Germany has two native sour beer traditions: Berliner Weisse (Berlin sour wheat, historically nearly extinct) and Gose (Leipzig-Goslar salt-and-coriander tradition, similarly near-lost). The 15 German sours on this ranking split as 5 explicit Gose, 8 generic Sour Ale (which the tagging cannot cleanly separate between Berliner-Weisse- and Gose-lineage), 1 explicit Berliner Weisse, and 1 Flanders-Style Sour — a distribution that reflects both the German tagging ambiguity and the modern craft revival's tendency to blur the line between the two traditions in specific beers.
Ritterguts Gose holds the top three places with Original Ritterguts Gose, Lichtenhainer Ritterguts Weisse and Urgose Märzen, and places 4 of the top 10.
How this ranking works
The hopIQ Score judges every beer against its style first: it rewards medals from competitions that judge within style categories and deducts points where a beer measurably deviates from its style reference. Community ratings add to that. Non-alcoholic excluded. No paid placement — order follows the data alone. Ranking spans 36 beers from 20 breweries.
Top 5 of 36
ABV
4.7%
Bitterness
Mild
Colour
golden 5
The house Gose, brewed from barley and wheat malts with coriander and salt, fermented openly with the brand's own Gose yeast and given a second, lactic fermentation before a long cold maturation. It pours hazy gold with brisk carbonation.…The house Gose, brewed from barley and wheat malts with coriander and salt, fermented openly with the brand's own Gose yeast and given a second, lactic fermentation before a long cold maturation. It pours hazy gold with brisk carbonation. The nose is lemony and tart, with green apple and a hint of white grape; coriander adds a citrus-peppery edge, bready wheat sits underneath, and a clear saline note lingers on the lips after a dry, sour finish. The acidity is round rather than sharp.
Lichtenhainer Ritterguts Weisse#200 worldwide
ABV
4.3%
Bitterness
Mild
Colour
golden 5
A revival of the sour beer tradition of Jena, top-fermented from barley malt and oak-smoked wheat malt, with no salt or coriander; the brewery lists it as a Lichtenhainer, a historical Thuringian style. Straw yellow with a light haze, it…A revival of the sour beer tradition of Jena, top-fermented from barley malt and oak-smoked wheat malt, with no salt or coriander; the brewery lists it as a Lichtenhainer, a historical Thuringian style. Straw yellow with a light haze, it combines subtle wood smoke with a velvety lactic sourness. The smoke stays in the background like a distant campfire, with a faint lemony tartness and grainy wheat beneath it. Lively carbonation lifts the body, and the finish is refreshingly sour and short.
Urgose Märzen#448 worldwide
ABV
5.5%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Colour
pale gold 3
A new interpretation of the old Märzen-Gose tradition, brewed stronger from barley, wheat and oat malts and seasoned with coriander, smoked salt from the Halle saltworks, Ceylon cinnamon and Swiss stone pine cones. It pours hazy amber.…A new interpretation of the old Märzen-Gose tradition, brewed stronger from barley, wheat and oat malts and seasoned with coriander, smoked salt from the Halle saltworks, Ceylon cinnamon and Swiss stone pine cones. It pours hazy amber. Lemony tartness meets a lightly caramel malt base; the pine cones give a resinous, woody note, cinnamon adds warmth, and the smoked salt leaves a faint smoky savouriness. A larger hop dose than in the other Goses gives a noticeable bitter edge in the finish.
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Edelgose#686 worldwide
ABV
4.5%
Bitterness
Mild
Colour
pale gold 3
Edelgose is the tavern's own Leipzig Gose, brewed on site since 2017 and set deliberately milder and less sour than the historical style. Wheat and barley malt, a light dose of salt and coriander seed and lactic acid shape it at about 11.5…Edelgose is the tavern's own Leipzig Gose, brewed on site since 2017 and set deliberately milder and less sour than the historical style. Wheat and barley malt, a light dose of salt and coriander seed and lactic acid shape it at about 11.5 °P original gravity. It pours pale gold and slightly hazy, with low carbonation. The acidity is soft and fresh rather than sharp, joined by gentle saltiness, the citrusy, peppery spice of coriander, bready wheat and a fruity note from the top-fermenting yeast, before a dry finish with a faint hop bitterness.
