White Oak - The Bruery

Arbitrator

California

1.8/5  rDev -54.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Room-temperature (55 F in my place) bottle into a glass. Courtesy of Overlord. Many thanks, Mike.

A: Pours a murky golden-amber color with a short-lived finger of off-white fluffy head. It collapses into a thin film on the brew with a thick collar that deposits sheets of non-sticky bubbles during each swig. Not mindblowing for a BSPA, but decent.

S: Vanilla, cinnamon, honey, oak, wheat, caramel, toffee, mango, and a light ethanol scent. I can't find any bourbon.

T: Begins with yeast, vanilla, and cinnamon. Other spices (cardamom?) that I can't quite figure out. Mid-taste is honey, wheat, and more "traditional" malts of caramel and toffee. I also detect mango throughout, but it pops up at strange times. The finish reveals a light, peppery bourbon character with oak, but there is also a booze burn that pulls into the finish. Very strong-tasting. Unfortunately, the powerful and cloying combination of honey, vanilla, and booze in the aftertaste is pretty tough to swallow. Initially a 3, but after drain-pouring a lot of the beer I can't really give it anything higher than a 1.

M: This is sticky as hell. It clings to the mouth. A forced sipper no matter how you look at it. Unfortunately you do feel the 11% throughout, and it adds an unpleasant aftertaste to an already heavy beer. The style should be fluffier. A semi-dry finish.

D: Lots of strong tastes here. But it's very heavy on the palate, and the finish is challenging. I'm not sure barrel-aging was a good idea for this one. Also, I really should have split this with people. I was unable to finish the bottle and poured out about 40% of it. Gah. I hate throwing away expensive beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2009 07:33:12 | More by Arbitrator

corby112

Pennsylvania

1.83/5  rDev -53.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Pours a very dark and hazy burnt orange color with golden yellowish orange hues when held to a light source and a frothy, pillowy two finger white foam head. Excellent retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap that leaves chunks of soapy lacing behind.

Earthy aroma with a prominent honey presence as well as a very strong barrel character. Lots of ashy charred wood with a heavy dose of boozy bourbon and some subtle vanilla. Plenty of alcohol sweetness and earthy spice in the nose along with light fruit notes. Smells slightly damp and funky and just a weird combination of scents.

Medium bodied with very tight carbonation up front that is immediately countered by a blast of bourbon and burnt wood that overpower almost everything and lingers throughout into a very hot, burning finish. The barrel character is way too strong in this beer creating an overly hot, boozy, astringent mess. Lots of earthy oak and hot bourbon flavor with a decent bit of vanilla flavor that surprisingly doesn't mellow things out much at all. Underneath all of the heat there is a slightly creamy presence with hints of crisp light fruit and zesty, peppery spice. This beer is not very well balanced and is kind of an abrasive assault on the palate. It doesn't taste very good and is tough to choke down. It improves a bit as it warms but it is still a one dimensional failure.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 08:39:54 | More by corby112

MrFootstones

California

1.95/5  rDev -50.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 1.5

I was excited to open my painstakingly acquired White Oak (and Black Tuesday). I couldn't drink this one though. I split it with two BA's and luckily, they were able to polish off my bottle for me to avoid the alcohol abuse of a drain pour.

For me, a beer as delicate as this is just not appropriate for bourbon bbl aging. The poor beer was completely overwhelmed and it was just a boozy bourbon bomb. Both the smell and taste were overpowering sweet whisky. I had the same problem with Allagash Curieux before they toned it down (or maybe it was just more mellow on tap).

I feel bad giving a poor review to such a revered brewery but this one was unpalatable to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2010 07:59:16 | More by MrFootstones

Rhettroactive

Virginia

2/5  rDev -49%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

From 750mL bottle to Portsmouth glass on 5/24/12
*From notes

-- Thanks for crackin' this one, Billiam --

A: Cloudy, murky Saison yellow. A good pour yields a white and loost 1.25 finger head that fades to a meager bubbly collar and no lacing. Meh.

