Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Wood Ya Honey 2017

Brewed By: Jackie O's Pub & Brewery in Athens, Ohio  

Purchased: 375ml/12.7oz single bottle bought at Jackie O's in Athens, Ohio; 2018 (bottled in 2017)

Style/ABV: American Wheatwine, 13.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Make me a beautiful barrel-aged Barleywine. About Jackie O's Pub & Brewery:

Jackie O's is a brewery and brewpub based out of Athens, Ohio. The brewery was founded in 2007 by Art Oestrike and his friend, and brew master, Brad Clark. In 2012 when the production facility expanded, brew master Sean White joined the company. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The bottle for the Wood Ya Honey reads: "Wood  Ya Honey is a wheat wine style ale brewed with generous amounts of local wild flower honey. We aged this beer in bourbon barrels for 10 months, elevating the rich caramel and honey character to luscious heights. Dripping honey comb, marzipan, and raisin come together for a decadent experience. Pour into your favorite snifter, let warm, sip, and allow your belly to surrender in the comforting embrace of craft."

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Wood Ya Honey 2017

This is an unexpected, murky ass-affair. This is also DAAARKK. I guess I was expecting something a few shades lighter, since wheat wine and all. I was wrong. The aroma on this is pretty much as advertised on the bottle: rich bourbon, raisins, some wood from the barrel, honey and caramel sweetness, some birthday cake sweetness that transitions into more of a fruit cake, marzipan, and honeycombs.  

This is a weird beer in the sense that the malts totally succumb to the barrel and the bourbon. Wheat malt bases are already paper-thin...and this drinks like something that has been cellared for 4-5 years. It's like that oxidation thinness. Only this doesn't have the sherry and port, but instead is dripping with honeycomb sweetness, mountains of caramel, and bourbon for days. 

I guess this is a vehicle for the honeycomb bourbon. It drinks thinner than I would expect...and again, I kind of attribute that to the wheat malts. It's a REALLY interesting profile. I would contrast this beer to something like Two Brothers Bare Tree or the Bruery's White Oak. Both of those beers tend to lean towards the fruitier side of wheat with more apple notes. Then there are beers like Revolution's Ryeway which are sweet, honey-forward, and thick as all fuck. This is sweet, but in the realm of bourbon/honey/marzipan. And it lacks the malt-T H I C N E S S in other similar beers. Ergo, wheat malts + bourbon. Up front: bourbon, raisins, kisses of wheat; the mids roll into really nice raisins and honeycomb, with some figs, marzipan, and caramel; the back end is a wild barrel ride with lingering bourbon. Palate depth and duration are good, complexity is good. I'm just not sure about the wheatwine thing?

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappies)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. This is good stuff, but it falls in a weird category for me. This is not what I look for in a Wheatwine (see my other Wheatwine reviews for what I would consider reasonable style examples). And if I'm looking for a BA Barleywine, I feel like there are a lot of other beers (like Ryeway) that I would rather drink... 

 

Then again, this is a very interesting brew in the sense that it really brings out the barrel, the bourbon, and the spirit. The holy trinity, if you think about it. I wouldn't kick this beer out of bed, I just wouldn't wife it. 

Random Thought: https://youtu.be/QLKX-VKmUM8

New Holland Pilgrim's Dole

Brewed By: New Holland Brewing Company in Holland, Michigan

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack purchased at Binny's in IL; 2014 (Vintage 2014)

Style/ABV: American Wheatwine, 12.0%

Reported IBUs: 30

Oh lordy, reformatting laptops and backing up files takes a long time. I'm happy to be cracking into a beer. About New Holland:

New Holland Brewing Company are a Midwest brewery based out of Holland, Michigan. The brewery was founded in 1996, and they produce about 10,000 barrels annually. They have a handful of staples, including their Mad Hatter IPA and their The Poet Stout, and they also have a handful of seasonal offerings.

The bottle of the Pilgrim's Dole reads: "Rich, malty body with unique caramelized character and hints of raisins, nut and figs. Pairings: fruit crisps, creme brulee, salted caramels, slow-roasted meats." This one is brewed with 50% wheat malt, and uses U.S. Golding and Nugget hops. 

New Holland Pilgrim's Dole

No surprises here: this pours into a slightly hazy, reddish-brown, Barleywine color, kicking up two fingers of caramel-tinged head. The head retention is persistent like Nintendo fans on OkCupid, and the lacing has those mad Spider-Man clings. This is a well-carbonated beer, with numerous streams of small to mid-sized carb rising up through the reddish/orange body (in bright light). It's a Barleywine with wheat.

