Preussen Weiss

[Parky]

Ok, so I'm a sucker for any exotic and unusual beer, especially historical beers, and this one looked like it had been hanging around in Kaiser Wilhelm's cellar since the war 

At a basic level Preussen Weiss is a spiced wheat beer. It's brewed to a recipe from 1831 and contains sugar beet syrup, ginger and juniper. It's a light, slightly cloudy amber colour, with low carbonation and a low head that quickly disappears. The aroma is not something you'd expect from a wheat beer, slightly medicinal and overpowering. The taste too was medicinal at first, but mellowed somewhat, for some reason reminded me of 'Refreshers' sweets. Body was thin, somewhat like a weak lemonade.

At first I was ready to dismiss this beer as overkill on the juniper front, and I have to admit it's an assault on the nose. But half way through the pint I realised I was letting my modern beer tastes and expectations get in the way of what turned out to be a very refreshing, light bodied beer. I could certainly see this one as a summer ale. light and quaffable, despite it's 5.6% ABV.

Preussen Weiss is brewed by The Monarchy in Germany, who seem to specialise in historical beers, (similar to Williams Bros. Brewing Co. in Scotland), and there range is worth checking out if you see them at your local offy.