S: Sage, mint, herbs. Not a lot of booze, yet this is lacking a significant amount of oomph. I mean why does a damn Wheatwine smell like an herb garden? Where's the bourbon? 50% is aged in bourbon barrels, yet I would've never known had the label not told me.

T: Wheat, booze, an imperial amount of clove and some overripe banana. There's a real Belgian quality to that just doesn't mesh well with the base beer. Again, no bourbon to speak of. Kind of a mess, to be honest.

M: What am I drinking? This feels like a bubbly summer session lager or Pale Wheat Ale. Where's the viscosity? Where's the body and complexity? This seems to be a running theme with the current batches of the Bruery's specialty suds: thin and underwhelming.

O: What a train wreck of a beer. This isn't anywhere close to good. It feels lazy and uninspired, and it disappoints in most every facet. Do your palate a favor and introduce Mr. White Oak to Ms. Drain, pronto.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 16:06:41 | More by Rhettroactive

kojevergas

California

2.4/5  rDev -38.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

750 ml brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Guinness goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are below average; I'm usually very underwhelmed by beers from this brewery - with the exception of Black Tuesday, which I was quite fond of. I hope this isn't overpriced mediocrity like many of The Bruery's other beers.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 3.5 finger head of slight soft cream, decent thickness, and very impressive retention considering the high ABV. Colour is a murky hazy dark yellow. Nontransparent. Non-opaque. It looks rather nice; I'm excited to try it. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Floral, with clean wheat presence, cream, very light vague coconut, and tropical fruit esters. Pleasant, clean, and generally inviting - though not unique or special. A mild strength aroma.

T: Wheat is definitely the base, with strange bourbon and wood notes. Some light floral fruit notes are backgrounded. Coconut is distinct and recognizable, but I don't know that it's a good addition to the flavour profile. No alcohol comes through - quite a feat. The balance is off. Lacks a clear focus or emphasis, as though the brewers combined a bunch of difficult processes without any real regard for the balance of the end product. The wheat is nice and well executed, but the coconut mixed with the bourbon really bothers me. Complex but not at all subtle. Far too sweet. I get some vanilla, but it's not like it is in dark beers; here vanilla is troublesome.

Their own description on the label hints at the problem; "esque" and "ish" and "like" are used, but there are no solid firm flavours. It's a hodge podge of would-be notes, and the result is less appealing than the label makes it sound. Vaguely evocative of malibu coconut rum mixed with poor bourbon.

Mf: Smooth, wet, and somewhat creamy. Too thin. Adequately carbonated. Complements the flavour generally.

Dr: To its credit, the ABV is well hidden. That's probably the best element of this beer. It's difficult to drink; coconut is quickly overwhelming and far too sweet - especially over the course of repeated sips. Far too expensive for its quality (a staple of The Bruery). Another disappointment from The Bruery. I may never know why people like their beers so much. I wouldn't get this again, and I'd caution friends from trying it as well. Wasn't there supposed to be oak in the taste?

See Koko Brown from Kona Brewing for a far better (and motivated) use of coconut in the brewing process.

D+

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 05:14:50 | More by kojevergas

Auracom

Illinois

2.55/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Courtesy of the RS. 6-7 oz. of the bomber poured into a Cantillon flute on May 6th, 2012.

A - Semi-clear golden coloring with a huge 4-finger, white, creamy head. Decent retention and great lacing. Looks a bit like a hefty geuze.

S - Lots of sharp lemon peel and vinegar with light malt sweetness and vanilla. A touch of oak and wheat-bread yeast underneath. Much, much less barrel character than I expected.

T - Front palate wheat grass, citrus, and tart sweetness. Mid palate transitions into caramel, light vanilla, and finally some semblance of barrel notes. Rear end is a wierd mixture of sweet, sour, and malty bread that leads into the finish.

M - Light-medium body, moderate carbonation, a bit smooth, tart and lightly-dry finish.

