RateBeer
   Home Sign Up or Login Advanced Search
   People Ratings Events Places Forums Shop Magazine
      Top By Category  RateBeer Best  Latest Ratings  Top 50    

Bells Wheat Love Ale

 (RETIRED)
Bells Wheat Love Ale - Barley Wine

* picture credits
copyright may apply

 Percentile 
92
overall
Formerly brewed at Bells Brewery
Style: Barley Wine

Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

bottling
unknown

on tap
unknown

distribution
unknown

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |

 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
2703.62/5.03.6/5.0Special8%63.8Snifter
View Statistics  P 

Commercial Description:
Bell’s Wheat Project (2005) is an experimental foray into the development of complex flavors in beer. The Project comprises five new ales, four in series and one specialty strong product. The first four, Wheat 2, Wheat 4, Wheat 6 and Wheat eight are all made using 55% Wheat (either wholly or mostly malted) and 45% Barley malt. The barley malt makeup is exactly the same in each of the four and consists of three different malts. The total amount of grain in each of the four is also exactly the same, so each of them should have a virtually identical original gravity. The type and amount of hops in each of the four is exactly the same. And the processing through the brewhouse and fermentation is also exactly the same. The changing factors between the ales are the composition of the 55% of wheat used and the type and number of yeast strains used. In Wheat 2 the 55% of wheat is made up of two different kinds of wheat malt, and this ale is made with two different yeasts. Wheat 4 is made with four different wheats and four yeasts. Wheat six and eight made with six and eight wheats and yeasts respectively. The final product, Bell’s Wheat Love Ale, is made with the eight yeasts of Wheat eight and is a strong, but relatively light colored, “wheatwine.” 2. Basic Content List for the Wheat Series Wheat Two Wheats: White, Dark Yeast: Bell’s house ale strain, WLP410 Belgian Wit II Wheat Four Wheats: White, Victory, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied Yeast: WLP550 Belgian, WLP570 Golden, Wheat Two blend Wheat Six Wheats: White, Dark, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied, Red, Caramel Yeast: WLP500 Trappist, WLP530 Abbey, Wheat Four blend Wheat Eight Wheats: White, Dark, Victory, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied, Red, Caramel, Chocolate Yeast: WLP4000 Belgian Wit I, WLP565 Saison, Wheat Six blend
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 bu11zeye (5430), Frisco, Texas, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/513/20
May 7, 2006  
(Bottle) Pours a cloudy golden body with a moderate off-white head. Aroma of breadiness, orange, and light banana. Flavor of caramel malt, floral hops, and orange peel.


 GonZoBeeR (2156), ste-Eulalie, Quebec, Canada
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/58/104/516/20
May 4, 2006  
Aroma:wheat and orange juice,alcohol... Appearance:Very hazy amber,good head.... Flavor:Wheat,orange juice,alcohol..... nice....


 Jokes (1453), Chicago, Illinois, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/104/515/20
Apr 25, 2006  
Clear, light amber with a small, persistent off-white head. Sweet, fruity aroma that’s definitely comprised of wheat beer elements. Oranges, bananas, bubble gum, caramel, wheat bread, cotton candy, mango, pineapple, floral perfume and a hint of brown sugar. A silky smooth and moderate body, this is different than most Wheat Wines I’ve had. The flavor shows more of the expected sweet, fruity elements from the nose. Banana, simple syrup, wheat bread, orange zest and moderate alcohol in the mouth. The finish has a little heat and a mild hop bitterness. This is more like an imperial hefeweizen than a typical wheat wine, and if I may say so, this is far better. The more pronouced wheaty, estery yeasty character and the relatively low hop profile make this much more to my palate. What a great series of beers from Bells.


 Dough77 (771), Aurora, Illinois, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/103/514/20
Apr 19, 2006  
Pours a hazy dark goldish/orangish/wheatish. Nose is big banana, honey, sweetness, and more citrusy hopiness than anticipated. Flavor is big and fruit juicy, more so than you would expect, and something I figure will quickly diminish over time. The banana makes itself quite prevelent, as does a big strong sweetness which overall make for a pretty impressive brew. Quite drinkable.


 TAR (2088), Boulder Co., Colorado, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/514/20
Apr 18, 2006  
Golden apricot. Fine-bubbled cotton-white froth. Rather vibrant nose of floral hops, honey, airy phenols, and clove-dusted banana. Very faint touch of lightly toasted crackers and meaty yeast. Ample velvet carbonation. Opens with some hefty juiciness despite being borderline viscous. Quick warming wave of alcohol provides some dryness and enhances the airy esters while lifting some of the body’s tackiness from the palate. Moderate huskiness is evident, as is sweet honey and a nutty character. Deceptively full in body due to the amount of clean, peppery esters, though it’s less phenolic than the aroma suggests. An abundance of honeydew and banana fruitiness lends plenty of slickness. Alcohol contributes some late astringency which taints the otherwise perfect blending of juicily floral hops and tangy wheat flavors. Fair amount of starchiness and toasted dough sustain the body with a weighty softness and attempt to muffle the spicy clove and alcohol. Finishes densely moist, but not quite wet, with a waning alcohol astringency and scratchy roast alongside baked apples and tangy wheat remnants. Save for the hot and astringent alcohol and tacky body, I’d say this is a successful hybrid.


 JK (2946), Richfield, Minnesota, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/57/105/516/20
Apr 17, 2006  
Probably the best of the Bell’s wheat series. This beer is a sweet, thick hefeweizen. It is opaque orange with a thin head and has a great appearance. The aroma is banana and light spice and yeast, like a hefeweizen but without the fruit. The flavor is sweet wheat, light fruit and citrus. Very much like a wheat beer with an increased alcohol content that is completely hidden in the aroma and flavor. A very thick and heavy beer. I wasn’t a big fan of most of the wheat series, but this is quite good. I do wish I drank it a bit colder rather than cellar temperature.


 Emil (6075), Copenhagen, Denmark
2.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
4/103/55/103/511/20
Apr 16, 2006  
Bottle. Hazy orange brown colour with a white head. Light citrus, light banana aroma and taste. Medium body with a sweet finish.


 jonwayne4883 (401), Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
4/104/56/104/515/20
Apr 10, 2006  
i wasnt a huge fan of any of the wheat project beers, leaves a lot to be desired, out of them the love was by far the best



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

What's Your Opinion?
Tell us what you think of this beer. Start your free RateBeer account now.
» Click here.

More Barley Wines

Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel) (4.2)

AleSmith Barrel Aged Old Numbskull (4.14)

Lost Abbey The Angels Share (4.1)

Three Floyds Behemoth Barleywine (4.09)

Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine (4.06)

Hair of the Dog Fred from the Wood (4.06)

Victory Old Horizontal (4.04)

AleSmith Old Numbskull (4.03)

Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2003-) (4.02)

Flossmoor Station Wooden Hell (3.99)

Marin Old Dipsea Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine Style Ale (3.98)

Barley Johns Barrel-Aged Rosies Ale (Batch 2) (3.98)

Midnight Sun Arctic Devil Barley Wine (3.98)

Three Floyds Bourbon Behemoth (3.97)

Third Coast Old Ale (3.97)


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Add A Brewer | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Log out | Feedback? | Copyright 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC