Welcome to Beer Tastings, a weekly series in which Utah Beer News highlights a particularly tasty local brew. This week we taste a Berliner weisse — Weisseman by Toasted Barrel Brewery. What are you drinking? Let us know!
Beer Tastings: Weisseman
I tasted a slew of sours at the Great American Beer Festival, so I took a brief hiatus after returning to Utah. I ended my sabbatical with a Weisseman from Toasted Barrel Brewery, one of Utah’s newest beer spots.
Available for sampling at the brewery or for sale in 22-ounce bottles, the kettle-soured Berliner weisse pours a hazy orange with a bit of a soapy head. It delivers aromas of lemon and some wheat.
A nice lemon-y tartness comes through in the flavor, yet the sourness isn’t overpowering. A gentle blend of sweet and sour makes this beer relatively easy on the tongue.
According to the brewer, its name — Weisseman — is inspired by “a wise man named James Joule, who was an English brewer and physicist.”
For me, it’s a crisp refresher to be enjoyed while watching the sunset and on a beautiful autumn day.
- Brewery: Toasted Barrel Brewery
- ABV: 4%
- Serving Style: Bottle (22 ounce)
- Date Tasted: October 15, 2018
- Purchase Location: Toasted Barrel Brewery
Toasted Barrel Brewery: Focus on Barrel-Aging
Toasted Barrel Brewery opened in 2018 — with the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign — and immediately made a name for itself in the world of farmhouse/sour ales. Its motto is “to combine the craftsmanship of brewing with the passion of a fine winery.”
Toasted Barrel specializes in barrel-aged sours, kettle sours, balanced IPAs and wild beers. Patience is definitely a virtue with such beers.
In its comfortable tasting room — which reminds me of a winery — Toasted Barrel’s license allows for patrons to sample 16 total ounces of beer per day. Each time I’ve visited, I’ve enjoyed four, four-ounce tasters. A beer fridge holds a variety of 22-ounce bottles available for to-go purchase.
On my latest visit, brewers provided a “what’s in the barrels?” fact sheet. Several barrel-aged beers are nearing completion. The anticipation is palpable for fans of beers that tend to land somewhere off the beaten path.
Weisseman — Toasted Barrel Brewery
Product Name: Weisseman
Product Description: From Toasted Barrel: A Berliner weisse style ale. Brewed to be light, tart and refreshing. The name is inspired by a wise man named James Joule, who was an English brewer and physicist.A wheat ale brewed to be crisp, tart, and refreshing. Notes of citrus fruits, balance with a smooth wheat finish. Easily drinkable for the days on the lake, by the pool, or on the trail.
- Aroma
- Appearance
- Flavor
- Mouthfeel
Overall Impression
A wheat ale Berliner weisse with a nice blend of sweet-sour that doesn’t destroy your tongue. A dose of crisp, lemon-y tartness and some wheat make for an enjoyable drinking experience.
- Aroma: Fruity (lemon, possibly some tangerine), wheat
- Appearance: Hazy orange with a light soapy-ish head
- Flavor: Lemon-y tartness and some wheat
- Mouthfeel: Crisp, a little light, relatively easy on the tongue
But you don’t have to take my word for it.
Notes: The tasting notes format is adapted from a Homebrew Academy Beer Tasting Mastery course I took in 2017. Utah Beer News is not compensated in any way for beers mentioned in the Tastings series.
