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Bells Wheat Love Ale

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

Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

bottling
unknown

on tap
unknown

distribution
unknown

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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
2703.62/5.03.6/5.0Special8%63.8Snifter
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?  
 RAYBOY01 (1828), Chicago, Illinois, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/515/20
Mar 16, 2006  
Barley wine? I think not, but still a really interesting brew. More of an imperial hefe, no? Strong banana, citrus(orange peel) fruity/yeasty profile with a nice alcohol burn on the palate and warming down below. Very nice cap to the wheat experiment. (By all means, blow yourself out on those IIIPA’s, Joe... meanwhile I’m over here holding a dry hanky for you when you see me quietly pacing myself through the BEER GOD homestretch, sipping my understated wheats! By the way, there’s no crying in baseball...or beer god heaven, OK?)


 crizay (1050), Brook Park (was Tampa,FL), Ohio, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/516/20
Mar 16, 2006  
Orange slight yellow, big orange flavor slight lemon, very fruity with a subtle alcohol kick, wouldn’t really call it a barley wine, good tasting beer.


 patrick767 (2019), fort wayne, Indiana, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Mar 12, 2006  
bottle - Pours a hazy orange with a slim head that has some legs. The aroma is very yeasty. It’s easy to drink but has a moderate to full mouthfeel that’s very nice. The flavor is pretty sweet. The alcohol is very well hidden. Bell’s once again did a nice job here.


 turbo (1254), Arizona, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Mar 10, 2006  
Bottle poured a ligt caramel honey color with a thick creamy white head and lacing. Big wheat and yeast aroma. Flavor is rich and creamy. banana, yeast, spice and ripe fruits. Good stuff.


 sersdf (1000), chicago, Illinois, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/515/20
Mar 10, 2006  
I thought this was a pretty good beer, but i’m shocked to see it’s listed as a barleywine because it didn’t taste much like one. i detected prominent wheat falvors, some yeasty, malty overtones and a bit excess carbonation. alcohol undetectable. good? yes. barleywine? no. different/worth $12 a 6-pack? definitely not.


 nolankowal (850), Columbus, Ohio, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/103/515/20
Mar 8, 2006  
I will certainly agree with the argument that this should not be considered a barley wine. The wheat character comes out way too strong for me too think barley wine at all...perhaps a new style should be named? Anyways, aside from the fact it doesn’t match the style, this beer does have a lot of great things going for it. Pours a hazy bright yellow-orange color with a decent white head. Getting bannana, clove, and spice in the nose. The flavor holds the bannana and clove with a carmelized sugar note coming out. Malty,sweet, dry and light on the tounge and a quick dry finish. This is almost like the bastard child of a hefeweizen and a barley wine if anything else. A very good beer with no real home.


 TChrome (1299), Bedford, Texas, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/104/515/20
Mar 7, 2006  
A barley wine? Hmm, maybe sometimes it is better to rate to the beer rather than rate to the style. This is what I will attempt to do. The beer pour clear honey color, until the yeast enters the glass and the appearance transformsto murky, honey color with a retained egg white colored head. The aroma is very inviting and expansive with big yeast and wheat notes, also some banana. Flavor is big and to me seems to be like a Hefe-weizen on steroids. Big wheat, yeast notes along with a more moderate banana clove flavor and just a tad of alcohol burn. A good beer, yes. A barley wine, no.


 RooftopRogue (423), Champaign, Illinois, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/105/516/20
Mar 4, 2006  
The aroma consists of yeast, wheat, and citrus fragrances. This sediment filled maize colored solution sits under a thick white head. This beer enters the mouth crisp and clean. The taste is of sweet biscuits with mild fruit hints mingled in. This beer fades smoothly leaving a nice nutty taste lingering.



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