Wheat Love Ale
Bell's Brewery in Galesburg, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Barley Wine - Wheat Series Out of Production|
Score
7.13
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Bell’s Wheat Project (2005) is an experimental foray into the development of complex flavors in beer.
The Project comprises five new ales, four in series and one specialty strong product.
The first four, Wheat 2, Wheat 4, Wheat 6 and Wheat eight are all made using 55% Wheat (either wholly or mostly malted) and 45% Barley malt.
The barley malt makeup is exactly the same in each of the four and consists of three different malts.
The total amount of grain in each of the four is also exactly the same, so each of them should have a virtually identical original gravity. The type and amount of hops in each of the four is exactly the same. And the processing through the brewhouse and fermentation is also exactly the same. The changing factors between the ales are the composition of the 55% of wheat used and the type and number of yeast strains used. In Wheat 2 the 55% of wheat is made up of two different kinds of wheat malt, and this ale is made with two different yeasts. Wheat 4 is made with four different wheats and four yeasts. Wheat six and eight made with six and eight wheats and yeasts respectively.
The final product, Bell’s Wheat Love Ale, is made with the eight yeasts of Wheat eight and is a strong, but relatively light colored, “wheatwine.”
2. Basic Content List for the Wheat Series:
Wheat Two
Wheats: White, Dark
Yeast: Bell’s house ale strain, WLP410 Belgian Wit II
Wheat Four
Wheats: White, Victory, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied
Yeast: WLP550 Belgian, WLP570 Golden, Wheat Two blend
Wheat Six
Wheats: White, Dark, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied, Red, Caramel
Yeast: WLP500 Trappist, WLP530 Abbey, Wheat Four blend
Wheat Eight
Wheats: White, Dark, Victory, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied, Red, Caramel, Chocolate
Yeast: WLP4000 Belgian Wit I, WLP565 Saison, Wheat Six blend
The Project comprises five new ales, four in series and one specialty strong product.
The first four, Wheat 2, Wheat 4, Wheat 6 and Wheat eight are all made using 55% Wheat (either wholly or mostly malted) and 45% Barley malt.
The barley malt makeup is exactly the same in each of the four and consists of three different malts.
The total amount of grain in each of the four is also exactly the same, so each of them should have a virtually identical original gravity. The type and amount of hops in each of the four is exactly the same. And the processing through the brewhouse and fermentation is also exactly the same. The changing factors between the ales are the composition of the 55% of wheat used and the type and number of yeast strains used. In Wheat 2 the 55% of wheat is made up of two different kinds of wheat malt, and this ale is made with two different yeasts. Wheat 4 is made with four different wheats and four yeasts. Wheat six and eight made with six and eight wheats and yeasts respectively.
The final product, Bell’s Wheat Love Ale, is made with the eight yeasts of Wheat eight and is a strong, but relatively light colored, “wheatwine.”
