Judge’s Review: 88 Rating – Tart Mart Berliner Weisse by Gnarly Barley Brewing Co.

Berliner Weisse | Limited Release | United States

By Dan Preston

Judges Rating: 88
Aroma: 20
Appearance: 6
Flavor: 34
Mouthfeel: 10
Overall Impression: 18

Tart Mart Berliner Weisse by Gnarly Barley Brewing Co. was judged as a BJCP 2021 category 23A Berliner Weisse, but due to the additions of blueberry and lemon it falls under BJCP 2021 category 29 Fruit Beer. Adding fruit to Berliner weisse is a common occurrence as it is often served with fruit syrup such as raspberry to cut the sourness. However, the fruit in this beer takes the sourness to another level.
This beer pours a purplish blue color with a big fizzy pink head that quickly fades. It’s very effervescent with lots of tiny bubbles and a murky haziness. The haziness is a little high for a typical Berliner weisse, but is to be expected with the addition of blueberry. While the appearance showcases the blueberry, the rest of the beer is heavy on the lemon.
The aroma has tons of lemon notes. Although lemon is a common character of a Berliner weisse, it is usually not this strong, as it dominates the nose of the beer. Fortunately, the lemon notes are not reminiscent of a household cleaner (like Lysol lemon) and if you didn’t know any better, it could easily be mistaken for a shandy. There is more blueberry in the flavor, but it’s still light, and in the actual taste, it mostly comes thru via the acidity. The sourness lacks any vinegar notes from acetic acid, but rather has a very bright and fresh lactic and citric quality that you can feel on your tongue and the sides of your checks. The acidity is even further boosted by the very dry finish and high carbonation that contributes to the tingling mouthfeel. Like the aroma, there is very little beyond the fruit and acidity, with no hop character/bitterness to speak of, but there is a faint wheat cracker-like malt character hidden in the flavor.
This was a very tasty fruited example of a Berliner weisse. Although the lemon is dominant, this is a typical character in the base style that is being enhanced so it doesn’t lose itself. It hits all of the usual Berliner weisse notes, just with a purplish color and amped-up lemon notes. Unfortunately, the blueberry gets a bit lost, but it adds to the complexity of the beer to keep it from being one-dimensional. This is a very refreshing and quaffable brew, especially on a hot summer day. This was the first time I’ve seen a beer with the addition of lemon juice, but I certainly hope it isn’t the last as it was like a delicious glass of alcoholic blueberry lemonade.