The aroma on this is really fantastic, with all sorts of sugary and malty notes dancing to the forefront. I'm getting big raisins, figs, dried berries, and Twizzlers. The oak and bourbon add some layers of raisins, wood, and vanilla to the nose...and this smells both dense and somewhat boozy. There are some nice layers of sugars, molasses, and cherry fruits on the nose as well, with a hint of almonds and amaretto. 

Ah...this is blissfully delicious. The taste mirrors the nose, but adds a layer of pastry-like goodness...I'm reminded of Baklava, with all those nuts and caramel and sugars. This hits big caramel sugars, molasses, and raisins out the gate...with some tannin from the wood, bourbon burn, and raisins coming along for the ride. There are layers of cherries, figs, caramel sugars, molasses, browns sugar, chocolate, and nuttiness. Like most malt-forward Barleywines, this one is somewhat one-dimensional in its approach...and yet it's so delicious. 

This is full-bodied, dense stuff. I am getting a lot of bourbon in here, but the alcohol is tempered at 12%. This is still a sipper. The carbonation helps move things along, but tannin from the wood, bourbon-raisin burn, and diabetus-inducing sugars slow things down. As they should. It's a Barleywine, yo. Having said that, while the palate depth is spot on with great depth and duration, the complexity is a bit 1-D at the moment. I dunno though. Up front: fruit notes, figs, cherries, quad-like overripe fruits, wheat malts; the mids roll into huge waves of sugar, bourbon-raisins, Baklava, amaretto, brown sugar, caramel; the back droops some lingering bourbon, chocolate, wood....the finish is sticky and boozy. Nice. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. I look forward to laying this one down in the cellar for a year or two, but right now this is pretty fantastic. This is a real sleeper from New Holland...I don't know if I like this more than Dragon's Milk, but it is definitely more complex. Or at least as complex as you can get for being essentially an English-style Barleywine. I'd second some of the food pairings: I'd like to pair this with grilled meats, Baklava, or a cigar.

Random Thought: Now that I have my new laptop in order, I need to work on building my desktop...FML. 

Founders Sweet Repute

Brewed By: Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2013 
Style/ABV: Wheatwine, 12.6%
Reported IBUs: ?

After thoroughly enjoying the Founders Bolt Cutter, I was very excited to give today's beer a shot. The Sweet Repute is another Barleywine-type beer. This is a "Wheat Wine ale aged in bourbon barrels and bourbon maple syrup barrels." Yum. About Founders:

Founders is the holy grail of Michigan brewing. Based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders was founded in 1997 by Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, and produces some of the best beer in the world. If you haven't heard of Founders...well, what are you doing? Get on that, now.

The Sweet Repute (Founders Backstage Series #8: Sweet Repute) is part of the Backstage Series of beers. This Wheat Wine features a wheat and roasted malt base, with fragrant hops. The beer is then barrel aged in maple syrup bourbon barels and bourbon barrels over the course of sixteen months. 

Founders Sweet Repute

The beer pours into a semi-hazy orange body, kicking up a finger or two of creamy, off-white head. The head has some orange and gold tones. There are tiny streams of carbonation visible in the body, along with some floating yeast sediment. Some white head is hanging around for the duration...and there are some glossy alcohol legs and lacing. It looks the part, but the magic starts to show up in the aroma.

On the aroma: big oak, bourbon, barrel, maple syrup, huge coconut, toasted coconut, nutty aromas, whiskey, coconut milk, almonds, pineapple, peaches, and tropical fruits. The aroma has huge oak and toasted coconut, with underlying fruitiness. There's some wheat malts on the aroma as well.

Yup...the taste reminds me of a few beers. Namely the Allagash Curieux and the De Proefbrouwerij / Cigar City Tropical Tripel. I'm getting huge oak, toasted coconut, nutty notes, whiskey/bourbon and booze, big pineapple, peach, and tropical citrus and fruits. There's a toffee/caramel thickness to this beer, and the beer flirts with rye and cane sugar. It's exceptionally heavy and boozy...as it should at the quoted 12.6%.

