Wheat Six Ale
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

Wheat Six AleWheat Six Ale
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From:
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Pale Wheat Beer
ABV:
5.4%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.65 | pDev: 11.23%
Reviews:
87
Ratings:
89
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 14, 2012
Added:
Nov 12, 2005
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by objectivemonkey:
Photo of objectivemonkey
Reviewed by objectivemonkey from Minnesota

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a Duvel tulip glass, pours a deep copper amber with massive head, too much even, about 4 inches. Eventually shrinks to a fair sized foam on top. Much lacing, very large too. Had to pour in three steps. Smells of roasted grains and malts and a little banana, old banana. Taste is good, plenty of taste. Quite yeasty actually, with old banana and other dark fruits, malts, roasty, a little underassertive. Extreme lack of aftertaste. Mouthfeels starts off great, but feels like it falls flat a little early. All in all pretty good beer, quite drinkable, but not one of Bell's better selections, a 'good' all-around beer.
Jan 10, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.25 by szmnnl99 from Michigan

May 14, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by TCgoalie from Michigan

Dec 29, 2011
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

3.41/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottles acquired in a couple of trades.

Poured a daker and cloudy orangish-amber color with a large sized off white head. Aromas of wheat, bananas, caramel, and some spices. Tastes of wheat, bananas, spices, caramel and citrus. Much better than the Eight we tried earlier. Lively body.

Notes from 2/3/06
Nov 14, 2008
Photo of Cresant
Reviewed by Cresant from Kentucky

2.73/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Poured this 12 oz. brown bottle into a Sam Adams shaped glass. Packaged on: 11-2-05. Explosive foam when I poured this one. The body did settle clear after a few minutes. An intense bead of carbonation arose. Sludge remain in the bottom of the bottle. The body was a clear golden brown. The head remained throughout.

Smell was slightly sour. Grains. Detergent-like. Fermenting sour-tang. Wheat. Peppery.

Taste was sweet, pie-crust-like. A little cough syrup. Soggy wheat bread. Not altogether appealing. Interesting what age has done to this one.

Mouthfeel was thin to medium, the carbonation was spent on the intense head.
Jul 09, 2008
Photo of CharlesDarwin
Reviewed by CharlesDarwin from Rhode Island

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Originally reviewed on November 29, 2005. 12 oz bottle. Darker yet and with more yeast than #4. Pours a deep amber orange with a creamy thin head of brownish. Aroma was a slightly rubbery lemon and clove hexane wheat with some coriander and lots of belgian yeast. Slight sweet sugary malt wafts in the background. Flavor is complex and ruddy, with deep rich burnt sugars, caramel and toffee cloaking a strong run of rich bright fruit; pears and apples. Some diacteyl tones and some rich bready, yeast runs that shrine the beer in deepness. Stronger, with alcohol showing through slightly in the finish. Palate holds a sweet, cloying and almost sticky sensation, with a kick of hop dryness in the background. Delectable and savory, with some level of mysterious demure.
Nov 29, 2006
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Thanks Grub for the Bell's Wheat Series Horizontal Tasting! Much appreciated.
Wheat Six Ale opened with a loud pop. Plenty of head (like 5 fingers worth - this was quite the gusher as well). A nice reddish amber. Aroma comes across a little past its prime. Some nice notes of dried fruits. The taste is good but a super high carbonation disrupts it. It almost burns your throat on the way down. Out of control high. That aside, nice work in the flavour department. Some toasty, roast malt - a little out of place but well suited for a wheat beer. Lots of yeast which is really well blended into the flavour. The only downfall of this one, and it is a considerable one, is the aggresive carbonation that seems to really run a muck. Otherwise, enjoyed.
Nov 10, 2006
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a cloudy ice tea color with an overblown head (though not as bad as the Two) that leaves good lacing

Smell: Toffee/butterscotch aroma with some green apple tartness

Taste: Starts with a toffee apple flavor that is rather tart; after the swallow, the toffee flavor becomes more pronounced; the finish provides a rough grainy aspect that is not particularly enjoyable

Mouthfeel: Medium body with lots of carbonation

Drinkability: Much more enjoyable than the Four; but still doesn't do it all for me
Nov 06, 2006
Photo of thelagerheads
Reviewed by thelagerheads from Michigan

2.76/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
$7.99 for a mixed 6 pack
12 oz bottle
Good Time Party Store
Northville, MI

I first heard about this one on Craft Beer Radio and their mention of it having a toasty toffee finish excited me enough to try it. First off, if the Unibroue Maudite I tried gave off a mustache of foam this one gives off a ZZ Top beard which lingers in a tall and stout glass for several pours. Unfortunately the toasty-toffee-ness is overshadowed by the citrusy-hoplike bitterness although it isn't present in depth in every taste. It reminds me of a combination of two of their beers: Oberon and the Two Hearted Ale (aka Fishbine) in bitterness but also a malty finish mixed with the afforementioned affects to make it somewhat of a burnt hefe-weizen. Almost like strumming a Heath bar guitar doused in powdered milk with your teeth and tongue so that your tongue is a bit numb with a slight rememberance of something that might have once tasted rather good but no longer does.
Nov 05, 2006
Photo of grub
Reviewed by grub from Canada (ON)

