Smuttynose Wheat Wine (Big Beer Series) - Smuttynose Brewing Company

pcguitarwzrd

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Copper orange, slightly hazy, off-white head. If I didn't know better, I have sworn I was looking at a DIPA.

S: Sweet caramel toffee malt, wheat, vanilla/oak, maybe a little booze.

T: Powerful vanilla and oak flavors, a little nudge of hops at the end. Leans toward being too sweet.

M: Medium body, not highly carbonated, a little sting of booze.

O: An interesting beer, but probably not something I could drink often.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 22:55:51 | More by pcguitarwzrd

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

First had: on tap at Portsmouth Brewing Company

And probably the best beer I had there.

Hazy amber pour with a ringlet of white bubbles. Aroma of toasted bread, caramel malts, light stone fruits. The taste reflected the smell, caramel malts, fairly sweet, toasted bread, notes of soft fruits, pear and peach, nice citrus/herbal hop presence. Smooth mouthfeel, medium body, low-medium carbonation, and quite drinkable overall.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2013 23:08:31 | More by Rifugium

brureview

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Update: cellared 2012 bottle 2/21/13.

Different review: poured in a snifter, incredible wafting aroma of toffee. No head to speak of-1/2 finger. Honey color. Carbonation upfront, but pleasant.

A strong toffee presence in the taste. As the beer warms up, it's like candy. Sweet and rich. Not very overwhelming presence of alcohol increases the overall complexity of the beer.

Great Beer to cellar.

Original review in May 2012

Poured in an oversized wine glass. Served at 52 F.

Beautiful light tea color with a one finger head wafting honey and lemon. There is a very pleasant mouth feel which is not too carbonated.

The taste is excellent: there is some alcoholic presence. Honey, lemon, and other spices make a strong distinctive finish.

Overall: an excellent beer. I especially like the moderate mouth feel balanced with the accentuated finish. Looking forward to drinking again.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 02:03:23 | More by brureview

FosterJM

California

3.56/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1715th Review on BA
Bottle to Wine Glass
22oz

2012 Release

App- Was more along the lines of a American Barleywine with a deep and rusty looking orange. When this poured out, it had a good amount of bubbles, but didnt have a any cling lines. The beer itself, was a bit glowing orange with a bit of a darker center.

Smell- American barleywine is all I got on this one. More of a thick nose but didnt carry the booze notes either. The aromas are of deep hops and a bit bitter. A large amount of fermenting oranges is there with only a touch of balance and malts behind it.

Drink- Its a nice beer, but I was really thinking it would have more of that citra hops tropical balance that say Harvest dance had or not being BBA more of a flavor akin to White Chocolate from the Bruery. I liked the hops and the malt balance but needed more to it. A nice flavor but a bit too citrus zest forward.

Mouth- A nice and solid medium body with a medium carbonation level. A bit creamy and a bit malty on the finish. A little bit of pepper as well but not unpleasant.

Drink- It was flavorful and pretty good, just wanted more. I like what Smuttynose does.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 23:22:12 | More by FosterJM

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle (2012 vintage) poured into a snifter at cellar temperature.

L – Deep amber color with a 1.5-finger frothy, somewhat rocky, cream-colored head. Good retention and some nice lacing. Clear with tons of bubbles.

S – Caramel malt along with some appreciable wheat, grapes, figs, cherries, some peppery and clovey yeast, and a hint of medicinal phenols. There may be some herbal hops here, as well, but that may be the fruity esters. That or maybe the fruity esters are herbal hops.

T – It starts off sweet with caramel malt, grapes, and a little bit of wheat. Spicy peppery yeast comes in next along with a good amount of alcohol heat. It finishes with an interesting bitterness consisting of herbal hops and a medicinal quality reminiscent of aspirin. Even with this finish, it doesn’t have a bad taste at all.

F – Medium-bodied with really nice carbonation, a thick and creamy mouthfeel, and a bitter and dry finish. That herbal and aspirin bitterness and astringency lingers, but there’s also a tremendous throat-and-chest-warming sensation from the alcohol.

O – I like this beer. I’m not really sure what a wheatwine is supposed to be, but I can certainly smell the wheat in the aroma and can feel the creaminess in the mouthfeel. Other than that, it has a lot of similarities to a barleywine. Granted, it’s not on the same level as a lot of barleywines, but then again, it’s not a barleywine. I think it’s a nice, drinkable beer especially for the ABV. If I can find them, I’d like to try more wheatwines.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 04:58:36 | More by BlackBelt5112203

rlee1390

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Cloudy orange, one finger head and a good deal of carbonation

S-Lots of malt/wheat. Tad bit of citrus hops, but wayy to much wheat to the point where balance is thrown off.

T-Starts with a lot of malt and wheat, citrus hops, some grass with slight bitterness in the finish.