This is surprisingly dense, with lots of bourbon, coconut cake, and wheat density. It's a big beer at 12.6%, and it's meant to be sipped on. The mouthfeel is full-bodied, and palate depth is good. Complexity is okay, and maybe not as good as the Curieux or Tropical Tripel? I dunno. It's hard to say without doing a proper comparison. I do love this style though. It's aggressive and not very drinkable, but it is what it is. Up front is bourbon, booze, maple, coconut cake, toasted coconut, and barrel; the middle rolls into coconut, pineapple, tropical fruits, some wheat malts and grain, mild bitterness and hops; the back end is lingering coconut and grain, whiskey, bourbon...fade to sticky and dry.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is probably a Strong Above-Average for me. It's very enjoyable for what it is, but it is very straightforward in its approach. I like that this beer delivers everything it promises without messing around. You can't complain about that. Food pairings for this would include fish tacos, habanero wings, mango salsa, and other tropical foods. Or just sip on it because it really is a sipping beer. 

Random Thought: I love the warm weather, hate the allergies.

Pipeworks Elijah’s Revival

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #293, 296) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled 01.09.2014)

Style/ABV: Wheatwine, 10.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

It's an Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™, and this weekend is Super Bowl weekend. I happen to be kind of-probably-most likely rooting for the Broncos, so tonight's orange-labeled beer seems appropriate and whatnot. About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

Tonight's beer is a "wheat wine style ale aged with orange and spices." This one is brewed with Niche (based out of Gevenva, IL), and punches in at a gentle 10%. The back of the bottle states:

"Ladies and gentlemen, step right up and take a pull of this desirable imbibable wonder! Now, I'm not hawking a ballyhoo for any old flukum. No, this prestidigitational flavor rambunction is brewed in inspired conjunction with Niche. Wegotcher orange, wegotcher Mandarina Bavaria hop, wegotcher spices, wegotcher all things nices. This ale is the best on either side of the river or my name's not Elijah (which it is) and this is not my revival (which it is)."

Pipeworks Elijah’s Revival

The beer pours into a murky and swampy dark orange color, with some dark brown and golden straw clouds floating in the haze. The beer kicks up a finger of amber/orange-tinted head, which is very Belgian-esque. In bright light the beer is a cloudy orange color with peppery dots of carbonation cascading up, there is some nice lacing, and a centimeter of creamy, sea foam head just hanging around.

The aroma is really bready and sweet...if you pull away from the beer, you start to pick up some of the orange and spice as it wafts towards you. I'm getting raisins, ginger, nutmeg, bread, candi sugar, cream, vanilla, and some wheat malts. This beer has a similar base to the Hey, Careful Man, as you get that obnoxious and loud wheat/vanilla aroma. Really big wheat and vanilla...it just grows the longer you take in the aroma. 

I'm drinking this pretty warm, which you probably should for a 10% Wheatwine. The big thing that I'm getting here is pillowy wheat, dry bready notes, dry fruit cake, raisins, alcohol, vanilla/cream/wheat, and some subtle orange and spice. There are hints of bready and cakey stone fruits in here, with hints of fruit cake. 

This beer reminds me of some sort of Egyptian ancient ale. It has a rustic edge, and I can't say I have ever had anything quite like it. It's entirely unique, and the orange and spice is a lot more toned down than I was expecting. This is just dense...like bread or cake, but dry and creamy thanks to the wheat. It's...fuckin' weird. This is medium-bodied, but drinks much more full-bodied thanks to pretty laid back carbonation and the creamy wheat malts doing their thing. Palate depth is really outstanding, where complexity is kind of like, "huh," or, "meh," or, "????" Like...I don't even know? There's the dry bready thing, the wheat, the subtle orange and spice, the general sweetness...what's going on here....up front: sweet orange, cream, vanilla, wheat, and then some dry bread, spice, raisins, hints of hops; the middle rolls into more slight bitterness, dry fruits, dry bread, wheat, spice; the back end ramps the cream/wheat/vanilla/sweet bread/cake thing back up, and the finish is malty and dense and then dry.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a ??? Light Above-Average on this...I don't know. I really don't. This is pretty enjoyable though. The 10% is completely hidden, and the beer favors sweetness and rich cream/wheat/vanilla. It's not a bad vibe, and I find myself wanting to pair this beer with fruit cake or something sweet. Speaking of sweet...I'm picking up a dash of honey and saffron in this. Seriously, this beer is like the ancient ale Dogfish Head wanted to brew but then they didn't. You can also pair this beer with SUPER SPICY FOODS, like mango habanero wings, or ghost pepper marmalade sauce. Actually, the fruity and spicy notes in the ghost pepper play off this beer in wonderful ways....Pipeworks should try making a version of this beer with some ghost peppers. But yeah, I'm really intrigued, I'll have to try this one again.

