Local Option La Petite Mort
Central Waters Brewing Co.

Local Option La Petite MortLocal Option La Petite Mort
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From:
Central Waters Brewing Co.
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
Weizenbock
ABV:
9.05%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.83 | pDev: 15.67%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
99
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 12, 2021
Added:
Dec 08, 2011
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  10
La Petite Mort is a Belgian inspired Weissenbock brewed as a one off collaboration between The Local Option and Central Waters Brewery in Amherst, Wisconsin. When Central Waters decided to open its brew house for its first collaboration beer, Chicago’s Local Option was the obvious partner in crime. The resulting brainchild, La Petite Mort - a Belgian inspired Weissenbock – maintains the traditional characteristics of its Bavarian forbearer, with the added complexity of Belgian ale yeast. La Petite Mort is dark amber in color; maintains a rich, full-bodied mouth-feel augmented by caramel; mild and dark fruit.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.75 by 4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois

Sep 12, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by freewill35 from Indiana

Jun 28, 2021
Photo of StoutElk_92
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.46/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours dark maroon with a creamy light brown tan foam head. Smells like rich dark dried fruits, bourbon, oak barrel, toasty bready roasty caramel malts, molasses, dark toffee, cherry, plum, raisin, prune, fig, dates, red grape, with some earthy floral hops. Tastes dark and rich, fruity, a bit sweet, slightly tart, with notes of vinous red grape, raisin, fig, date, prune, plum, cherry, dark dried fruits, molasses, dark toffee, caramel, toasted bready roasty malts, apricot, hint of spice, oak bourbon barrel, and some earthy floral hops. Feels medium bodied, slick with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall an interesting bourbon barrel aged Belgian inspired weizenbock.
Jul 15, 2020
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.71/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Dang could have sworn I've ripped a review off for this one before, I've had it enough times. Only barrel aged weizenbock I'm aware of.

Pours brown, darker. Makes a thin 1/4" tan ring of head. Aroma if mostly bourbon, I guess a little bit of carmelized wheat beyond that. Hint of dark fruit, I guess that might be the yeast.

Taste is nice, a real smoothed out wheat beer significantly propped up by a deft touch with the bourbon barrels. Alcohol not a problem, it glides over the tongue without any harsh bitterness or alcohol boozy heat. I don't think this will sit super well with big traditionalists, but I think it has a good thing going with its ability to provide a nice smooth bourbon influenced system to the people. Real good price on these too, just pick one up and give it a whirl, you aren't out much in terms of opportunity cost when you plunk down a few bucks on it.
Jun 11, 2020
 
Rated: 4.44 by stortore from Illinois

Mar 01, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by tittyfish from Minnesota

Nov 29, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama

Mar 29, 2018
 
Rated: 3.02 by Sk8sean86 from Massachusetts

Dec 18, 2017
 
Rated: 4.24 by Kurmaraja from California

Sep 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.11 by ilikebeer03 from Texas

Jun 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4.13 by atone315 from Wisconsin

May 26, 2017
Photo of Nugganooch
Reviewed by Nugganooch from California

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From the 22oz bottle to my Angel City Brewing glass
Notes taken from 08/29/15

Stoked to see Central Waters popping up in SoCal now….I really fell hard for this one. Would have this again and again.
The pour resembles that of an Iced Tea color. Think dark amber with some thinning around the edges. Similar color to that of a dried date fruit or raisins. I get a thin layer of turbinado sugar colored froth that dissipates rather soon. Minimal stick/lace noted.
Rich caramel and dark stone fruit with brown sugar, spices, toasted pecan, earthy woods, belgo yeast and some more mild dried fruits/berries.
Complex and rich malt flavor melds with a light barreling and Belgian yeast strains. Gooey caramel toffee and brown sugar sweetness poured over dark breads and stone fruit/berries. Has a very vinous character overall. Light earthy spice and some banana bread baking in the background. Moderate to lower amount of bitterness and warming with booze but not in a negative fashion. The mouthfeel is heavier and full with a low amount of carb. contributing to that nod. That said it does not detract from my enjoyment. Still manageable and balanced with some light lift in the finish. Sticky sweet in a good way.
Dec 31, 2016
 
Rated: 4.09 by MarkyMOD from Colorado

Nov 11, 2016
 
Rated: 3.93 by MDDMD from Pennsylvania

Oct 08, 2016
 
Rated: 4.2 by TboneRN from Minnesota

Oct 02, 2016
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

3.1/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with a pry-off crown cap acquired at Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa for $10.69 per bottle. It's unclear if this is the same beer as De Kleine Dood (also a Central Waters/Local Option collaboration weizenbock). Perhaps this is also a bourbon barrel aged weizenbock, but not aged in Heaven Hill barrels? In any case, I liked De Kleine Dood and am looking forward to trying this whether it's a rebranding of the original or a new beer entirely.

