White Oak
The Bruery

White OakWhite Oak
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
Wheatwine
Ranked #17
ABV:
11.5%
Score:
88
Ranked #15,025
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 11.51%
Reviews:
319
Ratings:
1,351
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 19, 2022
Added:
Jul 12, 2009
Wants:
  109
Gots:
  330
White Oak is a blended beer-- 50% wheatwine aged in Bourbon barrels (we call it "White Oak Sap"), and 50% Mischief (our Golden Strong Ale). Vivid caramel, coconut and vanilla flavors blanketed in a crisp yet robust wheat ale, White Oak is an exercise of balance.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of DIM
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2016 on-tap

I get more Belgian strong golden than wheatwines. Lots of candi sugar that play well with hints of bourbon and oak. I also got some golden raisin and honey, definitely sweet overall.
Jul 19, 2022
Photo of DaveMaciolek21
Reviewed by DaveMaciolek21 from New Jersey

4.29/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
It's got that light brown-copper wheatwine color with little head to speak of. The flavors are robust: caramel, oak, vanilla, and there's an underlying honey sweetness to it. The finish becomes even more prolonged as the beer warms to 50F degrees. The blended golden ale gives the wheatwine a lightness that makes it summer ready despite the 12.5% ABV.
Jul 08, 2021
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

4.32/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
750ml bottle into a goblet. 2016 edition, so 5 years old.

Pour looks a bit iffy. Hazy, even murky brown/orange/amber body. Seems well carbonated. Head doesn't last, but maintains as a ring and very faint covering.

Was getting the aroma of this one as soon as I uncapped it. Boozy, bourbon, a good vanilla presence, raisin, and other dark fruit.

On tasting, the vanilla was more subdued than the nose would suggest. Smooth, smooth drink. Some oak notes, bourbon, raisin, sweet, boozy, but not an ounce of harshness. Other dark fruit wafted in and out.

Mouth only just about medium. Finish warm, slightly sweet bourbon.

Overall, delightfully sweet boozy sipper over several hours.
Apr 26, 2021
 
Rated: 4.28 by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

Dec 25, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Dec 09, 2020
Photo of MattDecker
Reviewed by MattDecker from Texas

4.48/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Look: amber
Smell: smells like a barley wine,
Taste: honey, bready, smokey/toasty/light char taste AND feel, slight tiny sour tang (wine tannins) on the end,
Feel: creamy full body, boozy taste but not hit, instead is warming
Overall: a pleasant brew that keeps changing as it warms up.
Dec 02, 2020
 
Rated: 3.95 by Gemini6 from Michigan

Sep 14, 2020
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.52/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Sampling a cellared 2016 vintage of this beer, 750 ml bottle. Bottle says 12.5% not the 11.5 listed on BA. Bottle has been in my cellar since purchase and I have been waiting for a good time to split the bottle, well, not splitting now, but what the hell, its Friday! I slightly chilled the bottle in the fridge for about 30 minutes before popping the cap and pouring into my snifter.

I get about 3/4 of the bottle into my snifter, good amount of foam keeps me from getting it all in my glass on first pour. I love this large snifter of mine!
The beer pours a a clear copper color with some light mahogany highlights. Several very active streams of fine carbonation rise to the surface. A slightly frothy light khaki colored head of 3 cm foams up. These bubbles fade gradually and stick around as a dense creamy surface layer, almost like a cask pour. Very tight lacing and small windowpane lattice appear during each sip.

The aroma on this one is pretty bold. Soon after the pour I am getting rich bourbon notes and caramel. The nose opens to a mix of white grapes and vanilla as the glass sits on my table. No hint of hops and only the bourbon notes betray the higher ABV on this beer, as it doesnt smell hot or have fusol notes.

the first sip reveals a medium body with a smooth creamy texture and very fine, gentle rolling carbonation. Very nice mouthfeel on this brew. So far dangerously drinkable beer!