Random Thought: Ghost peppers and sweet peach/mango/marmalade. Do it. Now. I had Chinese food tonight, and the fried chicken things came with a sweet sauce...I dumped some ghost pepper sauce into the mix and walla. Success. Instant classic.

Revolution 3rd Year Beer

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company (Revolution Beer LLC) in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Barleywine/Wheatwine, 11.2%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tomorrow night I'll be busy and won't have the opportunity to punish my liver or enjoy tasty, rare beer. So I figured I'd put a dent in my cellar and crack this one open. I've been camping on this for a while, but I want to drink this sooner than later. I love rum and I'd hate to see the rum fade out of this. About Revolution:

Revolution Brewing is a brewery and brewpub based in Chicago. Revolution's roots are tied to founder Josh Deth, a homebrewer who began working at Golden Prairie Brewing. A few years later, while working at Goose Island, Josh dreamt up the idea for Revolution Brewing. In 2003, Josh and his wife opened Handlebar, while Josh worked as an Executive Director of Logan Square Chamber of Commerce. While working for the Chamber of Commerce, Josh found an old building on Milwaukee Avenue, and the wheels began to spin to open up a brewery. After three years of raising funds, Revolution Brewing opened its doors on February 2010. In July of 2011, Revolution added a 2nd floor Brewers' Lounge. And in 2012, the company opened a new production brewery and tap room. The brewpub is located in Logan Squre on 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave; the brewery is located on Kedzie Avenue at 3340 N. Kedzie Ave. For more information on Revolution, check out their history page here!  

The 3rd Year Beer comes in a fancy box ala Firestone, and gives a bold impression. The back of the box states: "In celebration of our Third Anniversary we brewed this hearty wheat barley wine with piloncillo. This unrefined Mexican cane sugar can be found at your local bodega, often in the shape of small truncated cones. The rich ale matures for 4 months in Jamaican rum barrels, resulting in a sweet, delicious, malt-forward winter warmer." 

I don't think there's much to add...you can read more about Panela/Piloncillo if you're inclined. And let's be honest, rum is one of the best things ever. It's nice to see more beers moving in different directions than Whiskey, so let's crack this open and see what we have.

Revolution 3rd Year Beer

In low light, the beer pours into a rich, burnt orange/brown/auburn color, and kicks up a finger or two of wheat-fueled, caramel/khaki-tinted head. When held to a bright light, the beer takes on a hazy amber-orange color, and the head picks up some bright amber/orange tones. There's moderate carbonation streaming upwards in this. The head is impressively persistent, but big, glossy alcohol legs betray this beer.

Straight legit, you get huge rum on the nose of this beer, with dark rum spiciness and that caramel/fruit rum character. There's noticeable wood and barrel character on the nose as well, along with raisins, figs, cinnamon, cane sugar, caramel/toffee, and some light nuttiness. There are elusive fruits too, hinting at a Quad or Wheat Beer, but not really there.

Yum...this tastes really fantastic. I immediately prefer this over the Very Mad Cow. There's a ton of rum in this, along with raisins, cinnamon, wood/barrel, seductive booziness, and that caramel/spice/earthy fruit kick you associate with rum. There's even a bit of that "rum burn," with some tannin assertiveness. The wheat pops up, along with low to mid-level bitterness, but none of the wheat/hop character is overly assertive. There's definitely big oak character in this, which leads me to believe this was aged in a rum-soaked oak barrel. What an invention. /dr. nick

"What a country!"

Like the Very Mad Cow, this beer is punishingly sweet. You can feel the sugar grinding your teeth, and each sip is like one year off your life. This beer was made for diabetic alcoholics and pirates, I'll let you sort out the overlap. What should be full-bodied with Sam Adams Imperial White levels of non-drinkability is actually kind of quaffable, thanks to lively carbonation and a nice drying finish. There's also some nice booze/burn on the back end, which is certainly welcomed with this type of thing. It's aged in rum barrels for 4 months, you pussy. What were you expecting? Don't even think about prolonged aging. While palate depth is outstanding for a winter warmer, complexity seems a bit "rum-dimensional." Don't worry, we'll be firing the intern. You get caramel, sugar, and fruits on the molasses wave-length up front; then the rum, cinnamon, and huge barrel/oak show up; the back end is lingering barrel/oak, rum spice, and some nice tannin assertiveness and alcohol burn. It's dry and sticky, but that's nothing compared to the scurvy.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. I would say this is a notch above the Very Mad Cow, with the two big faults being the over-the-top sweetness and the middling complexity. Then again, when you consider the 11.2%...this beer is a sipping beer. For sure. This is a beer that you could mull over for an hour or two on a cold winter night, and in that regard, it almost seems perfect. Unfortunately, today is one of the hottest and most humid days in Chicago. I would pair this beer with ribs, sweet barbecue, pulled pork, spiced poultry, grilled meats, tropical salsa, and maybe even some fish. This is good stuff but I'd drink it fresh to get the most out of the rum character. Also, this was a bit pricey if I recall. 