Label clearly says "La Petite Mort," but it looks the same as the De Kleine Dood label.

Served cold into stemware and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. It's unclear if ale or lager yeast was used for this weizenbock; I'm assuming ale yeast? Reviewed live as a bourbon barrel aged weizenbock.

APPEARANCE: Head dissipates within seconds, leaving only a deep amber-brown opaque body. Appears fairly well carbonated. Not unique or special, but appealing in general.

AROMA: Central Waters' mastery of bourbon barrel aging is evident, with rich notes of marshmallow, caramel, leather, and subdued vanilla coming through - but is that really what you want in a weizenbock? (For what it's worth, though, there isn't any rich toasted white oak or barrel sugar character).

I wouldn't know there was wheat in this trying it blind, and I struggle to find any of the yeasty esters associated with a classic weizenbock (banana, clove, even bubblegum). There are no indications German yeast was used in this beer, or that it's a weizenbock in a traditional sense.

But then they aren't going for traditional, are they? Hopefully, the taste is better.

Aromatic intensity is above average.

TASTE: Lovely Central Waters bourbon barrel character - marshmallow, leather, caramel, really faint vanilla. No toastiness or oak barrel character here.

A hint of dark fruit. Not jammy, tart, or vivid in its fruit profile. Reticent as all hell.

Weizenbock-wise, there's nothing here for discerning fans of traditional expressions of the style. No banana esters, bubblegum phenol, spicy clove, etc. Any wheat is reticent as hell, lacking the fresh and overt characteristics of wheat in a proper weizenbock.

Given the lack of esters, I wouldn't be surprised if bottom fermenting yeast was used in this purported weizenbock.

Barrel character overwhelms the base, which throws off the beer's balance. This is amongst the most shallow beers I've ever tasted.

TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, medium-bodied, somewhat thin, a biteen watery, plain. Aptly carbonated. A bit gooey.

OVERALL: Ester-free lager-like tendencies and a lack of any interesting base beer character make this ostensible stab at a weizenbock a definite failure. Yes, the bourbon barrel aspect of the brew is nice, but this wouldn't be recognized as a weizenbock in any blind tasting the world around. A rare miss from an otherwise very good brewery, but it does disguise its ABV well I suppose.

C (2.92) / AVERAGE

***
[Reviewed from notes taken Spring 2015.]

75cl pour purchased at Torst in Brooklyn, NY.

HEAD: None. Just a thin white ring. No lacing.

BODY: Dark deep sanguine-brown. No yeast/sediment is visible within.

Appears aptly carbonated. Not a unique or special look for the style, but certainly appealing in a general sense. Lacks the unfiltered orange colour typical of a weizenbock; I'm assuming the bourbon barrel darkened it substantially.

AROMA: In classic Central Waters fashion, it boasts a nice bourbon barrel presence. Hints of rum-soaked dark fruit. Deep amber malts. Sticky sugars. A kiss of oak. Faint toast. A hint of charred bread crust.

Seems to be on the sweeter side, but it's pleasant.

Aromatic intensity is mild.

No overt yeasty aromatics or off-notes are detectable, nor is any overt booze.

TASTE: Rum-soaked dark fruit flavours. Faint bourbon barrel character with flavours of light vanilla/barrel vanillin,charred barrel wood, and oak. The amber malt backbone highlights hints of toast. Light marshmallow. The bourbon is a bit weak, actually, and doesn't feel married to the base. Indeed, bourbon barrel aging doesn't seem right for the weizenbock style.

More a barleywine than a weizenbock in terms of flavour profile, failing to showcase wheat or German yeast well. In fact, it has recognizably Belgian yeast flavours, further muddling the build. Has no German whet character. It's just not a weizenbock.

The bourbon is more interesting than the base.

Above average depth of flavour. Average flavour intensity and duration.

Well balanced and built for what it is (though not for the intended style).

I quite like it, more for the barrel than anything.

TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, full-bodied, well-carbonated, moderately thick without being syrupy. Complements the taste but doesn't elevate the beer.

OVERALL: Something of a sipper, but drinkable for a bourbon barrel aged beer. I'll enjoy finishing the bottle and would get it again. Hides its ABV well. Shit for the style, but the barrel makes it worth it.

B- / WORTHY
Jul 31, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by Immortale25 from North Carolina

Jun 28, 2016
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.99/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle. Poured a dark brown color with a small, tan head of foam. It smelled of dried dark fruits, oak, vanilla and roasted malt. It really tasted more like a Quad than a Weizenbock. Dark fruits and oak.
Apr 14, 2016
 
Rated: 4.3 by DCgolfpro from Maryland

Apr 10, 2016
 
Rated: 2.25 by DeadeyeOTDO from Arizona

Mar 21, 2016
Local Option La Petite Mort from Central Waters Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 99 ratings