D - Undoubtedly the strangest beer I've had from the Bruery yet. There are a lot of different elements within the aroma and taste, but I find them to clash rather the meld/blend. Ultimately that makes this pretty poor for drinkability, imo.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 18:02:35 | More by Auracom

BeTheBall

Massachusetts

2.6/5  rDev -33.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 750, very frothy head with golden color and dense carbonation. Smell was mostly of bourbon barrel, with some vanilla? Taset was heavy on the bourbob, not my favorite. Also sweet and fairly alcoholic. This should be served in 2 or 4 oz. size for me, as that's plenty. Not a refreshing or tasty beer. Mouthfeel was fine, but the taste missed for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 12:49:46 | More by BeTheBall

Immortale25

Florida

2.83/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Saint Somewhere wine-style glass. No freshness date.

A- Pours a very cloudy amber color with a 3/4 inch white head that retains quite well, then slowly fades to an 1/8 inch ring around the glass's edge and pocks of surface foam. Full sheets of lacing cling to the glass.

S- Alcohol, a bit of astringency and a slight sour smell arise. Yes, it seems like this might have some tart to it.

T- Strong booze bite without a lot of flavor to back it up. Kind of harsh and, yes, slightly tart. Man, this is a hot one. Like I'm drinking champagne laced with an oz. of vodka. Not much oak detected, but what's there is certainly not complimentary or enjoyable.

M- As stated with the champagne comment, a high amount of carbonation (part of The Bruery's usual M.O.) makes one feel like they're drinking thick sparkling liquor. It does have some body to it, but not enough to balance out the gas. Hot and full of an ascerbic bite.

O- Wow, I'm a HUGE Bruery fan, but this is by far the most displeasing entry I've had from them. I've had good wheatwines before too (Smuttynose does a good one, for example). Hopefully this is one that absolutely needs to be cellared because, otherwise, it's just a hot mess.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 00:35:58 | More by Immortale25

rudzud

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Thank you Bruery Reserve Society for the beer. Poured into a Ommegang tulip.

A - Poured a crystal clear golden yellow hue with a two finger fluffy white head that fades to a thinnish blanket and light side lacing.

S - Aromas of fresh coconut meat and earthy barrel and super light Bourbon. There is a light Belgian yeast/fruit ester to the back of the beer. Light vanilla notes too.

T - What the hell is this... sweet Carmel malts with light barrel notes and faint bourbon. Gentle coconut and vanilla but a TON of booze. A distracting amount of booze here. Super light answer faint flavours though. Its like they took a Belgian triple and just added a hodgepodge of flavours.

M - Mouthfeel is super carbonated and light for the ABV but this all said its still super boozy. Really really boozy.

O - Overall what the heck did I buy? Its such a jumble of flavours and is all kinda thin and faint. Had such high expectations for this beer and it was dashed wonderfully by a crummy flavour. Argh.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 23:21:50 | More by rudzud

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

$13 for the 750mL bottle. Poured into a mini snifter
Sampled 07OCT12

[A] Average vigor on the pour and a bright head 1 1/2 fingers high is produced. Foamy on the bottom, fluffy on top. Retention is above average. A thick film and collar remains for quite some time. The body is a hazy peachy-orange with a little light showing through. Transparency is low. Lacing in wavy sheets.

[S] Bourbon infused caramel, light Belgian candi sugars, and an air of coconut wood, plus some wheat.

[T] Bourbon and wheat. Quite an unnatural combination of flavors. You can tell that White Oak is a high gravity beer, but I wouldn't have guessed anything close to 11.5%. So, in that respect...pretty impressive.

[M] The mouthfeel is great. Dances across the tongue with a consistent prickle, stays light, remains crisp, and a wheaty, tangy snap on the finish.

