Wolpertinger - Red Wine Barrel Aged
Urban Chestnut Brewing Company - Midtown Brewery & Biergarten

Cloudy amber brown, white head. Smell and taste get plenty of wine, both have the dark fruit comes out to play, smell has more booze and wheat, taste has the wood and spices contrasting more. Feel is surprisingly well rounded and not boozy, finishes decently dry even. Interesting take given the flavor combos but it really works

 

 

 

 

 

I admit I never heard of this brewery, let alone the beer. I received it as an extra in a trade, and I had no idea what to expect, never having had an aged Weizenbock of any kind before.

A - Poured into a weizen glass with a mostly transparent ruby red almost copper color and a pillowy egg-shell white head. Not much carbonation to speak of, but the head stuck around for a few minutes.

N - Classic Weizenbock nose, fairly sweet with bananas and a hint of walnut. These were slightly hidden behind a substantial vinous note. I don't believe the type of red wine barrel is specified on the bottle, and no information is on the company website, but I would guess Cabernet Sauvignon. Slight vinegar as well. Is this going to be sour?

T - Similar to the nose with the classic Weizenbock taste up front hidden behind a bright Cabernet. Nuttier on the mouth than on the nose. Holy hell, it is sour! Not to the extent that they've added wild yeasts and other critters, but definitely a more than subtle tartness on the back end. Color me impressed.

M - Medium mouth with little to no carbonation. Definitely coats the palate and teeth a little bit. Extremely pleasant.

O - An outstanding American twist on a classic German style. No idea if I'll ever get my hands on this again, but I'm so glad I got to try it.

 

 

 

 

Pours a hazy reddish amber. Small cream color head that dissipates quickly. No lacing.

Nose is heavy red wine barrel. Some aromas of grapes, mild citrus and honey.

More red wine on the tongue. Some wheat and honey. Mild lemon, some mustiness and oak.

Very smooth mouth feel. Medium body with lowish carbonation. Dry on the aftertaste.

This is a very good beer that really shows the red wine barrel aging in both the nose and taste.

 

 

 

Poured from the bottle a cloudy apricot-rust color with two fingers of wet beige head. Webs of sticky lacing left behind.

Aroma of tart canned cherries, red wine, oak and a bit of earthiness.

Much like the aroma, the taste was heavy on tart canned cherries along with oak and deep red wine notes. Finished clean.

Medium bodied and very dry with a lighter carbonation.

This beer was definitely worth the $11 a pint price. Try it if you can find it.

 

 

Flemish-style brown aged in Sonoma wine barrels -- the beer was brewed to celebrate UCBC's 3rd anniversary (2014)
The beer pours a coppery light brown topped by a loose and fluffy off-white head with adequate retention and some lacing. The nose is perfumey and fruity, notes reminiscent of lavender, oranges, black raspberries, and cherries (fruit cake?) - this is definitely not the nose I was expecting. It's more oaky/vanillin than vinous/(sonoma) red grapey. Strong flavors immediately take hold after the first sip; the first wave feels familiar, possibly a brighter stone fruit like under-ripened plum (a tad tart and acidic) and/or bananas, but the second wave highlights the beer's sweet, malty backbone fused with red wine barrel that slowly builds and lingers. It's a medium bodied beer bringing harmony between fruity yeast esters, a semi-sweet maltiness, and tart barrel bitterness - which only improves as the beer warms. It's mildly drying and has almost no booziness. I'm definitely impressed by this beer's amalgam of flavors and easy drinkability (a difficult task).