Schell's turns to past for new Noble Star collection

Today's increasingly crowded beer market has brewers scrambling for ways to stay current in the minds of consumers. A steady stream of experimental, special-release beers in never-before-seen styles has become the norm.

But at the August Schell Brewing Co. in New Ulm, assistant brewmaster Jace Marti is taking a different approach. While others are breaking with tradition in pursuit of the new, he is mining it for inspiration by resurrecting the very old.

The Schell's Noble Star collection is a revival of a nearly extinct German style called Berliner weisse. Dubbed the "Champagne of the north" by Napoleon's invading armies, Berliner weisse was once the most popular beer in Berlin, with 700 breweries producing it. By the end of the 20th century, though, there were only two.

This refreshing, wheat-based beer typically features low alcohol, spritzy carbonation and bright, lemony acidity from lactic fermentation. It can be drunk straight, but in Germany it is often served with a shot of sweet raspberry or woodruff syrup to balance its tartness.

Marti first encountered the obscure style in books about home brewing. He was intrigued, but with very few examples available in the United States, he was unable to try an authentic version until he went to study brewing in Berlin. After tasting some aged examples tracked down on the German equivalent of eBay, he was inspired to make his own.

For Marti, the Noble Star collection isn't only about digging into German brewing's forgotten past. It also has deep connections to the history of Schell's. Founded in 1860 by German immigrant August Schell, the brewery has steadfastly held onto its heritage. The beer lineup is focused on classic German styles. The re-creation of the long-neglected Berliner weisse style seems like a perfect fit.

The Noble Star beers are fermented in large cypress-wood fermentation tanks that provide another tangible link to the brewery's history. Purchased in 1936, they were used for nearly 60 years in the making of Schell's lagers, then decommissioned in the early '90s and left in a warehouse ever since. Seeing an opportunity, Marti carefully restored two of them still in the brewery cellars to make his Berliner weisse.

There have been four releases in the Noble Star collection to date. The first two are no longer available in stores. Star of the North, released last summer, weighed in at a diminutive 3.5 percent alcohol. This sunny brew highlighted tart acidity with layers of lemon and green apple flavor. Special strains of yeast acquired from a long-defunct Berlin brewery gave the beer earthy bottom notes.

For the second beer, Framboise du Nord, Marti aged Star of the North on 5,000 pounds of fresh raspberries. The lemony acidity of the original was retained, joined by a sweet/tart berry burst. Poured into a Champagne flute, this effervescent brew had the sophistication of a good glass of bubbly.

North Country Brünette, the series' third release, can still be found in metro area stores. A so-called märzen weisse, this tart and toasty gem is built on a base beer similar to the popular Oktoberfest style. Malty notes of toasted grain and bread crust provide a smoothing counterpoint to the sour acidity. There is even a note of chocolate in the background.

The amber-colored North Country Brünette will be unfamiliar to fans of traditional, pale yellow Berliner weisse. But Marti's research shows that there were once many different versions of the style produced in Berlin, märzen weisse among them.

When you age North Country Brünette on tart cherries, you get Black Forest Cherry, the newest Noble Star release. This is the most complex beer of the series to date. The toasty malt notes of Brünette meld with the sour cherry flavors to conjure images of Grandma's cherry pie. The earthy, barnyard tones of those special yeasts come through more strongly than in the previous beers, yielding some lovely, funky bass notes.

Planned future releases include a higher-alcohol Champagner weisse called Dawn of Aurora and a dry-hopped Berliner version of Schell's Deer Brand American lager.