Wolpertinger 5th Anniversary (2016)
Urban Chestnut Brewing Company - Midtown Brewery & Biergarten

NO idea how this was just sitting on the shelves in the store, but here we are.

Pours a smaller fizzy tan colored head with med retention, a bit of lacing, small legs, very hazy auburn to a little rosy colored with a little yeast sediment

Nose has some oude bruin characters, big sweet candy malt, toffee, caramel, plenty of fruity aromas, some sour cherry, little raisin, burnt candi sugar, plum, some tart like sourness adding to that oude bruin notes, some spices mixed in as well could be actual spices or phenols, note sure, a little perfumey alcohol, little candied prune and glogg like, hint of buttery oak

Taste brings more rich oude bruin characters, big sweet candy malt, lots of toffee, caramel, butterscotch, caramelized burnt candi sugars, rich sugar but not too sweet, some perfumey alcohol hinting at fusel but not quite, more spices as well and a little peppery phenol notes, lots of fruit again, candied raisins and prune wine, plum, a bit of cherry, some tartness maybe a little sour acidity, some vanilla and toasted oak notes, little buttery oak with more sweet mulled wine, sticky sweet slight flemmy acidic finish

Mouth is med to a bit fuller bod, low alcohol warmth (more alcohol flavor than warmth), low-med carb

Overall interesting beer, a lot more like an oude bruin blended with a tripel and quad almost, lots of characters, very enjoyable sipper.

 

 

 

 

This is a very strange and peculiar beer that I've only ever seen in stores once... needless to say, I felt its allure and needed to snatch it while I had the chance! The rare and elusive Wolpertinger is, much like the mythical creature it is named after, a hard-to-define specimen, sitting somewhere between an old ale, a Belgian tripel (or even quad!) and a good ol' English-style barleywine.

Pours a beautiful deep chestnut color into a tulip glass, building up a sizeable off-white/beige-leaning head that dissipates very slowly and leaves behind a thick swath of lace as it does so. Carbonation rises steadily but not aggressively in the body of this gorgeous brew, which possesses a slight translucence and a hazy, obscured surface of foam.

The nose on this is very unique, opening up with heavily Belgian-inspired notes of ripe dark fruit, slight pumpernickel and estery, perfumey ethanol. Slight oak and phantom notes of Cabernet wine come forth once the beer warms up a bit, bringing with them a touch of vanilla and wet earth. Raisin and English toffee as well. Lots going on and you can tell it's a big beer for sure. Definitely kind of between a tripel and a quad in terms of Belgian aspects, with a barleywine-like complexity and subtle but noticeable barrel treatment. It's a bit all-over-the-place, but definitely has some strong elements coming together.

Flavor is rich with bready malt, red raspberry and strawberry candy (think Twizzlers), a slightly wine-like plum/grape note and a definite toffee and earthy oak component. Slight boozy bourbon followed by a dryish herbal, woodsy finish. Can definitely taste a bit of rye malt in there as well, which combines with a sharp phenolic/clove note and the typical Belgian esters to build up a pretty complex flavor profile. Like with the nose, this goes a lot of places, but it's overall similar to a Belgian "specialty" ale, kind of reminding me of a beer a brewery from Belgium proper would put together as a Winter/holiday seasonal offering.

Feel is slick for the most part, with a rather heavy body that ever-so-slightly avoids being syrupy by focusing on the wine and bourbon/oak notes in the middle of the palate, which is where things usually get sticky and cloying in bigger, malty, rich beers such as this. I think this is definitely a well-built beer, despite its experimental and chimeric nature. Carbonation is on the lighter side, as I expected from its less-than-hasty nature from my first pour. Even though this was pricey ($20 for a four pack of 11.2 oz Duvel-esque bottles), I feel it was worth it as I've enjoyed unraveling the mysteries of the Wolpertinger over the course of the whole pack. It makes sense that it took me to the fourth and final bottle to finally get the courage to tame this obscure creature!

 

330ml bottle. No apparent bottle date, just the 2016 release. Appearance: Dark Amber and murky (yeast poured in). Minimal white head disappeared immediately. Aroma: Strong bourbon notes, toasted oak, and vanilla. Slight fruity esters are barely noticeable. Taste: Rich malt sweetness with toast and caramel notes, turning to a woody oak, some spicy yeast, and finishing with a touch of bourbon. Low bitterness. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low carbonation. Strength of beer at 11.5% is well hidden as there is little alcohol warmth. Finish: Woody oak, bourbon, and spice linger, especially retronasally long after the swallow. Overall: Not really sure how to categorize this one, with a seemingly strong dark Belgian ale aged in bourbon barrels. The aroma is fairly subdued...stronger on the barrel character and low on yeast esters. Flavor is fairly complex, with Woody, bourbon, spice charter most prominent. A good beer for sure, but has some room to grow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours an effervescent copper, with a pinky of pearl colored head. Stays effervescent throughout, below average head retention & average lacing

S Plummy & figgy, a little toffee, a little butterscotch, some yeastyness once warm

T: Figs, leafy hops, a touch of pear & booze up front. A touch of grape jelly once warm, boozeyness, raisin & leafy hops. Finishes a touch boozey, with figs & raisins & dryness, a touch of charred candi sugar

MF: Fairly chewy & not much carbonation

Drinks okay, but a bit of an odd bird, the barrel aging probably did something here, but having not had the base beer, I will just say it didn't do it for me. Interesting, just not sure I would ever buy it again. I was expecting way more

 

 

So, I've really been impressed with most of the Urban Chestnut beers. This one is no exception. From a stubby 11.2 ounce bottle, this brew pours a clear chestnut color with a slim, light tan head. The aroma is intensely malty....dried fruit, booze-soaked raisins, and caramel. Some bread notes are also present. I didn't get a wheat aroma, but an undertone of twang is present in the taste. Firmly malty taste as well, with some spice. Wood, fruit, and spice. The alcohol isn't as perceptible as I expected, although you can sense it after a few sips. Low bitterness. There is a bit of appropriate style tartness present in the finish. Full in body an very enjoyable.