Wheat Wine
Smuttynose Brewing Company

Wheat WineWheat Wine
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From:
Smuttynose Brewing Company
 
New Hampshire, United States
Style:
Wheatwine
ABV:
10.7%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 11.95%
Reviews:
482
Ratings:
772
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 23, 2020
Added:
Apr 14, 2005
Wants:
  58
Gots:
  65
Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale is a unique hybridization of two well-known beer styles, combining the rich, voluptuous taste of a traditional barleywine with the subtle, tart flavors of an American wheat ale, topped off with a healthy dose of crisp, herbaceous hops.

2007 - 11.4%
2008 - 10.3%
2009 - 11.4%
2010 - 12.0%
2014 - 10.8%
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by megamass:
Photo of megamass
Rated by megamass from New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%

Jun 26, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of pathman
Rated by pathman from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
05/22/20 bottle @ home (2010 release; cellared @ 53F since purchase)
May 23, 2020
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Consumed in the middle of August 2015, can't tell from the picture of it I took what year it was.

Pours a dark copper, burnt orange like color with 1/4" off white head. Aroma pops of wheat and alcohol to a much lighter degree. Underneath that a mild toffee note.

Taste was like a crisp caramel and toffee bar, the wheat usage kept this from a heavier mouth feel of caramel and toffee. Even though the carbonation was slightly lower it still did a good job at not seeming too heavy or sticky of a mouth feel. Hops seemed restrained to make it more of an old ale/English kind of wheatwine even though I think wheatwine is generally an American thing. What is the commercial tug job talking about, there is nothing tart going on here? Hint of dark fruit bitterness.

Neat to try, a notch below Boulevard's Harvest Dance.
May 15, 2020
Photo of Bluecrow
Reviewed by Bluecrow from New York

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This is a cellared bottle from 2012. -deep rose-amber bottle pour with no discernible effervescence. The aroma includes caramel and toffee and leather notes. The flavor includes tobacco, toffee, raisins, grape must and a late woody influence. There is some alcohol heat eight years on. The finish is pleasant. Another draught is welcome enough. Pleased to have an opportunity for an aged version.
Jan 27, 2020
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A- Pours a hazy dark amber color with a slight tan head and lacing
A- Aroma has grain and malt hints
M-The taste follows the nose with a grain and malt flavor
M-A medium bodied moderately carbonated beer
O-A well done Wheatwine
Aug 25, 2019
 
Rated: 3.58 by travelguy from Ohio

Dec 07, 2018
Photo of Brolo75
Reviewed by Brolo75 from California

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
22 ounce bottle poured into a snifter, bottled in 2013

Pours a light amber color with an off white head that did not retain, beer is clear, decent amount of lacing and a head that turned into a soapy film. Lots of malt in this one, toffee and caramel, red licorice, touch of lemon and grass, hint of alcohol that lingers in the finish. Same as the nose, toffee, caramel, red licorice, slight lemon peel, and hay/grass note, some alcohol burn that lingers in the finish. Low carbonation with a sticky mouthfeel that clings to the palate.

With almost five years on this beer there is not much left. I would like to try a fresh bottle but this was the only one I could find. I will definitely pick up a fresh bottle if I come across one.
Jan 19, 2018
Photo of GeoWitt
Reviewed by GeoWitt from Canada (NS)

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Got this as a pint-size growler fill at Pinehurst Wine Shoppe in Baltimore, and poured into a tulip glass. An incredible bargain from the distributor, who I guess was looking forward to getting rid of the 2014 stock. A beautiful golden color, with aromatic yeast and grain aromas. A little alcohol forward, which isn't too surprising, but a bit of a thin feel on the tongue. However, the concentrated hop and grain flavors with the subtle but noticeable wheat character, made me rate this highly.
Sep 18, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.74/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured into a tulip, the appearance was a semi-dark amber color with a finger's worth of quickly dieing head. Not much lace, somewhat stringy and sliding to what was there.
The aroma had some raisins, sweet wheat, light caramel, light toast, light honey and boozy sugary notes.
The flavor was mainly sweet through the prior mentioned aromas subsiding a sweet leaning aftertaste through all of those noted aromas.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sipping quality about it. Carbonation seemed to have died off a bit and some cloying qualities want to invade over my tongue. ABV still felt close to par.
Overall, 2014 bottle and well, I didn't mind this for me. But I'm guessing this probably would have been better fresher.
Jul 09, 2017
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Vintage 2009 bomber poured into a wine glass appears mahogany in color with a finger of khaki head that fades quick leaving spotty lace.

Aroma is malty and raison-like. Minimal oxidation with a hint of caramel and booze.

Taste is toasty malt, slightly herbal bitter with plenty of raisony alcohol. Almost sherry-like with its oxidation.

Medium in body with modest carbonation. A pretty decent and still quite boozy wheatwine.
May 16, 2017
Photo of josanguapo
Reviewed by josanguapo from Spain

4.54/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
From Cervezalandia. In Teku glass. 65cl. Watching Los Soprano 5x03 + playing Broken Sword 5. Barleywine-like, with lots of raisins and a smoother,silkier body probably thanks to the wheat.Noticeable non USAish hops. Alcohol present too, but nice, providing a warming feeling. To drink slowly
Nov 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.62 by Nat1975 from Indiana

Nov 14, 2016
Photo of Gajo74
Reviewed by Gajo74 from New York

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had it on tap at Top Hops Beer Shop, NYC. My first wheat wine review!
Pours a light copper with an amber hue. A moderately large sudsy head soon recedes into a frothy cap and collar with sticky lacing.
In the aroma; sweet honey and lightly burnt caramel, buttery, raisin, sugary and alcohol.
Medium to full body with a moderately thick coating of honey and caramel malt sweetness. Lots of peppery alcohol. The herbal and piny hops become more pronounced, as the finish and linger become increasingly drier with a moderate to biting bitterness.
The alcohol warming is significant, yet, it is drinkable. I enjoyed it.
Sep 11, 2016
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Rated by vfgccp from New York

4.01/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
2012 bottle drank August of 2016.
Aug 07, 2016
 
Rated: 3.64 by Ame127 from Florida

Jun 04, 2016
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

4.09/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
For two reasons, I'm glad that BA created a new category for those barleywines that blend in wheat.

First, wheat is much smoother than American barleywines tend to be. That comes from the wheat and it is harder for brewers to work with. So to help reward their innovation, a new category seems a good idea.

Second, American barleywines tend to be too hop-forward and go with too few foods. And I like higher alcohol styles that focus on blending the malts and, now, using wheat.

I hope I find this again this spring. I'll buy two. One to try with dessert. The other for 2017.

A "1001" beer and deservedly so.
Feb 24, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by thedifferencemaker from Ohio

Feb 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.91 by hop_junkie from New Hampshire

Jan 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.6 by RBorsato from Virginia

Jan 09, 2016
Photo of MacMalt
Reviewed by MacMalt from New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
My first experience with a wheat wine. Poured into pint glass. The color is a hazy orange-amber with a one-finger milk-white head and thick lacing. It has a nice aroma of malt, butterscotch and dry, dark fruit. It tastes of malt, caramel, and raisin or fig. It starts out with the sweetness typical of a barley wine but the sweetness gives way to a hoppy bitterness and a strong alcohol burn at the finish. In fact, it seemed more hoppy and bitter as it warmed in the glass. It is a medium-bodied, somewhat syrupy ale and the 10.70% ABV is very noticeable. Overall, I enjoyed this wheat wine and would drink it again. Smuttynose is a quality brewer.
Dec 12, 2015
Wheat Wine from Smuttynose Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 772 ratings