M-Medium bodied, not much carbonation, little thick.

O-The wheat is too powerful and doesn't balance out nicely with he rest of the brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 20:23:25 | More by rlee1390

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle, 2010 vintage

appears clear, dark amber in color. no head what-so-ever. very sweet aroma - brown sugar, raisin, some alcohol. taste is also big on the sweet malty flavor. not much wheat. a bit boozey. a little bit of an odd after taste though. thick, syrupy, low carbonation, which works.

overall - definitely rich. surprised this still has this much alcohol heat after 2 years.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 02:53:49 | More by jmdrpi

claspada

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, dark golden, light amber color with a small white bubbly head that recedes to leave some spotty lacing.

Aromas begin with sweet toasted caramel maltiness with a distinct tangy wheatiness. As it warms you get some stone fruitness, highlighted by peaches and pears, with some emerging citrus which could be hop derived.

The tastes begin with sweet, caramel maltiness and lightly toasted breadiness. The wheat once again makes its presence known and there is also that same fruitiness as well. It the background there are some lightly spicy, orange, citrusy hops creating a moderate bitterness.

The mouthfeel is medium-to-full bodied with medium carbonation. The finish is fairly sweet, lightly bitter and fruity with a chewy presence.

Overall this style is really hit or miss for me but luckily this was in the hit column. The fruitness from the yeast and/or hops helps to balance the sweet maltiness. I really enjoy these Smuttynose Big Beer Series offerings as they are readily available to me and quite reasonabley priced with above average quality.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 16:32:29 | More by claspada

cvm4

Mississippi

3.43/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle conditioned in 2010

A - Pours a clear, deep red/amber with a one finger eggshell head that leaves quickly and has no trace that it was ever there.

S - Honey, caramel, syrup, slight tropical fruits and booze.

T - First it's sweet like toffee and butterscotch. Then the malt/wheat profile comes out along with corn syrup ending.

M - Little to no carbonation with a cloying body.

O - It's like a beer liqueur in a beer. Interesting to drink but not something I'd reach for again.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 22:04:00 | More by cvm4

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy honey colored with a tall but brief white with yellow tinted head.

The smell is banana foster and honey. It has a sweet dessert smell.

Banana and honey flavors are cut by the heat from the booze. There's also and herbal tea like touch. They don't meld well at all. It finishes with crushed aspirin.

Mouthfeel is reall hot and boozy. Medium carbonation.

This started out promising but the herbal flavors threw this out if whack.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 23:35:19 | More by Vonerichs

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a cloudy blood orange hue. The beer's cap is thin, even after an aggressive pour. Head is initially about a half-pinky high, but it pops off to a few islands of fluff. Sporadic lacing speckles. Looks like a high gravity brew.

S-Wheat and honey and tons of booze. Hay and corn syrup. Caramel all over the place. Hops are very complacent. It first smells like just your average Barleywine, but then the wheat really sets in. Dry, milled wheat. Super-sweet overall.

T-Has its highs and lows. Starts of sweet and complex. Then finishes too boozy. Liqueur-dipped fruitcake. Toasted Wheat Thins with dried prunes on top. Citrusy with a herbal hop character.

M-Full, sticky and syrupy. Very dry. Moderate bitterness. Slow-sipper. Carbonation is quite soft.

O/D-Well worth a try. I haven't been too impressed with Smuttynose's Big Beer Series. This one is pretty good, but far from awesome. I didn't really like their S'muttonator but their Baltic Porter is phenomenal. This lies somewhere in between. (Definitely closer to S'muttonator). It's a unique style of beer, but I won't be getting this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 22:09:39 | More by VelvetExtract

merc7186

New York

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer on tap at the Ruck in Troy NY into a snifter glass.

A: Amber/Burnt Orange Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Toasted Wheat, Jack Daniels, Pineapple, Boozy

T: Jack Daniels, Wheat, Honey

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Boozy, Mildly Drying

Overall, the nose and taste reminded me a Jack Daniels barrel aged beer...too much booze and not enough flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2012 00:58:27 | More by merc7186

vandemonian

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had the 2007 and 2012 Smuttynose wheatwines side by side at churchkey. I considered it an experiment in aging! The score reflects my review of the 2012 version because I liked it better. Basically, this beer tastes better and more complex when it has hops and more sweetness. The longer it ages, the more that fades.

