Sweet Repute
Founders Brewing Company

 

The pour is a warm amber color that produces a reasonable light beige head, which is a little impressive considering the barrel aging and the fact It’s over 2 years old.
The taste, woo, where to start? Barley wines tend to be malt heavy (go figure) and apparently wheat wines are too. Loads of rich bready and almost fruity malt flavors that are surrounded with maple and bourbon, the specific combination found in BLiS barrels. Not sure they were, but the balance is very similar.
The feel is mouth lining and the viscosity to carry all that’s going on.
Tasty beer, think I’ll have my last one on a cold December evening soon.

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle dated 11-2-22 into a snifter at 51 degrees.

Look- Medium amber, tons of large visible particulate, tan creamy head, above average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Bourbon, maple, caramel, high strength of scent.

Taste- Maple, bourbon, caramel, moderately sweet, earthy, high strength of flavor.

Feel- Between medium and full body, average carbonation, moderate creaminess, moderately sweet, booziness increased as beer warmed to a high astringent level.

Overall- Medium amber with a large amount of large visible particulate and above average head retention and lacing. Nose was a mix of maple, bourbon and caramel. Flavor was a mix of the same flavors with some earthiness as well. The booziness increased as the beer warmed and by the end gave the beer an astringency that detracted from the experience. Despite this, the beer provided an enjoyable drinking experience, but the flavor and feel decreased in desirability as the beer warmed.

 

 

 

 

12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter.
Bottled 11/2/22

Pouring amber and fairly clear with some suspended sediment. It has a rather large and persistent off-white head for the ABV, a good sign of large amounts of wheat malt I think. Strong malty nose, bourbon barrel, coconut and alcohol. Tasting much as the nose projects, rich wheat malt, not overly sweet, bourbon barrel, toasted coconut, and hints of dark sugars. Medium-full body is creamy, very slick and smooth, and goes down warm. A smooth and tasty sipper, very enjoyable, goes down easy for the high ABV.

Bottled 11/02/22. Let sit out for about ten minutes, before opening.

Almost-clear, deep brassy gold, with light off-white head.

Smell is light caramel, vanilla, and a boozy tannin aroma. Maybe an occasional whiff of candied orange rind.

Taste is boozy vanilla , a little oak, slight caramel, a hint of orange rind, slight maple cream, finishing with some light, dry, char and caramelized maple (as with the edges of a maple-glazed ham) . Light bitterness on finish.

Feel is slick, and moderately syrupy, with light, very,very,very fine carbonation bite. Dry aftertaste.

Nice sipper. Like that slight drying after finish. Not somethging I'd want frequently, but I'd revisit, and am glad to have tried it.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a stemmed tulip glass

Thanks to Whyteboar for this one!

The beer pours a clear(ish) copper/amber color with about one fingers worth of foamy white head that recedes slowly into a thin cap, and leaves behind very little lacing

The aroma is sweet and caramelly up front, with maple, bourbon, vanilla, and a bit of oak. There is also just a slight hoppiness.

The taste follows the aroma fairly closely with a sweet caramel, and lots of maple followed by notes of bourbon, oak, and just a hint of orange zest. The hops that are detected in the aroma are lost in the taste. Medium bodied and lightly carbonated, the beer finishes slightly slick on the tongue.

This was my first time trying a Wheatwine, and overall, I really enjoyed this one. I will have to explore the style further!

12 ounce bottle, bottled 11.02.22, thanks to Brutaltruth for this one! Served in a chalice, the beer pours a somewhat clear orange/amber color with about an inch off-white head that stayed around a while. Lot of lacing, too. The brew smells like maple, vanilla, wheat/grainy malt, bourbon and some caramel. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also some oak, dark fruit, booze, piney hops and a bitter herbal flavor noticeable too. Nowhere near as sweet tasting as I was expecting it to be. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's a bit slick with a moderate amount of carbonation. I liked this brew, but it didn't really wow me either. With that being said it's worth a try if you get the chance!

**
12/01/23

2022 bottle to snifter,

**

Single bottle from Founders in Grand Rapids split two ways.
Pours a slightly hazed bright bronze colour with at best a finger of off white tight bubbly head.
Aroma is initially quite fruity and a bit bready/white cake like - certainly notes of bourbon barrel and a touch of maple and caramel.
Taste is a very nice mix of bready malt, caramel and maple sweetness that pushes hard against a fighting burnt caramel flavour and slightly piney resin bitterness that just cannot break through the sweet.
Full sweet and boozy mouthfeel - rich without being cloying with very decent carbonation. 6 ounces of delicious.

 

 

 

(12 oz bottle, bottled on: 11.02.22; purchased single off shelf at Bobkat... poured into a teku)

L: crystal-clear, rosee-ambre colored liquid; tall, tight, beige foam... foam dies down, but leaves a chunky island, med-thin collar and splotches of lace; looks purdy

S: bourbon-barrel-kissed fruited muffin; fruity, rounded and sedate, with little booze presence... potentially sweety caramelled edging and/or finishing notes... maybe some vague wheatiness; certainly lacking toasted (barley) character... gets more pancakey as it goes; great intensity

T: malted malty bourbon ball in the center, lingering before shifting to a singed bourbon char flame in the finish; burnt sugars galore... second sip and some vague maple highlights emerge, this time finishing with an almost herbal, endivey bitterness to counter the pervasive now creme brulee colorings... aftertaste gradually takes on a cream soda vibe, and pancakes... pancakes

F: rounded and rivuletory up front, humming hot and softly syrupy smooth in the finish... for a wheatwine, couldn't be more ideal; plush and potent

O: elements of this are familiar but almost come across fake... excuse me for doubting/damning the greatness of its execution... very enjoyable; a near-perfect, boozy soft drink... yet another example of an expression calling for a 'bourbon barrel strong ale' category unto itself, all base styles lumped into it... joyful to drink, but there's little significant 'wheat' character to speak of here, yawn (2157)

L - light copper with a off-white head that dissipates somewhat quickly leaving behind a thin cap and some lacing
S - sweet maple syrup, rich bourbon, caramel malts, honey, sweet malts, wheat, wood, dried fruit
T - complex: bready malt and sweet caramel up front intermixed well with rich bourbon, wood, honey, wheat, dried fruits, finishes well sweet maple syrup, slight hops
F - Full bodied with light to moderate carbonation. Smooth
O - another great barrel aged brew

 

It´s good; very good indeed. But i am not sure if it´s a beer rather than a barley wine with a lot of resin and even more small bubbles. It´s good. Cheers!