I’m not sure if this is a recent trend in brewing or a resurgence of an older style I’m not wholly familiar with, but I’ve been seeing more and more wheatwines on the shelves lately. It seems like there’s a new one popping out almost every week. And, of course, not having had one before, I’ve been buying them up like candy.
Weyerbacher’s version of a wheatwine was brewed to celebrate the company’s fourteenth anniversary in business. The beer is made with over 50% wheat malt and weighs in at a hefty 11.8% ABV. The wife and I split a bottle of this the other night and while we both thoroughly enjoyed it, we both thought it was a bit young and rough — I’m excited to see how this one turns out after some mellowing in the cellar.
Appearance
Fourteen Ale pours a hazy amber in color with just about no head to speak of. The brew pours like syrup into the glass.
Aroma
Initially, this one simply smells like an amped up hefeweizen, but with a little focus I’m also picking up a welcoming sweetness, spices and a light fruit presence (hefe banana and a little green apple, perhaps). There is also a definitive alcohol weight to the nose.
Taste
Just like the nose, the taste on this one is like a hefeweizen on steroids. It’s got big banana character, big spices and even bigger alcohol. The mouthfeel is almost on the syrupy side, sitting quite full in the mouth. The overall result is a brew that is damned tasty, but has a harshness that needs to mellow a bit. Add in a lingering, warming finish and you’ve got a beer that should prove interesting after a little cellaring.
Overall
Both my wife and I enjoyed the Weyerbacher Fourteen Ale as a nice after-dinner sipper. I can’t imagine having more than a bottle of this at one sitting. It’s a big beer that deserves some attention when you enjoy it. That said, it’s still a bit on the young side and should prove to mellow with age. Only time will tell.
Rating: 3.5/5
March 30th, 2010
Lucien said:
I’ve noticed these wheat beers all over too. I might go pick one of these up and put it in the pantry for a year.