Old Powderhouse
Mystic Brewery

Old PowderhouseOld Powderhouse
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Mystic Brewery
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Wheatwine
ABV:
11%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.93 | pDev: 11.96%
Reviews:
31
Ratings:
78
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 01, 2024
Added:
Apr 16, 2012
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  8
A tribute to the history and stature of the famous Somerville landmark, ‘Old Powderhouse Wheat Wine’ features a varietal of hard, red winter wheat that was grown at Four Star Farms in Northfield, MA and malted by Valley Malt in Hadley, MA. Praised by artisanal bakers, the flavors contributed by this hardy grain are earthy and complex helping to create a robust and powerful beer worthy of its name and the history to which it pays homage.

For hops, only domestic varieties were used for ‘Old Powderhouse,’ combining perfectly with the rich flavors in the wheat for a bright and wonderfully aromatic beer reminiscent of fresh, ripe fruit. On the dry side for a beer of its strength and style, ‘Old Powderhouse’ is remarkably drinkable at 11% ABV with only subtle hints of alcohol coming through the fruity bouquet during the finish.

In celebration of the change in season, of new growth, and of the land we call home, we are pleased to offer ‘Old Powderhouse Wheat Wine’ for release throughout the state of Massachusetts in Spring.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.99/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
375 ml bottle from Brewers Haven. Pours out a nice deep Amber, small fizzy head that Fades to a nice beige ring. Aroma is multi and boozy some nice sweet elements in there. Taste is sweet, Carmelly, with a lot of burn from the alcohol. A nice supper for a Sunday afternoon.
Mar 01, 2024
 
Rated: 4.01 by hopley from Massachusetts

Nov 30, 2021
Photo of StoutElk_92
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.59/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
375ml bottled April 2016

Pours amber red-orange with a light khaki colored foam head. Smells like boozy sweet lightly toasted bready crackery wheaty malts, amber honey, toffee, rich caramel, molasses, dried dark fruits, with some bitter herbal earthy hops. Tastes lightly boozy, sweet and malty, rich, a little dark with some roasty char, toasted bready wheat, notes of red apple, dark dried fruits, amber honey, toffee, caramel, molasses, hints of apricot, pear, subtle spice, and herbal earthy hops. Feels medium bodied, slick and smooth with low carbonation. Overall a really nice wheatwine ale.
Jun 22, 2020
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.91/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2016 vintage, lucky find, and one i have been looking forward to for awhile now. i am sad to hear about mystic shutting down recently, i never made it to the brewery, but have long been a fan of their beers, some very authentic old world yeast forward beers coming out of there, and they were ahead of their time. the quality has always been awesome, so its a big loss i think for belgian and wild beer in the states. this is neither of those, its a big boozy old wheatwine that drinks like its even older than it is, mellow and sweet, strong as heck, and a nice bottle to share on a cold wintery night with good friends. its deep copper colored, bronzed, and near still, almost looks more like whiskey than beer, with a high shine to it. the aroma shows some vanilla and honey and alcohol, mellow woody notes too, uniquely earthy wheat, long cooked sugars, and a toffee desserty thing, but also some serious oxidation being three years old or more now. the flavor is sweet still, the alcohol isnt as hot as it smells, and there are caramel and brittle notes everywhere, some bourbon essence too, and all of it built on this somewhat different wheat base. its almost got a bit of a syrupy texture to it, very little carbonation, if any, and totally coats the palate. i think its well made, but its not as fermentation forward as the best mystic beers, and its peak was probably a year ago, some wet cardboard oxidation has set in. still, i dont mind that in this style, and its a different take on wheatwine. i will really miss these guys, just a bottle or two of their stuff left in the cellar for special occasions... huge bummer.
Dec 08, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by RochefortChris from North Carolina

Jan 14, 2019
Photo of dbrauneis
Reviewed by dbrauneis from North Carolina

4.07/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A: Pours a slightly hazy deep copper in color with light to moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising slowly from the bottom of the glass and moderate amounts medium golden yellow + amber + burnt orange colored highlights. The beer has a finger tall dense fizzy creamy foamy beige head that slowly reduces to a large half finger thick creamy film covering the entire surface of the beer and thick ring at the edges of the glass. Slightly heavier than moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of wheat + caramel + toffee malts with a moderate amount of caramel + toffee + molasses sweetness. Just shy of moderate aromas of spicy hops and light to moderate aromas of light fruit (apple stands out) yeast.

T: Upfront there are moderate to strong flavors of wheat + caramel + toffee malts with a moderate amount of caramel + toffee + molasses sweetness. That is followed by moderate flavors of light fruit (apple stands out) yeast. Finally there is a just shy of moderate flavor of spicy hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which fades away quickly. There are moderate flavors of lingering malty sweetness, spiciness, and a hint of alcohol.

M: Medium to full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Slightly creamy with a hint of dryness in the finish.