Flavor is also very nice. I get rich caramel and toffee notes mixing with some light fruits. Pears and white grape and then the finish moves to vanilla and bourbon notes. I dont find any hops in this beer, and I suspect they were mostly absent even in 2016 when the beer was fresh. I do get some brown sugar or sweet cherry note on many of the sips just before I swallow. Interesting flavor that I think only enhances the beer.
Booze is well hidden with no heat and not really any black peppery notes or even general booziness.
Im really excited about this beer and wish I was sharing it on one hand, but on the other hand....more for me! Now I need to have some dinner before I drink myself under the table! :)
Jun 13, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Apr 05, 2020
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2016 properly cellared bottle. Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a medium coppery amber with a one finger white head with good retention and nice lacing. Aroma of mildly caramel malt, light stone fruit, pears, vanilla, white grapes, oak and mild bourbon. Flavor is lightly caramel malt, apricot, orange, pears, oak, vanilla, white wine and a hint of bourbon. Fruity finish. Medium bodied with light creaminess. A very fruity wheatwine that has a lot of white wine character, with chardonnay notes. Good oaky barrel character, but not much bourbon is present. A pleasant take on the wheatwine style, a little more vinous than I'd prefer for a wheatwine, but a bit different and great to sip. Recommended as a two year cellerable bottle, this is a bit over that and I hope to see this again to try fresh (I'm not sure why I this is still in may cellar, I'm pretty sure I have tried this before, but never reviewed it).
Nov 18, 2019
 
Rated: 4.45 by khmel from Ukraine

Aug 13, 2019
 
Rated: 3.2 by Trueprinceofgotham from California

Apr 06, 2019
Photo of VoxRationis
Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York

4.29/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Decanted from a 25.4 oz (766 ml) bottle; 2016 release, produced on 1/26/16.
A: Pours a cloudy amber to brown color with a two inch, white head, retention to a cap and rim, but rings of camo edged lacing. Very lively on pour.
S: Slightly pungent. Aromas of caramel, toasted coconut, and vanilla predominate.
T: Sweet. Flavor largely follows the nose. Balanced, so little or no excess bitterness.
M: Medium to full and solid, lively carbonation. Substantive and chewy.
O: Delicious. Celebrated St. Patrick's Day with it and it is clearly designed for celebration. Fun and flavorful.
Mar 17, 2019
 
Rated: 4.4 by BeardedWalrus from North Carolina

Feb 19, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Jan 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by heysuz from Indiana

Jan 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4.33 by ian_graf from Minnesota

Oct 28, 2018
Photo of RacerX5k
Reviewed by RacerX5k from Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Wow. Amazing. There I'm done. Ok, guess y'all want more. This is a beer I wanted to try when I first heard of it, but never did because I wouldn't pay $17 for it. Because I would have enjoyed it Saturday night before dinner, but at the end of the day, it wouldn't have been worth $17. So, when I got the chance to get this for $5, yes $5 at the coolest local beer store imaginable, yes I also got several $5 2016 Riserva there which has fallen off a bit, but still $5 Riserva. So, $5 for this master.

Aroma is an amazing almost perfect blend of vanilla, butter, caramel, oak, bourbon that recedes an tiny bit as it's poured but emerges stronger as the beer goes ... lots of boubon barrel influence throughout. Taste follows, the Belgian influence strong, almost sour, very yeasty blend of Belgian golden ale and bourbon barrel aged wheatwine. This is an style that's so remote, hard to describe other than reminds me of an Belgian barrel aged triple. Yes, butter, like drinking liquid butter, you could do worse. Smooth all day, stronger than most, a wonderful drink for $5. Will go get another bottle, probably two more. Wow. Yes this really is amazing. Tomorrow (Saturday) night I'm making dinner, of course.
Oct 19, 2018
Photo of JayQue
Reviewed by JayQue from Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Good big beer, dominated by bourbon barrel and oak flavoring. Pours a hazy orange color with a small fast fading white head (as expected with 11.5% abv). Minimal lacing. Aroma is strong and pleasant, the bourbon barrel and oak are the most prominent smells. Taste is more complex. The oak and bourbon barrel flavors are prominent but there is also some strong caramel malt, vanilla and of course the booziness. Mouthfeel is rich with a strong warming alcohol presence. This is a slow sipper. Good beer, I would drink this again.
Jun 30, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

May 17, 2018
White Oak from The Bruery
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 1351 ratings