5
ABV
4.7%
Bitterness
Mild
Colour
pale gold 3
A crossover of Belgian witbier and Leipzig Gose, brewed from several barley and wheat malts and seasoned with bergamot peel from southern Italy, Timut pepper from Nepal, coriander and salt. Bergamot gives a floral, perfumed citrus note,…A crossover of Belgian witbier and Leipzig Gose, brewed from several barley and wheat malts and seasoned with bergamot peel from southern Italy, Timut pepper from Nepal, coriander and salt. Bergamot gives a floral, perfumed citrus note, while the Timut pepper adds a grapefruit-like freshness and a light tingle on the tongue. Soft wheat and a gentle lactic tartness carry the spice, and the salt keeps the finish crisp and dry rather than sweet.
Ranks 6–10
6
A light, tart Berliner Weisse from Germany with subtle wheat malts, gentle acidity and a dry finish. Low alcohol and minimal bitterness make this crisp, refreshing wheat beer remarkably quenching. Ranked on fit to the Sour reference, award history in style-judged competitions and community ratings.
7
Dark berry hues in the glass; the nose dives into a fruit basket of sweet raspberries and blueberries, with faint vanilla-like pastry notes behind. Elegant acidity from Philly Sour yeast and slightly tart yeasty notes open the sip, then…Dark berry hues in the glass; the nose dives into a fruit basket of sweet raspberries and blueberries, with faint vanilla-like pastry notes behind. Elegant acidity from Philly Sour yeast and slightly tart yeasty notes open the sip, then the finish balances sweet and sour, fruity and very creamy – like a liquid berry tartlet. Brewed with blueberry and raspberry purée in collaboration with Two Chefs Brewing, 7.0% ABV.
8
Berliner Berg's Berliner Weisse returns to the tart wheat beer that was once Berlin's everyday drink, brewed at 3.0% with what the brewery calls traditional wild fermentation. It pours gold with a light haze and a white head. Fresh citrus…Berliner Berg's Berliner Weisse returns to the tart wheat beer that was once Berlin's everyday drink, brewed at 3.0% with what the brewery calls traditional wild fermentation. It pours gold with a light haze and a white head. Fresh citrus and lemon lead the nose; the palate is gently sour and lively, with hay, a floral touch, green apple and orchard fruit over a delicate malt base, and drinkers liken its crisp tartness to a dry cider. The body is light and the finish clean.
9
Ziegenhainer is the brewery's take on Lichtenhainer, the historic smoked sour beer of the Jena area in Thuringia, and has been part of the range since 2017. The brewery sums it up in three elements: acidity, stone fruit and smoke. Tasters…Ziegenhainer is the brewery's take on Lichtenhainer, the historic smoked sour beer of the Jena area in Thuringia, and has been part of the range since 2017. The brewery sums it up in three elements: acidity, stone fruit and smoke. Tasters confirm that picture, describing a tart first sip that gives way to a mouthful of smoke, at times with a sharp, almost vinegary edge. Light-bodied at 5 percent, it finishes dry and, according to Kemker, pairs well with sauerkraut, Iberico ham or fresh peaches.
10
The beer that gave the brewery its name, brewed to a Leipzig recipe with lactic acid, coriander and salt. Those last two ingredients fall outside the German purity law, so production runs under a Saxon exemption. It pours a hazy sun-gold…The beer that gave the brewery its name, brewed to a Leipzig recipe with lactic acid, coriander and salt. Those last two ingredients fall outside the German purity law, so production runs under a Saxon exemption. It pours a hazy sun-gold under a short-lived white head. The nose is spicy and herbal, cut coriander over soft bread crumb. A brisk lemon tartness leads on the palate, a clean saline note follows, and the close stays dry, faintly peppery and thirst-quenching. Original gravity 10.8 degrees Plato.
The taste landscape
Of the 36 top beers, 6 lean malt-forward and 21 lean hop-forward.