[O] While high gravity wheat beers don't really make sense to me, I actually think this would have been a pretty decent beer...sans the bourbon barrel treatment. The Bruery's website describes White Oak as: "50% wheatwine aged in Bourbon barrels...and 50% Mischief (our Golden Strong Ale)..." - now, things are starting to make sense.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 13:43:58 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

oberon

North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an overized wine glass a hazed orange infused copper color with a thin white head atop.Alot of hot booze in the nose along with heavy yeast esters,lingering vanilla and a hint of spiced pears.Really hot at first,it took a few swallows for it to tone down enough for me,vanilla and alot of yeasty notes,faint drying and toasted oak in the finish.A little hot for my liking,it has some rich flavors but they are masked a little by the yeast and big alcohol in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 16:39:06 | More by oberon

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.33/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

750 mL bottle poured into a Cigar City snifter.

Appearance - Hazy orange with quite a big head. Settles to an off-centered chunky white collar. Not so much on the surface.

Smell - Very bright aroma. Boozy as hell. Some bourbon, but not prominent. Not sure if I imagine the coconut because of label, but definite coconut. Lots of vanilla. Tropical fruity aroma.

Taste - Definite tropical flavors. Some bourbon again, but it's not an easy flavor to discern. Almost lemony in its brightness. Strong wheat character. Dry and boozy.

Mouthfeel - Hefty alcohol presence. Medium low carbonation. Harsh grainy and boozy finish.

Overall - Fascinating combination of flavors. Not convinced it works all that well, but only the booze is offensive. The rest of it is just a crazy big wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 01:22:41 | More by Alieniloquium

billab914

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2012 vintage poured from a 750ml bottle. It poured cloudy orange in color with a thick, foamy, white head to it.

The aroma shows a lot of the sweeter, bready, wheat malts mixing with some herbal yeast spices. It's a little peppery and earthy with some noticeable crisp fruits to it as well.

The taste has some nice wheat malt flavors to it up front. The finish is where more of the earthy, herbal spices come out. It's got some oak to the finish, but it's also a little hot. I liked the wheat malts to it but spices and alcohol that showed through were a little overdone.

Mouthfeel is on the heavier side with carbonation being high.
Overall it was a decent beer, but not one that really stands out. It felt over carbonated, over spiced, and lacked much barrel presence for being partially barrel aged.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 19:26:53 | More by billab914

getkrunkhoe

California

3.38/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

App- Golden color with a light orange hue. its pretty hazy. Thin laced head, when You first pour it (on draft not growler) it has a rich "whipped" head that dissipates. since this was in a growler I think the head presence wasn't as strong.

Ar- Pineapple is the first thing that comes to mind. its boozy,sweet nectar, for some odd reason I get Agave(?).a bit of a citrus note is present.

T-similar to aroma, I get Pineaple,peach, some sort of Syrup (almost like an organic maple syrup), a tad bit of bitter fruit.

Mf- very strong presence, even though carbonation isn't visible you can definetly "taste" it or feel it. a bit bitter as well as tart.

D-even though this has a nice taste, it can be a bit harsh. maybe it is worth "cellaring/holding on to" for a few months longer.

I really dig this beer on draft, growler probably doesn't do it justice, but I am glad that I was able to get this in Growler form.

(for those who don't know; this beer is a Barrel aged Wheatwine blended with Mischief)

Serving type: growler

09-01-2009 05:42:58 | More by getkrunkhoe

alcstradamus

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Careful pour into a tulip still yields a monstrous, effervescent two fingers of head that seem to want to camp out for quite a while. Dull amber color, lots of little bubbles racing to the top.

Smell is white grapes, belgian yeast, clove, orange peel, wood. Fairly bold considering the style.

The taste is even bigger...holy cow. Caught me off guard actually. First sip is an invasion of the sinuses by huge wood and booze. This one definitely picked up more wood than bourbon from its barrel treatment, with the bourbon mainly contributing alcohol heat rather than complexities. Still though, some complexities are present underneath. Coconut and vanilla are the primary flavors that rest on top of the regular Belgian pale ale flavor profile. This is a good beer, and if it were an imperial stout or barleywine or something similar I would say the alcohol heat was fairly low, but for this style it may be a tad too boozy. A year or two in the cellar would probably do this one some justice.

Mouthfeel is on the full side of medium with huge amounts of carbonation. A bit too much maybe, but still in line with how the style should feel.