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
horizontal tasting of the four in the wheat series.

pours a nice reddish copper colour with with a huge yellow head. the head is slow to drop and leaves tons of lace behind. a gentle swirl quickly brings it back up to a half inch.

aroma is nice. slightly sweet. a touch of roast. some funk. almost a little bit of smoke too. bit of corriander.

taste is interesting. first thing that hits you is a peppery sting from the carbonation, then a nice little smokey/roasty thing that's sort of interesting but seems out of place in a wheat. bit of bitterness. really clings to your tongue. once you swirl it around to lose some of the carbonation it's even nicer.

mouthfeel is ok. fairly dry. strong carbonation that stings somewhat, feels a little too high.

drinkability is ok, but not great. the carbonation sting is driving me away. feels almost acidic.
Nov 05, 2006
Photo of jimbotrost
Reviewed by jimbotrost from Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Murky muddy brown/copper color with a big full off white/tan head. Carbonation level very high, bottle gushed upon opening. Nice nose showcases caramel notes, flavor is very vinious and winey. Body is light and crisp. Finish starts out with the wineyness but ends with the caramel reappearing. Short aftertaste, nice product although age may have detracted from it.
Oct 31, 2006
Photo of mcallister
Reviewed by mcallister from Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
This beer opened with a pop. Huge amounts of carbonation. Head filled my entire Franziskaner hefe glass. Yet I have to say this is a damn good looking beer. Carbonation bubbles rise to the top of the dark copper color as fast as a Spaniard in the running of the bulls. The head is huge thick, carbonated as hell and off white tannish. Liquid is clear and clean of the filtered variety.

Big spicey aromas, toffee and caramel galore. Clove, hints of corriander, and lemon. Of course some wheat and slight malt.

Man this is my favorite of the bunch of the wheat series. Thick, chewy, caramel goodness, very malty, huge toffee. High acidity, the spicy components of the nose are no where to be found in the taste. One of the better APWA I've ever tried. If not for the overly carbonated mouthfeel this is a top scorer. Very balanced and complex otherwise. A damn good drinkable beer.
Oct 03, 2006
Photo of bluejacket74
Reviewed by bluejacket74 from Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
The beer pours a dark copper color, with a huge light tan foamy head. Lots of lacing with this beer. Wheat/yeast is the main smell I get from this beer, but I can also smell a bit of lemon and banana. Taste is wheat/bread, with some spicyness and banana taste too. There's also a slight bitter/sour aftertaste. The mouthfeel is thin, but the beer has too much carbonation that makes it less drinkable. It's similar to the Wheat Four Ale I drank last night, except this one isn't quite as carbonated.
Aug 13, 2006
Photo of ryantupy
Reviewed by ryantupy from Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
This poured a very fast developing head that was light brown and nice and frothy. The beer poured a maple brown color that was very attractive looking. It smelled of cherries, dark fruit, wheat, straw, and caramel toffee. It tasted in my opinion very good again with its notes of coffee, toffee, dark fruit, smoky wheat flavor. It was good and carbonated with a smokey finish and a very oily mouthfeel. I found this to be a unique beer that stood out from most wheat beers. Would go great with a cigar.
Jul 28, 2006
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Reviewed by SupaCelt from Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
This brew had a difficult time grabbing my attention. It looked good off the pour. The colour was a rather dark shade of tan. It is much more rich in colour than I had presumed it would be. A rediculous head expanded like a mushroom cloud in the English pint. It took a few minutes to complete the pour. The smell is a bit bland. It smells sort of grainy and brown in character. There is a bit of hop sting in the nose which does actually compliment the wheat aroma. The taste is fairly laid back and mild. I notice the yeast's flavour additions more and more as the glass inches onward to nonexistence. This thing snuck up on me and helped me find just a little bit of love for it. There is a dryness in the end the end the end the end that really cuts the sharp wheat sweetness that flares in the early interval. I guess I am getting at balance. The end is an excercise into balance. A balance that allows me to see the complexity of this highly uncomplex brew. The little things are what count. Not bad. This seems like it would be good poured over top of some Cheerios even. The mouthfeel lends to this beer's appeal. The wheat throws of that dense vibe and makes my tongue feel buoyant. Substantial comes to mind. Drinkability is alright. I really had to dig to deep to see into this one's heart. It was good, but I like a beer to bowl me over like a rock 'n roll freight train. Worth a try, homes.
Jul 17, 2006
Photo of plaid75
Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

3.81/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured a dark cloudy copper hue with a full hand of foamy caramel head. There was seriously excellent retention and sticky lacing. Be careful when you pour this one - explosive foam.

The smell had a slightly metallic and heavily wheaty and bready character.

The taste was similar to a thick piece of toasted wheat bread. A very nice toasted wheat flavor, heavy with yeast. Mild alcohol presence detected.

