White Oak - The Bruery

WorldWideStout

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought on the site that shall not be named for far too much money back in my young and naive beer drinking days. Consumed right before Woodcut No. 2, the other BSPA I had in the cellar.

A: Body is a murky, dark yellow, perhaps goldenrod, and not terribly appealing. There is a delightfully pillowy, bone-white head that eventually recedes to one-finger.

S: Yowza. Bourbon pummels my nostrils as soon as I pry open the cap, and my friends sitting several feet away can smell it as well. Eventually, I am able to pick up some sour grapes and vanilla, but raw bourbon still dominates.

T: Thankfully the bourbon is a bit more restrained here. Sour white (muscat?) grapes are often detectable in the middle of the sip. Vanilla makes an occasional appearance, and I also get some spiciness from the wood. Bourbon is present throughout, and makes up most of the aftertaste, which lingers for a few seconds. I didn't really get any fusels or hotness, just the strong bourbon.

M: Fairly strong carbonation keeps this fairly light. I think this goes well with the sour grape flavors.

O: I don't think I've had this particular combination of flavors before. I liked it, but the flavors were a bit disjointed, and I think another six months may help them to meld together more.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 17:19:45 | More by WorldWideStout

Stinger80OH

Ohio

4/5  rDev +2%

06-17-2013 01:46:21 | More by Stinger80OH

Gatordaddy

Maryland

4/5  rDev +2%

06-16-2013 02:16:32 | More by Gatordaddy

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.79/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a Bruery tulip. It's a beautiful pour. Perfectly clear and gold in color with just a hint of amber. It has rather high carbonation and produces that nice fluffy head that is typical of bottle conditioning. The nose is not as assertive as I had hoped it would be, but I do get notes of grain, cherries, booze, wood, and sherry.

The beer has a full body and a strong, sharp flavor. After a soft cereal flavor teases the tip of your tongue, your mouth is assailed with bourbon and oaky notes. Booze, cherries, vanilla, dried fruit, and the coconut promised by the label all join in. The finish is winey and warming, though not so winey as to betray the nearly 12% ABV present in this beer.

I've only had a couple of wheatwines so my opinion doesn't count for much here. I enjoyed this beer, but I'm not sure the high carbonation suits it well. It opens the palate and intensifies the flavors, where I found that a bit of degassing tends to smooth the beer and adds to the drinkability. After trying two of these barrel-aged (in this case, partially barrel-aged) wheatwines, I must confess I'm not entirely sold on the concept of a barrel-aged wheatwine. I'm not sure that the grainy, cereal-like qualities of the style are well complemented by the bourbon notes it inherits. I find the transition on the palate from soft wheat to harsh booze to be offputting at first, but who knows. It might be a taste I could acquire.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 01:09:33 | More by deadonhisfeet

DanGeo

Michigan

4/5  rDev +2%

06-15-2013 22:41:50 | More by DanGeo

FlussigkeitMut

Indiana

4/5  rDev +2%

06-15-2013 16:37:23 | More by FlussigkeitMut

George2744

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -29.8%

06-15-2013 12:27:31 | More by George2744

BigOldOaf

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2%

06-14-2013 16:26:56 | More by BigOldOaf

Brew33

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

06-14-2013 14:08:35 | More by Brew33

Hugonaut13

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

06-14-2013 12:37:49 | More by Hugonaut13

BKBassist

New York

4/5  rDev +2%

06-13-2013 05:57:56 | More by BKBassist

hoptualBrew

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

06-12-2013 23:00:05 | More by hoptualBrew

AndrewScottPentland

Florida

4/5  rDev +2%

06-12-2013 12:54:48 | More by AndrewScottPentland

BeezNeezy22D

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

06-12-2013 00:00:44 | More by BeezNeezy22D

GraduatedCashew

California

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

06-11-2013 17:26:07 | More by GraduatedCashew

dominic4beer

California

4/5  rDev +2%

06-11-2013 06:29:29 | More by dominic4beer

zestar

California

4/5  rDev +2%

06-11-2013 03:19:04 | More by zestar

ajzy

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +2%

06-10-2013 18:36:40 | More by ajzy

TheRuss9585

Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

06-10-2013 17:38:21 | More by TheRuss9585

cvm4

Mississippi

4.09/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - Pours a cloudy/hazy orange that slants towards amber. An eggshell white head billows to a two finger head and sticks around for the duration of the drink.

S - Tropical fruit & bourbon collide. Mango, wheat, bready malts, caramel and bourbon are noticeable.

T - Same as the smell. Tropical fruits surround the bourbon. Sweet, vanilla, oak, bourbon characteristics and tropical fruits.

M - Very carbonated... Wet, thick body but not cloying at all.

O - Interesting combo that some thought went into.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 22:50:33 | More by cvm4

Jslay013

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

06-09-2013 16:13:29 | More by Jslay013

RoryOMoore

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%

06-09-2013 02:48:30 | More by RoryOMoore

mcdonald422

California

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%

06-09-2013 02:45:57 | More by mcdonald422

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.49/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured out of a brown 750 mL bottle into a small but bulbous snifter/tulip hybrid glass. I believe this is the 2013 version.

Appearance - Ruddy brown-orange with highlights of yellow make up the cloudy body. An yellowish-white head of about a finger and a half rests atop with ample bubbles. A film of head remains throughout the beer, with a little more thickness around the edges of the glass. Lacing is moderate and silky.

Smell - An intoxicating smell with note of fruit--mango specifically--along with a grainy wheat presence highlighted by veins of citrus and an underlying boozy element from the high alcohol content. Smells strong, but balanced and promising. Gives the impression of a stronger dessert wine, like a sauterne.

Taste - The fruity element continues to have a strong presence, but is now flanked by notes of sweet caramel and even some cinnamon. Vanilla comes through from the heat of the bourbon barrels. Again, the wine-y elements are present to make this a very complex and interesting beer.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied and highly viscous, with the liquid oozing back down the side of the glass after taking a drink. Carbonation is lower, but enough to counterpoint the thickness of the beer.

Overall a wonderful beer from The Bruery, which is probably good, given the cost of this particular 750. Brings to mind the feel of cognac or even moreso a strong brandy. If this was more available, I would definitely keep it around.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 20:54:23 | More by LambicPentameter

shuajw

Georgia

4/5  rDev +2%

06-08-2013 10:23:28 | More by shuajw