Drinkability is a bit shaky....just too high of an ABV and too much booziness to really make me want more than 8-12 oz. at a time. The 750 ml bottle really should be split 3 ways. Bottom line is this beer has some potential for improvement through maturity, but is a bit rough at this point.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2009 21:01:19 | More by alcstradamus

charlzm

California

3.4/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Four ounce sample, consumed 2009/11/14 at the Hollywood Brewfest.

Hazy golden beer with a creamy, one finger head.

Aroma of... grapes? Like white wine, almost. Is that a hint of diacetyl? Soft, powdery... There's a definite aroma of some kind going on, anyway.

Flavor is subtle - white grapes again, some woodiness. Sweet. Bitterness on the finish. Reminds me a bit of champagne, especially in its dry finish.

Alcohol is concealed very well.

Interesting, but not entirely enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2009 04:00:22 | More by charlzm

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.4/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: light cloudy golden yellow pour with a big head
Smell: Bread, bananas, honey, pale malts. Very sweet.
Taste: A bit bready and sweet, heavy on the banana.
Mouthfeel: Medium-full body
Overall: Too much alcohol, not really that complex or enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 18:26:18 | More by craytonic

aasher

Indiana

3.43/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

White Oak pours a lighter bodied, slightly cloudy honey gold with a two finger bright white head. The nose is odd, a lot of slicing and alcohol with slight Belgian yeast and chamomile and other herbal notes. The flavors are odd. It's a weird mix of Belgian yeast, intense slicing, alcohol, and unripe vegetables. It's almost a super spiced wheat with a lot of alcohol and fresh green veggies. I cant get behind it. It's awkward, its boozy, its just not well integrated and is pretty disjointed. This is one of the few beers I can't like from the Bruery.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 20:06:22 | More by aasher

Overlord

California

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

It pains me to say it, but I'm not enjoying the bottled version nearly as much as I did the on-tap version of 4-5 months ago.

Pours a golden, foamy white thingy. Looks pretty.

Smells faintly of bourbon, and strongly of vanilla, sweet stuff, spices, more bourbon, and more sweetness. I mean, we're talking belgian candi, liquid sugary syrup in the aroma.

Taste is again, really bourbon-y boozy and sweet. There's a surprising amount of vanilla, some coconut, and spiciness. It's just so...sweet. I remember the version of months ago having a nice woodsy balance to the sweetness. In fact, it bordered on having a tart/sour wheat aftertaste. The wheat, if any, has been obliterated.

Decent, but not my fave Bruery beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2009 03:45:48 | More by Overlord

womencantsail

California

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Another tick from my old notes. I was clearly not as diligent about transcribing my notes in my ticking infancy. Bottle opened shortly after Black Tuesday 2009.

A: The beer pours a cloudy golden orange color with a tall head, white in color.

S: Fairly phenolic with a lot of pepper notes and a fair bit of alcohol. Sweet light fruits such as pears, apples, and bananas. Sugar, honey, and pale malts provide what amounts to a substantial sweetness. Some vanilla, but not all that much of the bourbon.

T: The flavor is perhaps a bit too intense for me. Strong alcohol notes, though not much of the bourbon barrel. Honey and sugar sweetness along with some more of the light fruit notes. White pepper provides a bit more bite/heat.

M: Medium to full in body with a moderate carbonation.

O: A bit too strong in the booze department for me. Interesting beer, but not something I'd care to drink a lot of.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 07:36:19 | More by womencantsail

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Split a 750ml poured into a duvel glass.

A : pours a murky slightly brown yellow.... Reminds me of pear juice... With a finger and a half of whit frothy head that disapates nicley leaving some lacing.... A nice looking beer.

S: citrus notes of pinneapple and pear, a yeastyness in there as well smells thick... And again reminds me of pear juice.... As the need warms I start to detect notes of toasty vanilla/caramel.
The barrel component of this beer blends n very subtly with the body of the brew....

