Freigeist Kopenickiade
What the brewers say
“Brewed with spelt and barley malts, Köpenickiade is a clean, fresh twist on old Berlin’s unique sour specialty weissbier.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “An herbal Asian spice hits the nose at the start, with hints of sweet and tart apple in the back. Light acidity on the nose, as well as some medium stone-fruit esters and citrus notes. Red apple notes, with some earthiness combine in the mix, and as it warms the head dissipates and the sweetness vanishes.”
Flavor: “Sour apple notes combined with some tartness of the lactic acid up front, along with some woody funkiness and a hint of sweat from the kettle sour. The low hops bitterness doesn’t get in the way of the tartness. Notes of dry apple with a medium dark fruitiness that could be mango, mixed with white grape."
Overall: “This one is light on body and tartness and low in complexity with a less-than-memorable aftertaste. The body of the beer had a difficult time supporting the fruit-like sweetness, and a bit more carbonation might bring out some of the complexities in this beer.”