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Decadence 2014 Wheat Wine
AleSmith Brewing Company
- From:
- AleSmith Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Wheatwine
- ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.87 | pDev: 9.04%
- Reviews:
- 42
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jul 25, 2021
- Added:
- Aug 14, 2014
- Wants:
- 5
- Gots:
- 34
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by NOLANDMAN:
Rated by NOLANDMAN from Massachusetts
3.35/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Jun 24, 2015
3.35/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Jun 24, 2015
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Bowers-Brew from Illinois
4.21/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I love Alesmith. Might be my favorite high ABV brewery. At least in my top 3... Wheatwines are something I look forward to if it's from a great brewery. This is tasty and not overly sweet IMHO. However, it doesn't really knock me off my feet. Would have liked a little more depth and some additional body. Maybe I held on too long? Still very enjoyable. Prost!
Apr 18, 2020Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania
4.12/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.12/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I enjoyed this with dinner, cellar temp in a glass.
The color is a golden amber with creamy pale beige head.
The smell is fruity with a sort of vinous scent.
The feel and taste are both very good with smooth malt and slight yeast flavor malty yet a moderately alcohol influenced taste with slight spice in the taste.
This is a pretty decent example of a wheat wine, the aging probably increased the rating since it seemed mild for the abv.
Feb 26, 2020The color is a golden amber with creamy pale beige head.
The smell is fruity with a sort of vinous scent.
The feel and taste are both very good with smooth malt and slight yeast flavor malty yet a moderately alcohol influenced taste with slight spice in the taste.
This is a pretty decent example of a wheat wine, the aging probably increased the rating since it seemed mild for the abv.
Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire
4.33/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.33/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From the 650 ml bottle. Sampled Feb 23, 2020.
The appearance is amber brown with a ruby red hue when held to the light. The head is modest and tan.
Even after all this time it still smells boozy. I also get cherry, grapes, and a wheat malt presence.
Full mouthfeel.
The booze seems to fade some in the taste but I'm still getting a tart, grape like flavor and a warming finish.
Feb 23, 2020The appearance is amber brown with a ruby red hue when held to the light. The head is modest and tan.
Even after all this time it still smells boozy. I also get cherry, grapes, and a wheat malt presence.
Full mouthfeel.
The booze seems to fade some in the taste but I'm still getting a tart, grape like flavor and a warming finish.
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado
2.61/5 rDev -32.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.25
2.61/5 rDev -32.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.25
May 15th, 2015 - Alesmith's 2014 edition of their Decadence has earned its name. It's presents as a beautiful little olb in their taster glass, chestnut colored and with a perfectly contrasting head. The aroma has light esters, banana and pudding, with a touch of dry bitterness and a little edge of wheat. The flavor is explosive, overwhelming and sickening. The sugars here are out of control, but only after the crashing wave of alcohol finishes its rampage. The intense sweetness eases off right before the finish revealing a heavy, overripe (rotten?) banana, and then yet another hit of alcohol and sugars. I left the rest of this on the counter, and reflected on the first Alesmith brew I didn't enjoy. A notable exception.
Jun 02, 2018Reviewed by BEERMILER12 from Maine
4.03/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottle consumed 6/22/17 (so almost 3 years old)
A: Lots of wheat and fruity notes up front, most notably apple and pear. Some light spiciness in there as well. Quite mellow
T: Follows the nose. Starts off with a bit of apple and spice notes followed up by the wheat and malt sweetness. Underlying fruitiness and light bittersweet notes throughout. Alcohol very well integrated and incorporated at this age. Finishes with lingering fruity, wheat, and peppery spice notes
M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Very smooth
O: Age has done this beer extremely well. Alcohol is nearly undetectable, which makes for a great sipper. Snag any scarce remaining bottles up, as this is a treat
Jun 22, 2017A: Lots of wheat and fruity notes up front, most notably apple and pear. Some light spiciness in there as well. Quite mellow
T: Follows the nose. Starts off with a bit of apple and spice notes followed up by the wheat and malt sweetness. Underlying fruitiness and light bittersweet notes throughout. Alcohol very well integrated and incorporated at this age. Finishes with lingering fruity, wheat, and peppery spice notes
M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Very smooth
O: Age has done this beer extremely well. Alcohol is nearly undetectable, which makes for a great sipper. Snag any scarce remaining bottles up, as this is a treat
Reviewed by REDAMI from Ohio
4.02/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from 750ml bottle into Chimay goblet.
L - Medium to dark cloudy, amber pour with a sandy head. Head dissipated quickly.
S - Honey, bready malts, candy sugar, citrusy hop notes.
T - Pithy bitterness, rich brioche breadiness, creamy caramel malts. Slight wheat flavor at the back.