The mouthfeel was full and chewy. Relatively dry finish.

Overall a very interesting spin on the wheat beer. Not so much your typical wheat in that this is more of a cold weather brew. Very good nonetheless.
Jul 13, 2006
Photo of karst
Reviewed by karst from Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Batch 7119 Bell's Wheat Six Ale was packaged on November 2, 2005 from the General Store behind the Eccentric Cafe.

Pours with half liter of Head that slowly falls revealing a clear red brown wheat slowly ascending beads of carbonation. Sweet aroma hints of the half dozen yeasts used by the brothers of Bell's Wheat project. Ragged lace marks the high tide of light tan dense foam that slowly becomes rocky as it falls. Wheat taste - made using 55% Wheat (either wholly or mostly malted) and 45% Barley malt (White wheat, Dark wheat, Toasted wheat sprouts, Torrefied wheat, Red wheat, Caramel wheat malt)

As soon as the headspace is available in the 0.5 L sohm Erdinger weissbrau glass the second half of the bottle is swirled hard and a milky "Hefe" combines with the clear red brown of the first pour. Aroma are more characteristic of the belgian yeasts that I have brewed with - WLP500 Trappist, WLP530 Abbey, WLP550 Belgian, WLP570 Golden and one less familiar that I have not used to date - WLP410 Belgian Wit II. Bell’s house ale strain seems burried by these. Knowing how agressive they can ferment I am amazed how little fusels were formed. A drying finish follow each quaff. The serving temp is on the warmer side @ 60 - 68°F and the "sniffer" shaped upper 1/3 of the Erdinger glass concentrates the esters and 4VG phenol that play in the nose. Medium mouth feel fills the mouth with roundness. A little pepper follows that hard to produce flavor profile which neither bananna nor clove emerge. Supurb!

This is one of the series that is a must try - along with my favorite Love.
Like most Belgians it is giving me the munchies. Playing around with my software I find a 10 pound grain bill for a 5.5 gal batch would yeild a SG around 1.050 and abv of just below 6% with a FG of 1.008.
Jul 01, 2006
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Reviewed by OStrungT from California

4.05/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
I got this beer from MABZ as part of the 2006 Great Race BIF.

This beer pours a cloudy orangish brown color with a huge fluffly light tan head. I actually thought I had a bad bottle until I tasted it. The head fades very slowly, leaving many thick laces.

This beer has a slighty spicy aroma. I detect some cloves. Also, I can detect a banana aroma. This beer has a fruity citrus aroma. Also, some earthy yeast is present.

This beer has an earthy bready yeast flavor to it. It has a slight spicy flavor. Also, like the aroma, I taste some fruity citrus hop flavor. This beer tastes very sweet. It has a very slight honey flavor to it. I am usually not to fond of this style, but this beer is quite good.

This beer is thicker than I expected. It goes down smooth, leaving a bready like aftertaste. This beer is overcarbonated. I think it would have been better if the carbonation was a little less.

This beer would probably be a decent session beer. It has a good flavor, and I assume it is relatively low in alcohol. I would drink it again. Thanks MABZ for another great beer.
May 27, 2006
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Reviewed by assurbanipaul from Texas

3.87/5  rDev +6%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a hazy dark amber with a mountainous foamy head that exceeds my glass. Aroma is dry wheat malt, very raw. Head is so thick, you could spread it on a cracker.

Taste is very bready and wheaty. A delicate wheat sweetness, nothing flowery like a hefe but very close to a freshly baked loaf of honey-wheat bread. Almost has a rye sour mash taste, but doesn't quite go that far. Maybe has a hint of cloves and licorice. Where everyone else detects complexity in the flavors, I taste a profound and beautiful simplicity and am thankful for that.

Mouthfeel is thick for the style, a little grainy, finish is clean and slightly sweet. I very much like this, especially with all the too-sweet wheats on the market. I could definitely session this (if K-zoo would only make more!).
May 15, 2006
Photo of gmcfarre
Reviewed by gmcfarre from Colorado

3.22/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
12 oz bottle poured into Heineken half-pint glass. Batch #7119.

A - Good god! I tried to carefully pour this one but out shot a half pint's worth of foamy head! As I let it mellow it becomes quite rocky. Head remains throughout the life of the beer, and it is a slightly beige color. Lacing is ridiculous. Color is darker than most pale wheat ales, as it has much more brown and orange tints than yellow. Body is mostly clear with lots of carbo bubbles.

S - Orange and other spicy citrus scents, coriander & strong yeast with lots of wheat malt flavorings.

T - The load of wheat malt is somewhat overpowering, and almost gives this beer a sour finish. Fruity scents fade to nonexistent in the taste, and there is just a hint of coriander.

M - Highly carbonated with a slightly puckering, dry finish.

D - Hmm, I've had better from Bell's, and I don't think I would drink another one of these unless it was a freebie (good thing I found a single rather than a sixer...)
May 11, 2006
Wheat Six Ale from Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 89 ratings