O: Drinks pretty easily considering the strength and the alcohol becomes a little better hidden as the beers warms up. Enjoyable with a nice complexity and a very good slow sipper. Would be perfect on a cold night by the fireplace.
Nov 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.21 by Prost76 from New Hampshire

Jul 02, 2018
Photo of BergBeer
Reviewed by BergBeer from Hawaii

3.89/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Look: Transparent ruby brown with a thin khaki colored head. Mild activity.

Smell: Sticky and rich. Notes of banana, toffee, wine poached pear, spiced pineapple, yellow apples, and toffee. A smooth yet pronounced alcohol note is present throughout.

Taste: Green banana, clove, and peanut brittle on the attack. This lingers lazily on the tongue the a body of fruit leather, green apple, toffee, clove, and green banana moves forward slowly. The finish is lightly bitter with dried apple slices, alcohol notes, and more green banana.

Feel: Big bodied and viscous. Pronounced alcohol. Quenching body with a semi dry finish. Minimal carbonation. Pronounced alcohol.

Overall: An after dinner sipper. This beer drinks like a young barrel aged port. It’s sweet and somehow smooth given the alcohol percentage. I’m not too keen on this style but this is easily the best wheatwine I have had. I’d want this to sip one with a big hunk of bleu cheese on a holiday.
Dec 04, 2017
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottled in April of 16.Pours into a snifter a brilliant rich amber with a sticky half finger off white head atop.A fair amount of tartness in the nose kinda like raspberry with a lactic kick.Green apple and pear fruit flavors on the palate maybe a hint of gingerbread in the back end?Somewhat cakey with raisin quality in the finish,I find it to be quite complex flavor-wise.The alcohol creeps but it's a fricken wheat wine,I really like it.
Jul 24, 2017
Photo of Smakawhat
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from the bottle into a large snifter glass.

A deep amber orange body color, almost tangerine but with a bit more darkness to it. Creamy khaki forming fine head, dissolves to a simple collar and slightly bubbled thin top. Slightly cloudy, but with a nice glow.

Muted nose and quite closed on the aroma. Slight hints of possible citrus and tropics, but also a bit wet sensing. Slight hints of a briney character as well, but just not much going on here.

Palate opens up considerably, remarkably even. Peach warm and tropical fruit chewy mid palate on first sip. Good thick coating nearly creamy as well all throughout. Candy like qualities with juicy fruit tones of peach and orange all over. Rich marmalade with a subtle sweetness and a good hop bite to match.

Real remarkable wheatwine, just needs a more noticeable aroma that matches the palate and this thing is ready to rock some lights out.
Mar 10, 2017
 
Rated: 3.79 by yoshie from Massachusetts

Feb 27, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by paresis from Massachusetts

Feb 02, 2017
 
Rated: 3.98 by Johnct from New York

Jan 13, 2017
Photo of snowmageddon
Reviewed by snowmageddon from Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
bottled in April, 2016
A: pours a clear golden light brown with a light brown head.
S: apples, white wine, oatmeal,
T: fruity apple esters dominate, with some toffee, graham cracker , caramel notes in the middle. Acidic white wine at the end.
M: full bodied. Moderate carbonation.
O: fun beer to try. Interesting blend of flavors.
Jan 06, 2017
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

3.94/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From the corked 375 ml bottle in a snifter. This nice little wheatwine pours a
lightly hazed glowing deep amber with a very nice head of off white foam that subsides to
a thin layer, thick ring, and features some excellent lacing. Nose of heavy honey, strong booze,
and rich sweet wheat. Flavors exceed by excess. Strong honey and rich wheat with searing booze
mingle with a bit of pear on the rear with a touch of heavy candy sugars. Excellent mouth feel for
the style; medium in carbonation, rich, sweet, and lightly cloying with searing booze warmth.

Overall this is one fine brew.

Cheers
Jan 02, 2017
 
Rated: 2.5 by bostonryan from Massachusetts

May 06, 2016
Photo of deltatauhobbit
Reviewed by deltatauhobbit from Maine

4.14/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Batch 3

Pours a light amber color with a thin off-white head, little lacing and hardly any cap on top.

Smell has a strong Belgian candied sugar aroma coupled with light fruit aromas (almost apple-like), hops are pretty much non-existent though.

Taste starts out with the sweet Belgian candied sugar, touches of honey and light fruit, alcohol notes are quite evident and sharp throughout (I believe this bottle is from 2014 so maybe it could have used a wee bit more time in the cellar), medium-low carbonation but ample enough.

I'd drink this again, plenty of flavor throughout the entire experience but I'd say keep the bottle cellared for at least two years.
Jul 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by bellsfounder from Pennsylvania

Mar 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.22 by yergermeister from Pennsylvania

Feb 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4.03 by CTbrew32 from Rhode Island

Dec 30, 2014
Old Powderhouse from Mystic Brewery
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 78 ratings