F - Rich, but not syrupy. With a slight alcohol heat at the end. Quite creamy overall.
The hop notes typical of American barleywines have mellowed, but still present. A complex, but subdued beer.
Feb 11, 2017L - Medium to dark cloudy, amber pour with a sandy head. Head dissipated quickly.
S - Honey, bready malts, candy sugar, citrusy hop notes.
T - Pithy bitterness, rich brioche breadiness, creamy caramel malts. Slight wheat flavor at the back.
F - Rich, but not syrupy. With a slight alcohol heat at the end. Quite creamy overall.
The hop notes typical of American barleywines have mellowed, but still present. A complex, but subdued beer.
Reviewed by SaltofOH from Ohio
4.21/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
No date on the bottle, other that 2014. Bought this in June 2016. A little rust on the inner cap- cleaned it up before opening and it smelled like beer. Not a good sign. DFH Tulip. Rating reflects after swirling sediment.
A: pours a clear dark Amber orange with bits of sediment. No head to speak of, but to be expected with 10%. Some small trails of carbonation visible. There is 1/4 inch of yeast on the bottom of the bottle. After swirling and re-pour...three finger foamy thick head recedes to 1/2 finger. Same color but now it's hazy, with lots more small bits of sediment floating around.
S: sweet, and surprisingly Belgian nose. I expected it to smell like a barleywine or a weizenbock, but it smells like a dubbel. Clove, dried fruit. After the swirl: more subdued and (surprise!) yeasty. Sweeter, more overripe banana.
T: sweet and phenolic arrival. Across mid palate develops into red Apple skins, dried fruits - dates, golden raisins, clove, dark fried plantains. After the swirl: arrival is much more in line with what I expected: a malty 10% ABV hefeweizen. I like it better with the yeast. It is softer, sweeter, and the alcohol is less noticeable.
M: full-bodied and not as slick as one might expect. Higher carbonation keeps it feeling light. After the swirl: much better; slicker, smoother, carbonation is no longer noticeable, except that the whole affair feels lighter than you'd expect for a 10% ABV monster.
O: This is exotic, indeed. A little alcohol there, but it's not unpleasant. This is a sipper, for sure, but is not cloying, much to my surprise and pleasure. After the swirl: a 10% dunkelweizen. I love wheat beers, and this is no exception. Big and burly, albeit much less complex than without sediment. Decadent, indeed.
Jan 08, 2017A: pours a clear dark Amber orange with bits of sediment. No head to speak of, but to be expected with 10%. Some small trails of carbonation visible. There is 1/4 inch of yeast on the bottom of the bottle. After swirling and re-pour...three finger foamy thick head recedes to 1/2 finger. Same color but now it's hazy, with lots more small bits of sediment floating around.
S: sweet, and surprisingly Belgian nose. I expected it to smell like a barleywine or a weizenbock, but it smells like a dubbel. Clove, dried fruit. After the swirl: more subdued and (surprise!) yeasty. Sweeter, more overripe banana.
T: sweet and phenolic arrival. Across mid palate develops into red Apple skins, dried fruits - dates, golden raisins, clove, dark fried plantains. After the swirl: arrival is much more in line with what I expected: a malty 10% ABV hefeweizen. I like it better with the yeast. It is softer, sweeter, and the alcohol is less noticeable.
M: full-bodied and not as slick as one might expect. Higher carbonation keeps it feeling light. After the swirl: much better; slicker, smoother, carbonation is no longer noticeable, except that the whole affair feels lighter than you'd expect for a 10% ABV monster.
O: This is exotic, indeed. A little alcohol there, but it's not unpleasant. This is a sipper, for sure, but is not cloying, much to my surprise and pleasure. After the swirl: a 10% dunkelweizen. I love wheat beers, and this is no exception. Big and burly, albeit much less complex than without sediment. Decadent, indeed.
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
4.05/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.05/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Only the third I've drank in this style, I'm still getting to know it and like it.
Very hard to get any vintage in the Midwest, I bought this 2014 at SF's City Beer store. I didn't have time to drink this and bubble-wrapped it in my suitcase and flew back home. (My first!)
While this is not the edition reviewed on the "1001" list (that was a barleywine), I found this 2014 wheatwine to also be big and more balanced than America barleywine's typically are. And with the wheat, the mouthfeel also is smoother
Oct 15, 2016Very hard to get any vintage in the Midwest, I bought this 2014 at SF's City Beer store. I didn't have time to drink this and bubble-wrapped it in my suitcase and flew back home. (My first!)
While this is not the edition reviewed on the "1001" list (that was a barleywine), I found this 2014 wheatwine to also be big and more balanced than America barleywine's typically are. And with the wheat, the mouthfeel also is smoother
Decadence 2014 Wheat Wine from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
221 ratings
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