12 oz bottle , courtesy of shogokawada. Pour is a very rich looking, black color but does not have too much viscosity. Thin, creamy film forms on the surface of the beer. Initial tastes give some nice chocolate malts and a healthy does of booze. These are the main competing/complementing factors. As the beer warms we get more and more liquor and sherry notes and the brew really starts to come into its own. As expected the nose starts to develop with warmth, too; a malt bomb laced with somewhat...
Notes on beers in the style
Wheatwine
Wheat Wine Ale
22 oz bottle from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. I've been pretty pleased with a number of the recent Fort Collins offerings, and it is my suspicion that they don't quite get the respect that they deserve. Beautiful, bright copper colored body with some wispy head that fades quickly. Not surprising given the ABV. Little or no lace. Color is attractive. Malty alcohol in the nose, not much else. Medium carbonation greets the mouth. The tastes are alcohol based with malty intentions but...
Founders Nemesis 2009
12 oz single in the usual Founders bottle presentation. From Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. $4.99 for the single. Murky, honey orange pour with a thin film of wispy foam on the surface of the beer. No head and no retention. Some viscous legs greet the eye too. Nose has some extremely large vanilla sugar notes - very big. Tastes have some bourbon character that builds. It's not an especially aggressive beer in terms of the depth, and to be honest it melds better than I was expecting. This is not a...
Fourteen Ale
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a deeper orange color than I was expecting. Considering the ABV and the style, the head and lace are good and in that respect this looks better than I was expecting. The nose is VERY, VERY alcoholic and banana liquer-like. Bubble-gum too. The whole feel is like a cross between an Imperial Pilsner, a large Weizenbock and a fairly hot wheat beer of some description. Slick in the mouth but NOT as oily as the ABV would suggest. More huge...
Terrapin Gamma Ray
Having been asked to re-consider my review, I took another look at my notes and came up with the following adjustments. Here we go with #3 in the Side Project series. Somewhat disappointed by the first two in the series so I hope that this is better. A viscous looking pour that likes like a golden, honey colored Hefe. Small head and not much lace. Smells like a Hefe too. Slick mouthfeel. Some cloves in the nose. On to the taste. Medicinal wheats and a warming finish. Dry, alcoholic...
Smuttynose Wheat Wine (Big Beer Series)
This came from State Line Liquors. $4.99 for the 22oz bottle. Like most, I have very little experience with Wheatwines, and the only one I recall from the reccent past being Harpoon/The Bros. Triticus - this seemed very different. A very still, viscous orange body with no head or lace but some nice alcohol legs in the wine tradition. Big solvent alcohol in the nose. The taste smooths out a little, but not a great deal. Has the alcohol edge that you might expect from an American Barleywine, but...
Triticus Ale (100 Barrel Series #10)
I've been waiting a long time to try this. I was NOT disappointed. The presentation is classy. Love the gold foil and the simple complexity (if that makes sense) of the label. It seems to promise much and give the impression of a premium experience. Like many, the "Wheat Wine" style is not one I'm especially familiar with, but this beer tastes and drinks like a cross between a Barleywine and a Doppelbock. Delicious, as it combines the best features of both, and eliminates the less attractive...