Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale:27

Taste: 9 Finish: 10 Visual: 4 Aroma: 4
Total: 27

This brew is made by combining a barleywine with a wheat brew and then hopping it.

It has a very deep mahogany color with very little head. The aroma is of very sweet malt but also of ripe red fruit.

It is a totally unique taste. There is a bit of sweetness upfront. But pretty quickly the alcohol kicks in (10.7%). It's a warming alcohol, not a harsh one. Similar to a red wine. Towards the back the hops show up nicely. Just a bit of bitterness around the tongue to balance out the alcohol. In the finish the ripe red fruit picks up and it ends a bit tart and a bit sweet. I taste some plums and cherries.

A really great brew. Would be great to start a meal or finish it. It's too complex to eat a main course with. I've read that if you cellar this bottle for a while it will tame the alcohol. But cellar it too long (~2 years) and it takes all the punch out of it.

So, pick up 2 bottles from this year. Drink one now and then another next year. It will be a nice treat.