A: Clear orange colour. 2012 has a good head while the 2007 faded quickly to nothing. 4

S: 2007 smells sweet with alcohol. The 2012 has a bit more dark fruit and raisins and even some pineapple. Maybe from the hops? The 2007 lost most of the fruit aroma and just has malt and alcohol. 4.5 for the 2012. 3.5 for the 2007

T: The 2007 is sweet and malty (I mean wheaty, I guess) with some bitter woody alcohol flavours. There are some subtle chocolate flavour in there too. The sweet base in the 2012 has much more compliment from the hops and notes of sweet vanilla. 3 for the 2007. 4.5 for the 2012

M. The 2007 feels like liquor on the tongue: 3.5. The 2012 is foamier. 4

O: 3 for the 2007. 4.5 for the 2012

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2012 23:51:11 | More by vandemonian

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

AGED REVIEW

2008 vintage according to bottle date-notch. Purchased from local store's discount cooler a couple of months ago and kept in ambient basement temp since then. Therefore, I am not certain of the conditions under which it was stored for the majority of it's aging.

Pours out a very dark sort of burnt-umber color with a brief flash of head, no real lacing left behind at all. Thicker side of medium body, lighter carbonation, nice smooth texture in the mouth.

Smells like caramel and wheat malt, medium amounts of dried apricots and pineapples, some bootstrap molasses, and just a smidgeon of chocolate fudge in the background. The flavor is somewhat different from the aroma, it presents a typical toffee-caramel and citrus peel / earthy and herbal hopping with burnt brown sugar that most barleywines have, but this brew also seems to have an small spike of wheaty malt in the background that I am surprised to find, given how old the bottle is. Unfortunately, there is also a medium-light level of cardboard malt oxidation present that leads me to believe that this bottle wasn't always in the cooler all this time. On the other hand, there is no booziness whatsoever to this bottle anymore, either.

Although I cannot come to any real conclusions regarding the cellaring of this brew from a single flawed data point like this, It does pique my interest enough with the detectable wheat malt aspects over the barleywine-like profile that I will certainly now be seeking out more Wheatwines to try in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 20:00:05 | More by WastingFreetime

slash196

Indiana

3.13/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Was excited for this one, grabbed a bottle from whole foods.

A - Rich burnt orange, with assertive carbonation and a one-finger head receding to thick lace.

S - Like a fresh barleywine should, good amount of hops, with some distinctive alcoholic notes.

T - Very unusual. Toffee, wheat, vanilla, bourbon, and booze. Lots of booze. Honestly, I would swear this thing had been barrel-aged, the bourbon flavor is VERY forward. To be honest there is a lot going on in this one, and it doesn't all pull in the same direction. Some flavors try to lighten things up, but other flavors drag it down. Not a BAD beer, but very much not my cup of tea.

M - Medium body with prickly carbonation. Some cloying on the finish.

Overall - This was a disappointment, though I didn't know what to expect it was a bit of a letdown. Unbalanced and overcrowded palate and VERY boozy. Nice to see Smuttynose experimenting, but this is a style that is rare for a reason.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 00:45:05 | More by slash196

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from Hop City (Atlanta, GA). 5.49. 2012 batch. Served in a Southern Tier snifter. 

Pours a rich orange with robust two and a half fingers head. Very little lacing. 

Smells of grass, maybe a little lemon, caramel and booze. Sweeter and more inviting as it warms. 

Sharp tastes of roasted wheat, hay, marshmallow, corn, burnt sugar and a healthy kick of alcohol. Not bad but the heat of the booze detracts a good bit. As in the nose, it gets sweeter and more enjoyable as it heats up. 

Medium heavy, syrupy feel with a healthy dose of carbonation. Long boozey aftertaste. 

Perhaps the boozeyist wheat wine I've tried so far. There is a nice underlying sweet complexity but it's just too overshadowed by that alcohol bite. Still, I'm glad I tried it and think it's worth getting 2-3 more to age. 18-24 months will take the edge off and allow those other sweet wheat wine flavors to shine.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 04:22:01 | More by ThickNStout

chugalug06

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Two-finger head rises in my NB Globe. Fluffy bubbly straw colored head. Decent clarity in the amber/purple brew.

Lots of roasty wheat malt. Lot's of big citrus hop tones. Slight rubber scent. Herbal.

Very smooth and easily drank. No heat. Near perfect carbonation and bitterness. Very smooth sweetness, but not sugary. Wheat could stand to be stronger, but it's definitely present. Hops are also present, but could be stronger. ABV is high, but flavor doesn't expose it.

Another very nice offering from Smutty.. Recommended! Thanks Andy!

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 03:41:00 | More by chugalug06

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Kevin for sharing this 2012 bomber, had this once loooong ago.

Pours a copper orange with some amberish tones. White head retains decently falling to a spotty cap and thick ring eventually.

Straight up butterscotch+booze scent with some pine sap hoppiness.

Taste is similar but definitely better, a little more complex. Big sweet butterscotch and toffee malts backed with earthy and piny hops. Bready and fruity notes. Big, sweet beer.

The ABV definitely shows itself, that combined with the sweetness makes it a bit much for the palate. Decent body, medium carbonation.