Random Thought: July is apparently eternal Florida. It's hot and the humidity is at very uncomfortable levels. It's ridiculous weather, bring on some low-80s and a nice breeze.

The Bruery White Oak

Brewed By: The Bruery in Placentia, California  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Wheatwine, 11.5%

Reported IBUs: 20

Continuing with the barrel-aged, bourbon beers...we have The Bruery: 

The Bruery are based out of Placentia, California. As with many craft breweries, The Bruery began as a homebrewing adventure when Patrick Rue, his brother Chris, and his wife Rachel brewed their fast batch of beer. Patrick Rue continued to homebrew during his first year of law school, until he decided that he had a passion for brewing beer. The Bruery opened up in 2008, and since then, they have built a reputation around their experimental, and wild ales brewed with a Belgian flair. To read more, check out the Breuery's website.

Tonight's beer is part of The Bruery's "special collection." The White Oak is is a blended beer, 50% Wheatwine aged in Bourbon barrels, and 50% Mischief (the brewery's Golden Strong Ale). Clocking in at 11.5% and 20 IBUs, this beer is described as having vivid caramel, coconut, and vanilla flavors...blanketed in a crisp yet robust wheat ale. Let's see how she stacks up.

The Bruery White Oak

In low light, this beer pours a darker golden color, with two fingers of fluffy, white head. In bright light, the body of the beer is a murky/hazy golden-orange, and the head is bright white with maybe a hint of gold. There's a lot of tiny carbonation bubbles streaming up in this, and the head is creamy and sustaining nicely like on a nice Belgian Ale.

I was expecting more aromatics on this, but what I am getting on the subtle nose is big whiskey aroma, pears, berries, banana, clove, mango/pineapple, and some light caramel/white sugar. You do get some of that coconut and pina colada thing going on.

Like the nose, this is a subtle beer. But there's a lot going on. You definitely get some big whiskey, oak, vanilla, and coconut in this...but you get a blast of refreshing citrus, mango/pineapple, banana/clove, and wheat up front. As the barrel and whiskey character settles in, you get coconut, pina colada, vanilla, caramel, and lingering wheat beer. 

This is a really awesome blend. I don't know how they did it, but the way this beer transitions from a solid Belgian-style Golden Ale/Wheat beer to those whiskey characters is amazing. The 11.5% in this is completely within reason, as you get much more whiskey than alcohol heat. The whiskey is done with a deft hand, and has a mild character with big vanilla/coconut/caramel. This is a medium-full beer, with Belgian Strong Ale-like carbonation that smooths things out. The wheat gives the mouthfeel a creamy edge, and the beer is dry/attenuated. It finishes with whiskey and some whiskey heat. Palate depth is good, complexity is good...up front is big wheat, clove, apples, pears, citrus, mango/pineapple...this rolls into whiskey/wood...that rolls into big coconut, vanilla, caramel, pina colada. The finish is super dry, with lingering whiskey, wheat, and coconut.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Not surprisingly, as this warms, the Bourbon comes out even more, with pronounced vanilla, whiskey, and coconut notes. All-in-all, this is great stuff...almost like two beers in one. I wish some of the flavors and aromas were a bit more pronounced, but I can't complain. I'm hesitant to recommend food pairings, as this strikes me as a sipping beer with the potent ABV + the 750ml bottle format. You might do well sharing this with a friend. You could serve this with coconut cream pie, lemon meringue pie, strong cheeses...maybe even something like friend calamari. It's very wine-like, and has a dry finish. You can't miss the whiskey though. I don't remember the price per bottle, but this one will age for a year or two, so it's worth checking out if you're a fan of the style.

Random Thought: I'm so behind on movies. I have so many movies to go see...I'm hoping to knock out one or two movies this weekend, so we'll see how that goes.

