Reviewed: Creature Comforts Athena Berliner Weisse
Product description: A refreshing, gently tart, German-style wheat beer. Our take on the classic Berliner has a blend of citric and fruit notes with nods to cider and sauvignon blanc. We go through two fermentations with this beer to offer an interesting complexity in an amazingly light and drinkable beer.
Creature Comforts Brewing – Creature Comforts Athena Berliner Weisse – 12 oz. can poured into specialty glassware – 4.5% abv.
For this one, the first can I just drank straight from the can while the second I sampled from tumbler glass. There’s no canning date on the bottom of the can, but that isn’t a big deal for this style of beer. Athena is super hazy, dirty straw-colored in the glass generating a large, soda-like head of foam that peters out in about 20 seconds. That’s pretty much spot-on for this style given the acid content and low to no hop character.
The aroma is nicer for this style with sweet yellow fruits, candied lemon, persimmon, and lime. There’s nothing too funky going on, which is nice for Berliner Weisse first-timers. The flavor begins with lemonade and margarita mix, but it’s not that sour. Think more Bells Oarsman here with a 5 out of 10 on the acidity scale. I agree with the can’s labeling of “Gently Tart.” This has just enough of a lactic and citric acid bite to assure you this is a Berliner, but nothing close to the enamel eroding character of many American craft beer Berliner interpretations. The mid-palate is a touch bland with some chalk and soupiness perhaps from the wheat additions. It then ends quickly with fresh key lime juice and some lactic acid thickness. Carbonation is a bit low for the style, but that could be an issue with this specific can. The ABV is completely hidden, so this might as well be canned lemonade.
Overall, Athena is refreshing and well-constructed with all the necessary details to make for a great Berliner. I did enjoy mine a bit better from the can as a summer outdoors beer. Think lawnmower beer for the sour lover. I think anyone who enjoys lemonade would love this beer. Just don’t tell them there is alcohol in it.
