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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?  
 entertheiceman (242), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/510/20
Feb 25, 2006  
I should like this but I don’t. I just hate wiezens and although this beer is said to be a barleywine it is more like a barleywiezen with the same cloudy orange body and white head. Artificial bannana flavors along with wheat. If the bannan mellows with age I will be able to stand it but right now it’s not up my alley.


 sandwichpants (117), Royal Oak, Michigan, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/517/20
Feb 24, 2006  
Perhaps my favorite of the Wheat Series. Bottle poured a beautiful cloudy orange at first, with a good head, and good lacing. After the yeast settled, it went to a less beautiful clear orange. Aroma was strong yeast, very spicey, with a little mysterious fragrance in the background. Flavour was very strong, perhaps a little disorganized. Yeast (pungence, some fruit, clove, banana, wheat (spiceyness, a little grainyness, some grassyness), deep maltiness (carmel, dark fruit), all fighting for attention. Feels substantial in the mouth, even though it’s not really thick at all, but also slightly astringent. This bottle was aged probably 2 months, I get the feeling some of the more harsh flavours would have mellowed out if I went to around 6 months. Still, this was quite enjoyable.


 puzzl (2619), New York, New York, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/56/104/514/20
Feb 23, 2006  
One of the most beautiful pours I’ve ever seen. Started relatively clear with a nice head -- deep, almost pinkish yellow -- but when the yeast was poured in, a fabulous show was put on of patterns and clouds and masses of murkiness (sorry, I’m a visual artist and I *love* stuff like this).
Onto the beer. Aroma was nice dunkelweizen style, wheaty and very spicy, lots of yeast (when it made it in), and perhaps some jasmine. Flavor was strong in the wheat department but unfortunately was quite oxidized and blocked off latter flavors. Very, very late in the finish you get a touch of funky hops. Still, even with the oxidation, a very interesting beer.


 HopsOrDie (687), New Lenox, Illinois, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/58/104/515/20
Feb 22, 2006  
Pours cloudy golden with a huge off white head and lots of carbonation. Lots of sourness coming from the aroma reminescent of a Berliner Weisse. Very spicey flavor up front that slaps your tongue around. It has that Belgian horsehair flavor with some refreshing clovey, peppery wheat. Very unique beer. This was a pretty cool project by Bell’s. I’d like to see them try it with a stout.


 kramer (2465), Sunbury, Pennsylvania, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/56/103/515/20
Feb 20, 2006  
12 oz bottle, via Styles. Tied with Wheat 2 for the lightest in color, a clear gold with minimal to no head and moderate visible carbonation. Fruity and spicy aroma with some hay and alcohol. Flavor is dominated by very hot and warming alcohol. Beyond that, it’s very fruity and lightly bitter on the finish. Quite different from the caramel and toffee of a true Barley Wine. Full bodied and sticky on the palate, carbonation is fine but rater lively preventing a sickeningly cloying mouthfeel. Overall, I think the alcohol in this is a bit overpowering. I’ll chime in with the movement to classify Wheat Wines as a unique style while I’m at it also.


 edden (927), cow- lumbus, Ohio, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/58/104/517/20
Feb 19, 2006  
2/16/06: Bottle.
Creamy wheat nose with a touch of clove. Cloudy apricot body with a thin white head. Some lace. Full wheat flavor which is smooth and creamy. Notes of citrus, clove, pepper and spice. Finish is hoppy; bitter and a touch of sweet.


 zach8270 (2085), Henrietta, New York, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/514/20
Feb 18, 2006  
(bottle - 12 oz) Hazy orange pour with a thin white head and lots of sediment. Aroma is full of spices, yeast, coriander, citrus and wheat. Taste is very malty yet full of wheat flavor mixed with lots of coriander and orange peel. Kind of like a high octane hefeweizen. Medium bodied with a pleasantly sweet and warming finish.


 goldtwins (4079), Nesconset, New York, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/515/20
Feb 15, 2006  
Poured a very hazy dark yellow color. Nice aroma. Yeasty and fruity with peach, lemon and some spice. Flavor is sweet and fruity that includes the above fruits as well as some banana. Medium body is lightly syrupy.



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