Wheat Love Ale
Bell's Brewery in Galesburg, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Barley Wine - Wheat Series Out of Production|
Score
7.13
|
|
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
Sign up to add a tick or review
7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 oz. bottle. Born on date on back of label of 9/18/2013. Snifter shows hazy gold with a thin ring of head around the edge of the snifter. Nose is malted wheat, bubblegum, banana hints and candi sugar. Flavor is like a hybrid of a Belgian Wit and a imperial hefeweizen (ok, ok, I know imperial hefeweizen isn’t a style) Robust spicy wheat upfront with then candi sugar and sweet fruit takes over. Also notes of mango’s and cloves and perhaps a lemongrass note. Medium body, gentle carbonation. I really enjoy the creativity that Bells’ used in this style. (whatever style you want to call it) Much thanks going to Rebekah for trading me this bottle, I really enjoyed this!
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Nov 2013
at 18:01
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12oz bottle pours with a nearly opaque deep gold body that has a copper core and supports a light tan head of foam. The aroma is all banana and wheat and a bit of sweetness like honey. In the background are some apricot and apple fruity esters. The taste begins with sweet banana and wheat notes and then heads into more sweet fruity notes that have a non sweet fruit meat edge of apricots and Gala apples. Into the finish a pleasing maltiness and graininess comes forward to even out the moderate sweetness. Glad they made this again and I have this chance to try it.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Nov 2013
at 20:39
7.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
(bottle) cloudy yellow/orange colour with a small white head; complex aroma starting with noble hops, then some stewed fruit, banana, sour fruit; thick palate; intense but balanced flavour with a long light sour followed by even longer light bitter finish; well hidden alcohol; very interesting and surprisingly good for an experiment
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Nov 2013
at 07:08
8/10
Tried
on 20 Nov 2013
at 20:34
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
12 oz. bottle. Pour hazy yellow, with a big, fluffy, off-white head and good lacing. The aroma is mandarin oranges and some lemon zest, with the distinct note of Belgian yeast that adds notes of biscuit dough and strawberries. There are some aromas of honey, flowers, coriander, and fresh-cut grass. Nice citrusy sweetness up front, with a good tartness and mild hop bitterness. Lightly sour in the finish. Medium body, a little acidic, and grainy. This is an incredibly complex, flavorful, and interesting beer. A strange mix of witbier, saison, and sour ale. This is what wheat ales ought to be.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Nov 2013
at 19:57
7.8/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle - thanks blowOffTube! Pours cloudy golden amber with a medium off white head and nice lacing. Aroma is wheaty, cloves, lemon, yeast, pepper. Flavor is the same plus banana notes. Lightly sweet and just a bit of lemon-zest bitterness. Medium body, high carbonation. This is a beer that has the ABV of a barleywine and drinks like a good German Hef. Kudos to Bells for the craftsmanship involved, but in the end I don’t want the calories from an 8% ABV sneaking into my Hef experience. Docked a bit on overall for that.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Nov 2013
at 16:15
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle thanks for a trade! Pours a hazy pale yellow with a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma is full of wheat with a bit of sweetness and light fruits. Flavor is similar with lots of wheat notes and a bit of sweetness as well as a touch of light fruits.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Nov 2013
at 20:37
7.9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle (long wait for this - around 8 years). Peach, orange, apple, wheat malt aroma. Hazy golden yellow with giant white head. Sweet orange/peach wheat malt and light hay flavor. Mild alcohol finish. Nice - malt flavor subdued.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Nov 2013
at 18:20
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Refrigerated 12 oz. brown bottle poured into a snifter. Pours translucent pale golden with medium white head. Nice yeasty aroma, medium body, lively carbonation, and thin small bubble lacing. Taste is yeasty, a little bready, with dry finish. Saison, may be a Belgian ale, but not a barley wine.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Oct 2013
at 18:14
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle pour to shaker. Heavy nose of sweet banana. Banana and bubble gum palate with some yeasty Belgian flavor. Sharp wheaty finish. I can’t figure out why this is classified as a barley wine.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Oct 2013
at 14:30