Beer – #847 – Freigeist – Abraxxxas
It’d be a guess on the pronunciation. But it’s always about the new beers, and so I went and brought one. Also it’s Vinyl Music Sunday. I love Sunday.
Inspired by Lichtenhainer Weisse
A 500ml bottle of a 6% ABV beer or 180 calories a serve size, s about 2.37 standard drink units.
For Freigeist Bierkultur this on is brewed at Brauerei Göller in that Style that is : Grodziskie/Gose/Lichtenhainer and they’re in Stolberg, Germany
Beer and Jersey match
Inspired by the rare and nearly-extinct eastern German tart wheat beer once known as “Lichtenhainer”, Abraxxxas is sour and complex, with a balancing smoky maltiness.
As freakily drinkable as it is challenging, this ale was deemed an instant classic upon it’s release in the USA
Like Freigeist Abraxas, it’s also inspired by the style Lichtenhainer, but this version is stronger (6% alc.) and contains more lactic sourness. .
So, what could possibly go wrong?
Smokey much, also malt sugary aroma on opening.
Brilliant orange golden in the glass with nothing by way of head, carries that smokiness into the glass.
Carries that smokiness into the palate too, on a carry that’s both a bit soft and also bitter, with a crisp and sharp finish at the back. Phwoar.
This is a lovely style of beer when done as well as this, it’s balanced, not shouty, and is alarmingly easy to drink, it’s flavoursome, inviting, rewarding and just draws you in to enjoying it.
This would suit me for an evening or afternoon somewhere, it’s got a lot of nice things going for it, the smokiness, and under that a fine bit of german beer, if you took the smoke out you’d end up with a rather nice beer on it’s own, together this is just a good bit of beer.
I’ll tell you for free that you’d have to work hard to get a better Sunday afternoon beer that just lets you enjoy it and do it’s thing. I can see how this has many fans and big reviews.
I wonder how I get to be NZ Ambassador…..
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 of its things from the thing. This is a such a nice drinking beer that to pick a fault is harsh. It is rather nice though, and unusual, smoked beers are available but not overly popular or common. This is lighter in the body than I would like and that’s about the only thing bad I have to say, oso that’s just a notch shy on fullness of taste as a whole, otherwise brilliance in a bottle.
The double dip review
- Where did I get it? Liqiorland. OF course.
- Am I enjoying it? I love this style of beer, even I have no idea what it is 🙂
- Would I have another? I will be, I’m hoping they have more when I visit next.
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Oath yes. This is worthy of a glass clink and the whole drama of a loud ‘cheers!’ Stunning smoked beer, if you like smoked beer you’ll love this. Totally.
Music for this: Vinyl Sunday and I have ” Delaney Davidon ” ” Bad Luck Man ” if you listening at home on Spotify
This one is a signed copy and on White Vinyl – a record store day find.
Delaney Davidson is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. His hometown is Lyttelton, New Zealand and he regularly tours the US and Europe
GRODZISKIE/GOSE/LICHTENHAINER
Sour wheat beers were common in many parts of medieval and early Industrial Europe. Two styles – lambic and Berliner weisse – survived, but many others did not. Gose and Lichtenhainer are historic styles of sour wheat beer. Grodzisk is sometimes tart, sometimes not. Gose is seasoned with salt, Grodziskie and Lichtenhainer contain smoked malt. Historical sources are mixed about Lichtenhainer containing wheat, so modern interpretations may vary. Grätzer is an alternative name for Grodziskie. All three will be relatively low alcohol, with a strong wheat character, but will be distinct from classic examples of Berliner Weisse or lambic. As all we have are historical recreations, substantial differences may exist between interpretations.
A life just as ordinary 