Eh, some alright flavors here but very sweet and boozy, even half a bomber is a bit of a chore.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 18:10:53 | More by Chico1985

obywan59

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The ale pours a coppery to orange/amber in color with a 1 finger orr white head that recedes to a film on the surface and a ring around the glass. The carbonation is evident.

A luscious aroma of buttery caramel with amazing tropical fruit, a hint of alcohol and plenty of Belgian yeast.

The taste mimics the aroma except that the buttery caramel is through the roof, and the fruit is more secondary. Very sweet, but tart wheat shines through in the middle, joining with a substantial bitterness that follows through in the finish.

The body is full, with a tingle of carbonation on the tongue. It's moderately syrupy, with the burn of alcohol in the throat.

A superb beer! By it's nature, though, it's probably more suited for mid-winter consumption than mid-summer, but nonetheless, it was an amazing experience. Full flavored and "in your face".

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 04:23:30 | More by obywan59

B967ierhunter177

Pennsylvania

1.3/5  rDev -66.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

This beer pours an orange-gold color with no head or lace. It's aroma is mainly wheat with a hint of caramel. The flavor is like sour grapes mixed with a hefeweizen. The sourness is puckeringly strong. The mouthfeel is light with a mild sour aftertaste. Snuttynose Wheat Wine (Big Beer Series) is a disappointing beer, not recommended!

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 02:31:28 | More by B967ierhunter177

Sharkophile

New York

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Appears a beautiful hazy amber orange with a frothy off-white head that recedes down to nothing. Perhaps due to the high abv?

S: Smells fruity, with some tropical fruit along with honey and caramel. Herbal hop character and a gentle booziness rounds things out.

T: Woah... plums and tropical fruit combine with a toasted malt (toffee-like) background. Very sweet. Some vanilla-like flavors come in as does the alcohol, which is warming at first but then develops some bite. Minty hops come in on the sticky, semi-dry finish. Delicious.

M: HUGE body with a smooth, creamy carbonation. Absolutely coats the mouth in flavor. Excellent.

O: My first wheat wine. What a great style! Hopefully more like this to come from more breweries! Fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 04:01:36 | More by Sharkophile

captaincoffee

California

3.1/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The pretty orange coloring of the beer had me interested, although I found the sweetness a bit overpowering on the nose. There was some citrus and hops behind, but the malty sweetness also overpowered the palate. Some toasted notes on the finish, but lingering sweetness made this a difficult 22oz bottle to finish. Personal opinion is this needs more hops to balance out. Not sure if this would age to something special if the sweetness fades...perhaps.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 21:56:39 | More by captaincoffee

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2012 bottle

A: Pours a golden orange color with a fingers worth of head that retains decently for a couple minutes

S: Solid. A slight sweetness with some booze, accompanied by the barley and wheat. Some caramel and raisins. Can definitely tell it's close in composition in terms of the malt bill because the sweetness of the barley stands out

T: Follows the nose, pretty sweet with a touch of booze and a nice tartness towards the back end thanks to the wheat. Very light hops finish it off, leaving a slight bitterness

M: Moderate-full bodied with plenty of carbonation to help any cloying sweetness get washed away

O: I think I'd like to see more wheat character in this beer. The sweetness of the barley stands out a little too much and overpowers the wheat. Instead of being 53% wheat and 47% barley, it should lean more towards something like 60/40 or a ratio where the tartness of the wheat stands out more. Maybe it does once it has a little age on it, but right now it's pretty barley/sweet forward in terms of taste. Other than that, though, this is a fairly solid beer

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 04:49:29 | More by BEERMILER12

barnzy78

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle, 2012 release, pours golden-copper in color, with a thin bubble head, tons of carbonation in the body of the ale. Aromas are sweet with honey, vanilla, raisin. Tastes are cloyingly sweet with more vanilla, oak, caramel, toffee, raisin, booze. Mouth-feel is full bodied and syrupy, with moderate carbonation, finishes with a dash of white pepper and a tingle on the tongue. Alcohol is warming, but not overly assertive. Overall, this seemed to be too sweet. Good flavors, but cloyingly sweet. A whole bomber by myself was too much to handle. Nice take on the style, but needs to be drunk in smaller doses.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 03:47:55 | More by barnzy78

mclaughlindw4

Maine

2.98/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

2012 vintage

A- golden beer color. Nice fluffy head which lingers a short while.

S-a little sweet. Raisons and plums and some estery compounds.

T- there is a bitter quality that first hits my tongue and persists through to the aftertaste. Boozy caremel and the raisons.

M- A little sticky.

O- Perhaps it could use some time to mellow out. Hard to judge I guess because its not a specific style. But thinking of it as a wheat wine, not one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 22:05:47 | More by mclaughlindw4