Wit and Lit(e)

Tasting session 1

Beer 1 Choices: Berliner Weisse, Belgian Tripel, Weissbier, Witbier

Beer 2 Choices: Gose, American Light Lager, German Pils, Munich Helles

Score: 2/2

Beer 1 things to look for:

Berliner Weisse- lactic sourness

Belgian Tripel- booziness, banana esters (isoamyl acetate), phenols (spices/peppery notes)

Weissbier: banana esters (isoamyl acetate), clove phenolics (4VG)

Witbier: orange/coriander

Notes:

I love Witbier and drink it a lot, so upon smelling/tasting I was already pretty sure it was a Wit. The giveaway for me was the familiar and mouthwatering orange peel/coriander combo Wits are famous for.

Going through my list: I didn’t get sourness, so BW was out. I didn’t detect the usual aroma of banana/clove that I usually get from Weissbier, so that was out. Tasting confirmed this. Tripels and Wits can have similarities, both Belgian ales with fruity and spicy things happening. Besides the orange/coriander thing to look for, the big giveaway for me was body/booziness. The Tripel is a much bigger beer even though both Tripels and Wits finish nice and dry.

Beer 2 things to look for:

Gose- sourness/saltiness

American Light Lager- thin body, no prominent malt, yeast, hop character

German Pils: bitterness

Munich Helles: German malt character, not bitter

Notes:

I drank my fair share of light lager in college, so upon first sip, I had a hunch it was American Light Lager. I went through my list to confirm: I didn’t get sourness or salt, so Gose was out. I didn’t detect bitterness, so Pils was out. Munich Helles vs American Light Lager can be a toughy. Both beers have light body, neutral/clean yeast profile and restrained hop character (the American Light Lager probably more so). The biggest differentiating factor was malt character. American LL is going to have a ton of corn, whereas German Helles is going to have 100% malted barley thanks to the Reinheitsgebot (if you want to call your beer a “beer” in Germany, it may only contain malted barley, yeast, hops, and water).