Weiss Trash Culture

Weiss Trash Culture Berliner Weissbier
1 can, gifted, 3.4% ABV

Had a pint on tap too, The Outer Space, Hamden

wtcSo much going on here I don’t know where to begin. And since I write WAY too much for these beer reviews, I’m going to try something new and edit myself. Let’s see how that goes…

Let’s go through the unique things here… This was a brewery-only, very limited release – but in cans(!). (The label – more on that in a minute – was sort of wrapped on the aluminum and not really part of it.) This was a Berliner Weissbier in a can. (Okay, that means nothing to me but the beer websites all seem to be in a tizzy about that.) This was a wholly new style for NEBCO; a soured weissbier? And yeah, the name and label art… sublime.

If this beer was terrible, it would still get major points for the label and the name. Weiss Trash Culture? C’mon now.

The label, created by Craig Gilbert for NEBCO, features all the white trash staples: trailer, three-legged dog, bad skin, meth mouth, cigarettes, pregnant belly… with the Bavarian nod of lederhosen and one of those German Alpine hats. It’s not subtle (though the 668 address is) but it’s pretty hilarious.

And the name? Once again, NEBCO goes the extra step; sure, “Weiss Trash” is a decent enough pun but to add “Culture?” For a beer that contains lactobacillus cultures? Brilliant.

This is a somewhat polarizing beer, and there were many people who hated it. The tart/sourness caught many by surprise, including some guys at Shebeen the day I was there who declared it one of the worst beers they’d ever had. (That’s what a Berliner Weiss is. “The taste is refreshing, tart, sour and acidic, with a lemony-citric fruit sharpness and almost no hop bitterness,” sayeth Beer Advocate.)

Sure, it’s unique and can be a little jarring on the palate – especially if you just had a mouthful of stout or something. But at 3.4% and rather light on the tongue, the Weiss Trash isn’t offensive at all. Relax, people, and enjoy a new-to-you style.

weiss-trash1
(Picture from Beer Served Rare)

I first had this on tap at the Outer Space on a random Sunday night when my wife and I were afforded the chance to go see the Lemonheads. No, I don’t know anything about the Lemonheads, but Hoang loves them and I love her, so there you go.

It was great to have this beer on tap, but I wanted to score one of the cans. I’m not a collector of anything, but I do like to be able to say I had a can of this. And let’s be honest, although he’s only half-white, the opportunity to take goofy pictures of my son with the can was sort of a CTMQ requirement.

Fortunately, I’ve gotten to know a few of the crowd that makes it a point to score these sorts of releases and more importantly, likes to share. Enter my friend Aron Daniels, aka CraftBrewGuy. The same night another friend Jay hooked me up with NEBCO’s Coriolis and Super Homebrewer Ed gifted me his fantastic imperial stout, Aron gave me a can of the Weiss Trash.

wtcaI am a lucky dude.

And that’s the thing about the CT craft beer scene. Talk about a “culture!” These guys (and others) are always more excited to share and give than to receive it seems. I’ve often said that the craft beer scene and its attendant bloggers mostly share this sort of unwritten ethos, whereas other groups of “Foodie” bloggers and the like are all about getting the most free stuff. It’s such a stark difference.

And what was this meeting of the beery minds? It was the Wings For Wishes event at J. Timothy’s in Plainville. Long story short, the team of Connecticut beer fans raised the most money of the Make a Wish Foundation (over $5,000!), dressed up in NEBCO beer character outfits and generally kicked ass – even if they didn’t eat the most wings.

And that, my friends, is a “culture” I can “ferment”…er, “foment,”… or something.

Anyway, I really liked the Weiss Trash. It’s the type of thing that kind of punches you in the face at the outset, but then ends up massaging those bruises for the rest of the time you’re with it. At just over 3% ABV, you can certainly enjoy plenty of these without sustaining any real bruises.

Which would be so white trash.

Overall Rating: B+
Rating vs. Similar style: A+

Beer Advocate’s Reviews of the Weiss Trash
New England Brewing Company
CTMQ Reviews of NEB Beers
Back to CTMQ’s Connecticut Beer Page
Back to CT Breweries page

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