Remember George Carlin? I sure do. If you ask me, he was one of the funniest comedians of all time. I’m pretty sure, too, that he had a routine about sour cream. “If sour cream is cream that’s gone bad”, the gag went, “if I leave it out, will it go good?”. I was thinking of this when I spied the bottom of my can of Creature Comforts Athena Paradiso Berliner Weisse with Cranberry, Raspberry, and Tart Cherry.

That’s because this sour fruited Berliner Weisse has a packaging date stamped on the bottom of the can of 2/25/2016 and a best by date of 6/25/2016. Seriously? Four months to drink a beer that has already been soured by a lactobacillic fermentation? It’s already gone bad. If I drank it on June 26^th, will it have gone good?

Actually, Creature Comforts Athena Paradiso Berliner Weisse with Cranberry, Raspberry, and Tart Cherry is good-very good. It’s one of several versions of this beer, each with a different fruit accent.

From the website:

Athena Paradiso is our fruited treatment of Athena, so it comes in at about 4.5% ABV.  This version is a bright pink color with cranberry adding some acidity and the cherry and raspberry flavors balancing out the beer with a bit of sweetness.  We have made several versions of this beer, but this is quickly becoming a fan and brewery favorite! 

Creature Comforts Athena Paradiso Berliner Weisse with Cranberry, Raspberry, and Tart Cherry has an alcohol content of 4.5%, high for a Berliner Weisse if you want to be really authentic about it. American brewers seem so afraid to brew low strength beers (2.5% to 3% is more in line with the style). It runs $9.99 for a 4-pack cans, which is too high if you ask me.

Creature Comforts Athena Paradiso Berliner Weisse with Cranberry, Raspberry, and Tart Cherry pours to a beautiful cranberry reddish pink color with a thick spritzy head and an amazingly appetizing nose of creamy raspberry fruit and tart yogurt-like sourness. Tart sourness, is that overkill? Could be. There’s more amazing sourness upon sipping, tart (again) fresh cranberry fruit, almondy dry cherry pit notes, a hint more raspberry and then a puckering sour finish.

What an amazing sour beer! More a fruit beer to me than a Berliner Weiss, although it is a bit like a Berliner mit schuss. The sourness and complexity of the fruit all work wonderfully together and the beer is truly delicious indeed. A fine beer I think for the holidays, if there’s any left; I’d love it with the Thanksgiving turkey or turducken. I do feel the price is too high, but in this case it would not stop me from buying again.

5 stars on its own merits, I loved it that much, less a half star for the high price.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

 



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