T: the wheat becomes apparent here, as well as yeast... Bannana and Clove over a sweet backbone, wheat and grain, the barrel flavors are more present in the taste as well, but again not overwhelimg and not seeing to add any heat, I get toasty caramel, sweet vanilla a oak notes, that make te finish of this beer really stand out to me.... It has its moment both ways flavor wise.

M: medium bodies with high crisp carbonation, I wish that was toned down a bit here, has a fluffy mouthfeel that ends crisp and leaves you with caramel and vanilla bourbon oak notes that linger for a moment afterward
.
O: I really tried to get into this one, the bruery is one of my favs especially when it comes to sours and over the top extreme IMp stouts aged in barrels.... However the yeast flavors and the high carbonation kinda ruined it for me.... Maybe I'm a year or so when the whole thing mellows out the barrel character will shine more and the yeast and carbonation might calm down a bit.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 00:35:16 | More by PeterIngemi

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a very murky light orange with a frothy bright white foam that takes its time fading and leaves a nice amount of lacing down the glass
S - For me the aroma is very nondescript. I can pick up the wheat along with a hint of some coconut and/or a sort of sap smell.
T - Very interesting flavor, kind of oak-ey, sprucey flavor with coconut coming on strong, some vanilla and oak from the barrel, i taste a little bit of the bourbon but not enough to really pick it out. I'm starting to warm up to this one and am enjoying it more as I drink it.
M/D - medium bodied with a high amount of carbonation. It sort of has a syrupy mouthfeel to it and that detracts a little. It really reminds me of a spruce ale I brewed. I like it, not sure i'd go for another bottle on my own though.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 04:38:05 | More by mikereaser

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance
Hazy brownish gold with 1-2 fingers of head. Moderate carbonation.

Nose
Watered down whiskey, Caramel Creams and touches of oak.

Taste
Watered down whiskey flavors make up most of the palate. Tons of caramel and wheat. Caramel Cream candies and vanilla cream soda. Some candy sugar and touches of oak.

Mouthfeel
Full bodied and warming with a subtle crispness.

Overall
I really expected this to be darker and take on some kind of chocolate or toffee character, but this beer stays pretty true to its Wheat roots. However, the bourbon really overtakes it at times. Pretty easy drinking for 11.5%.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 17:48:12 | More by justintcoons

largadeer

California

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

Thanks, Shane.

Golden and hazy, but not entirely opaque. A rocky three finger head rises from a hard pour, settling quickly to a thick ring.

Smells of white pepper, honey, melon and vanilla. I don't pick up any bourbon barrel. This essentially smells like a Belgian golden ale, perhaps with a touch more sweetness.

The taste opens with apricot and melon-like sweetness, honey, pepper and clove. Carbonation is very high, reminiscent of beers like Duvel. Again, I don't pick up much bourbon barrel character. The finish is semi-dry, woody, peppery. This is pretty good, but I don't think it's the most harmonious blend. A barrel-aged wheatwine sounds great on its own, but it seems like it lost some complexity and body in the blend. Taken as a Belgian golden ale, this beer is too sweet and heavy. These beers were probably best left separate.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2009 18:22:08 | More by largadeer

Gmann

New York

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

Pours a hazy golden straw color with moderately dense, creamy white head that settles into a light cap.

The aroma is of tart lemon and oak. There is some light banana and clove notes. Not much from the bourbon, perhaps some general sweetness. More oaky than anything else.

The taste starts off with a lemony twang from the oak. This is coupled with a brown sugar and caramel sweetness. I seem to pick up more bourbon alcohol notes than I do bourbon flavor. I do get some of the coconut flavors as stated on the bottle; they are subtle and add a layer of flavor. The wheat malt doesn't add much flavor but adds some heft.

The feel is light with sharp carbonation. A bit too active as it seems to hide the flavor of the beer. It starts off tangy and sour on the palate then the carbonation comes in and wipes it away. Bourbon and caramel sweetness finishes on the palate.

A bunch of different flavor notes but none of them excellent. Carbonation is too sharp.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 02:46:50 | More by Gmann