Two Brothers Bare Tree 2012 (Barley Wine Style Weisse Beer)

Brewed By: Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois

Purchased: 12.7oz/375ml corked bought at Evolution Wine & Spirits in Chicago, Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: American Barleywine/Wheatwine, 11.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight will mark the first time I've tried tried Two Brothers' Bare Tree series. This one comes in a fancy, mini-champagne bottle, with a cork, cage, and the works. The bottle suggests you can age this for 2-5 years. Let's see if this one is worth investing in to age. About Two Brothers:

Two Brothers are based out of Warrenville, Illinois, a town not far from Chicago. Two brothers was founded in 1996 by brother Jason and Jim Ebel. Their brewery and Tap House Restaurant are both located in Warrenville. Their distribution and production seems to be increasing with each year, and along with their beer you can buy home brewing equipment and supplies at the Tap House Restaurant.  

I'm having a heck of a time finding any info on this beer, aside from Ratebeer's brief description. According to Ratebeer, this is a Barley Wine-style beer made with 57% wheat, and 43% barley, and German hops. Apparently this beer starts fermentation using a Hefeweizen yeast, and is then finished with Scottish Ale yeast. This one is apparently oak aged for over one year before being released. Evidently the vintages do not differ in recipe, but do differ in barrel usage. The back of my bottle states: "Our magic 8 ball indicates this beer can be enjoyed now or cellared."

Two Brothers Bare Tree 2012

This one pours into a hazy orangeish color, with a pinky of off-white head that rapidly dissolves into a long-lasting cauldron effect. There's some head just chilling on the sides of the glass, and in bright light, you can see a TON of carbonation streaming upwards in towers made out of tiny bubbles. The head is white/orange-tinted in bright light, and the beer is murky like orange juice. There's some lacing, and the creamy, strong head duration really suggests a Belgian Ale or Hefeweizen. This one has some nice alcohol legs, and they betray the aroma, which doesn't necessarily suggest a huge beer.

The nose is kind of Belgian or German Hefeweizen-esque, with some hints of clove, big banana, bubblegum, and vanilla. When you focus on the vanilla, you pick up some oak, wood, and light woody vanilla. There's some fruity and boozy complexity on the nose as well, with suggestive alcohol aromas. There's maybe a dash of caramel or heavier malt as well. It's kind of a laid back and subtle nose, but what you can pick up on the aroma is suggestive of complexity lurking beneath.

WOW. This is ridiculously smooth and creamy, like drinking chocolate milk. There's subtle and light carbonation, but you mostly get blasted with chocolate milk mouthfeel, Wheat-malt-smoothness. This is insane...so creamy, so smooth. It's like a smoothed out Weizenbock/Doppelweizen. 

I'm getting a ton of creamy banana, clove, caramel, vanilla ice cream, caramel on vanilla ice cream, pleasant wheat malt astringency, and wheat malt in this. A hint of citrus shows up, with light grass, apricot, and some mild peppery spice. There's a huge boozy complexity beneath the super smooth surface, and you get some oak, and hints of wood. There's some hints of grain with the malts as well, and a hint of grape/apple in this.

This one is full-bodied, and creamy as hell. Wow, what a mouthfeel. It's like Demeter the Goddess of Grain did the female equivalent to bricking a load of wheat in my mouth. Despite being a supped up wheat beer, you really want to sip this at its presumed 11.0% ABV. This one is boozy, and you can feel it. The booze adds to the complexity, and never hinders drinkability. If you love German Hefeweizens and Weizenbocks (I know I do!), you'll feel right at home drinking this. Palate depth is outstanding, and complexity is high. You get creamy banana, clove, vanilla, caramel, oak, wood, ice cream, and massive booze up front; this rolls into apples, fruity booze, peppery spice, tons of wheat, hints of grape; the back end trails of with complex booze, grapes, grain, apples, lingering clove...wowza.

Rating: Divine Brew

Strong Divine Brew on the 2012 version of this. I don't know what the fuck I was expecting but it certainly wasn't this. This is fantastic, and might be one of the better beers I've had from Two Brothers. Maybe the timing is just right. This is a 2012 bottle, and I'm not entirely sure how much age this has on it. Regardless, the apple/grape/grain booze complexity combined with the giant, creamy, wheat-forward mouthfeel wins this beer. This would go well with aggressive/strong cheeses (as does any solid Hefeweizen). You could also pair this with peppery meats, shrimp, rissoto, or a salad topped with cheese. You might even go the dessert route with banana pudding, yellow cake, or fruity baked goods. These were selling for like 7 or 8 bucks a bottle...grab two of these. I bet this ages well.

Random Thought: I think we fought off the last bout of winter in the Midwest. It's currently back up into the 50s and 60s, with rain and thunderstorms all week. Does that mean Spring is finally here?