2. Basic Content List for the Wheat Series:
Wheat Two
Wheats: White, Dark
Yeast: Bell’s house ale strain, WLP410 Belgian Wit II
Wheat Four
Wheats: White, Victory, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied
Yeast: WLP550 Belgian, WLP570 Golden, Wheat Two blend
Wheat Six
Wheats: White, Dark, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied, Red, Caramel
Yeast: WLP500 Trappist, WLP530 Abbey, Wheat Four blend
Wheat Eight
Wheats: White, Dark, Victory, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied, Red, Caramel, Chocolate
Yeast: WLP4000 Belgian Wit I, WLP565 Saison, Wheat Six blend
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6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle. Pours a cloudy orange with no head. The aroma is strong booze and floral. Medium mouth, sweet malt, honey, citrus, wheat, light booze finish, good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Jan 2016
at 19:28
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12oz bottle, bottles 9/18/13...opened 2/16/15. Slightly hazy orange-tan body lots of bubbles rising up to meet a soda-like non-head. The aroma isn’t so impressive, kind of some cardboard on top of old wheat, but as it breathes it gets better. The flavor holds up fine, this is sort of unique and enjoyable. 8 different wheat malts, different wheat yeasts...wow. Really clean for the ABV, has some mild honey tones. Probably my favorite Wheat Wine I’ve had. This is unique, not like a Barleywine or a German Weizenbock either. Very cool beer experience, recommended for sure.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Feb 2015
at 18:23
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 9/13/2013. Pours very hazy deep gold color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big banana, apricot, pear, orange, apple, clove, wheat, bread, pepper, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast and pale malt notes; with good strength. Taste of banana, apricot, pear, apple, orange, clove, wheat, bread, pepper, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Good amount of peppery spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of banana, apricot, pear, orange, apple, wheat, bread, pepper, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity and balance of fruity/spicy yeast and pale malt flavors; with good robustness and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a very smooth, crisp, and lightly prickly mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a light warming present after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice beer. More of a weizenbock in flavor; but has all around good complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast and pale malt flavors; and is very smooth and crisp to drink for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Jun 2014
at 17:48
6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
6th April 2014
Hazy gold beer, good fluffy white head. Palate is airy and crisp. Airy creamy malt, faint wheaty notes, slightly sweet. Light citric note on the backend. Finishes soft and airy with a little lactose. All right, pretty drinkable.
Hazy gold beer, good fluffy white head. Palate is airy and crisp. Airy creamy malt, faint wheaty notes, slightly sweet. Light citric note on the backend. Finishes soft and airy with a little lactose. All right, pretty drinkable.
Tried
on 23 Apr 2014
at 01:46
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle @ home, courtesy of jcnielsen. Thanks Justin! Carbonation seems pretty high. Tough to pour this one without a lot of head. When it finally settles down, I’m left with a very cloudy yellow orange appearance and a big off white head. Looks a lot like a typical German Hefeweizen. Yeast spiciness is present in the nose as are some banana, lemon, and vanilla. Not much in the way of aromatic hops. Some toast and very light caramel in the flavor along with plenty of wheat. Maybe a slight metallic note. Moderate sweetness. Fair amount of banana and citrus. Lightly bitter. Finishes with a touch of heat. Doesn’t really blow my mind, but it’s pretty good nonetheless. Not really sessionable but I wouldn’t mind having a pint or two on occasion.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Feb 2014
at 23:19
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle: Light gold in color with a monster of a head; three fingers of frothy white topping. Dies back to a just less than a finger and persistent throughout the glass. The nose is all business… wheat, yeast, and herbal. Same in the taste. It’s bright, crisp, and refreshingly simple. Good stuff.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Jan 2014
at 07:11
7.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle thanks to shrubber85. Pours cloudy gold with white head. Nose and taste of lemon, toasted wheat, orange peel, coriander, clove and light spice. Medium body. Certainly not a barleywine, but solid.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Jan 2014
at 22:00
8.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Apple and lemon nose, clove accent. Hazy golden, huge head, good lacing. Apple and clove flavor, emphasis on the latter, dry. White wine finish, tannic almost rubbery. Elegant and complex. Alcohol not noticeable. Not usually my type of wheat beer, but this is exceptionally well made. Defies classification. Belgian blonde? Tripel? Saison? Who knows? Who cares, this is good!
Tried
on 06 Jan 2014
at 18:50
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
12 ounce bottle thanks to Dan. Pours a cloudy orange color with a large white head. A rich spicy and honey nose with huge wheat. Sweet, some lemon and big spicy banana esters, some pepper, wheat, very dry overall. Man, this is a pretty big beer. I get a ton of Belgian esters/yeast in this. Very nice beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Dec 2013
at 21:22
5.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 4
Texture 6
Overall 5
Urine yellow, champagne like fizziness. Really nice wheat backbone on the nose. Taste is interesting. It’s really good and then I get a root beer / sassafras with caramel candies. Peppery finish. It was great until I got the nasty root beer taste.
Tried
from Can
on 06 Dec 2013
at 15:03