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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7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Cloudy bright orange in color, with substantial white lace - the aroma is like a witbier on steroids - huge spiciness (coriander, lemon rind), lots of wheat (duh), toasted grain and a honey and marmalade smell - lots of carbonation in the mouth, but it remains soft on the palate - very much like a belgian ale - strong earthiness, orange, peach, lemon rind - some hoppiness on the back end - a mild honey sweetness throughout - a nice experiment - thanks to OhioDad for this.
Tried
on 14 Feb 2006
at 19:34
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Aromas of bread, cloves and lemon, light colored body with a pretty big foamy white head. Wow! Banana and cloves are huge in the flavor with a nice bread-like flavor that comes through late. I had no idea that this was going to be anything like this and it totally took me by surprise. Very distinct and highly recommended!
Re-rating:
I came across a case of this recently and went out on a limb, hoping it would have aged nicely. I was rewarded. It seems from my previous rating that this has changed character quite a bit. Gone are a lot of the wheat and banana clove qualities, and what remains is sweet and sticky. The bottles are batch 7155 (from December, 2005). Aromas are fairly sweet, of honey, sweet apple juice and maybe a touch of banana. Body is a clear golden color and the head is fairly small and it dies down quickly. Flavor is heavy and sweet, almost like a barley wine that has aged well, but instead of having a dark fruit complex, it is light fruit like pear and apple with a honey malt backbone. The alcohol is slightly warming and blends well with the sweetness. It is strangely reminiscent of some of the ice wines I’ve sampled.
Re-rating:
I came across a case of this recently and went out on a limb, hoping it would have aged nicely. I was rewarded. It seems from my previous rating that this has changed character quite a bit. Gone are a lot of the wheat and banana clove qualities, and what remains is sweet and sticky. The bottles are batch 7155 (from December, 2005). Aromas are fairly sweet, of honey, sweet apple juice and maybe a touch of banana. Body is a clear golden color and the head is fairly small and it dies down quickly. Flavor is heavy and sweet, almost like a barley wine that has aged well, but instead of having a dark fruit complex, it is light fruit like pear and apple with a honey malt backbone. The alcohol is slightly warming and blends well with the sweetness. It is strangely reminiscent of some of the ice wines I’ve sampled.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Feb 2006
at 22:02
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
So this is a "Wheat Wine" eh? Seems similar to Two Brothers Bare Tree Weiss Wine in that regard. Pours a bright and lightly hazy copper/orange color with lines of rising bubbles. Medium thin off-white head and rings of lacing that stick to the glass a long time. Pleasant aroma of cloves, wheat and banana. Medium-bodied and clean with sweet malt, fruit and spice flavors. Hops bitterness lingers throughout. The finish is tart fruit at first and hops and alcohol after. A pretty enjoyable experiment overall.
Tried
on 09 Feb 2006
at 10:31
6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Thanks to CaptainCougar for this one! Just a touch of haze appear in this golden brew. Frothy, sticky white head on top. Faint yeast and honey in the aroma. Malt sweetness is a bit honey like with a mild spicyness. It’s not a wheat wine or barleywine, it’s truly experimental in it’s nature.
Tried
on 08 Feb 2006
at 18:49
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle, Batch 7155. Well, with no stake in the Super Bowl enough to make me seek out a Washington or west Pennsylvania beer, let’s just tote up this Michigan beer. Pours blond with a thick but transitive head. Yeasty smell as with others in the Wheat Series. Taste is mostly like an abbey tripel. Yeasty still, but with a touch of fruit and Belgian wheat. Otherwise, malts hard to pick out. Well, let’s save some for later and check em out.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Feb 2006
at 20:55
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Pour was a hazy orange with no head at all. Aroma is yeasty but that’s about it. Good thing that is the only thing i have a problem with this brew. Flavor is nice! Stong yeast and banana flavor. Lots of cloves and pepper added make this a good wheat brew. Not like a barleywine as you know it. More like an Imperial Hefe if there is such a thing.
Tried
on 27 Jan 2006
at 21:13
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Golden and murky in appearance with a fast-receding off-white head. Spicy aroma of clove with hints of banana and wheat. The flavor is sweet and spicy. The upper layer is filled with clove, coriander and white pepper. The underlayer is candy or brown sugar sweet. Thick body with a sticky mouthfeel. Slightly bitter, alcoholic and long, spicy finish. Interesting and drinkable wheat beer, but a barley wine?
Tried
from Can
on 30 Dec 2005
at 19:56
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
The last beer of the project and also the least, betraying the popular euphemism. Hazy peachy body, thin clumping off-white head. Aroma of wet hay, thick fruity esters, chewy and bready, earthy, with sugar-crusted banana. Sugary sweet body with banana and white grape, grassy, and bready, with a huge yeasty bitter finish. Cloying and a bit harsh on the palate, the syrupy sweetness giving way to the spicy, rather pointedly bitter finish. Prickly alcohol. Muddled and bloated, unfortunately, but the "experiment" on the whole was quite fun.
Tried
on 08 Dec 2005
at 12:09