.1% alcohol. It is a very hazy pale straw, coming across very light-bodied and offering virtually no head to speak of. The aroma offers light graininess with a lemony tartness. In the aroma the tartness comes across as very clean, less acetic and more citric. It reminds me a little like Vitamin C tablets with its touches of fruit.

It begins light and fruity upfront. The tartness grows slowly, remaining very clean and subtle. It never gets too big, just creating a lemony, lime-like character similar to sipping a bit of lime juice. The body is light and the finish is refreshing. I am surprised at the body; it is a bit one-dimensional and could be criticized as watery.

Again, I admit my memory may be pulling tricks on me, or maybe I have experienced lacto-shift, but Hottenroth seems a bit timid compared to the Berliners in my (distant) past. I was hoping for a bit more tartness, something that would actually call for some woodruff or raspberry syrup. I do like the lemony, limey quality to the tartness, but hoped for something a little more in the base beer, plus a little more sour. A good breakfast beer, if there is such a thing, but not as notable as I was hoping for.