Anchor Winter Wheat
We’ve been making wheat beers since the summer of 1984. They’ve all been golden summer refreshers instead of dark winter warmers – until now. Anchor Winter Wheat is made with a unique blend of malted barley and five wheats from Belgium, Germany, the Midwest, and a family farm just 75 miles away, where we get our soft red winter wheat. Sown in November and harvested in June, it is used in artisanal flatbreads, cakes and pastries. In 1848, California farmers forsook their amber grain for golden fortune. By 1878, California wheat was back big-time, winning gold at the Paris International Exposition. There was a even a wheat beer brewery in North Beach, one mile from our first home. Today, the robust flavor, malty complexity, enticing aroma, ebony color, and thick creamy head of Anchor Winter Wheat reflect this delicious heritage. Cheers!
3.6
257 reviews
San Francisco, United States
Community reviews
Like a busy little dog: it’s sweet + its nose has a lot going on. Roasted malt nose: hot chocolate/caramel; prunes/dates; weak cinnamon/star anise; possibly a fruity bag of coffee/mocha? Chewy, milky choc milkshake-y/caramel-y coca-cola middle, before bitterness round its off relatively quickly. Very slight cinnamon/star anise flavour on the aftertaste? Sweetness balanced well. Much more Dubbel (or at least milk stout) than a Dunkel Weizen (which would be relatively thin compared to this). Surprising, in a good way.
Bottle from Wholefoods Kensington, London. Pours deep, rich and dark brown with a large off white foam head. Nose is sweet, lacticky, milky, black sugar, roasted malt, little liqurice, prune, plum, mainly sweetness. Taste is sweet, roasted malt, prune, plum, dried fruit, milky and lactic. Really like this. Blaance of sweetness is really nice. Hope this is a regular.
Bottle. Pours a black colour with a thin beige head, aroma is malty with wheat, the taste is medium bitterness and smooth in the mouth with a dry bitter finish.
Interesting and unexpected. Pours very dark. Sweet malty nose with bananas and esters. Noticeable alcohol. Sweet finish. A blend of styles. Highly drinkable and reasonably compelling. Bottle.
On tap at Brunzies (12/18/15). Sweet malty nose with a hint of gingerbread and biscuit. A little tang. Dark brown with thin head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Sweet body, malty with gingerbread. Light nutty finish and understated hop bitterness. Sweet after.
bottle @ home. Almost opaque black with a creamy, long lasting tan head and a beautiful thin film of lace. Sweet, fruity and spicy nose up front with a solid wheat aroma, dark bread, cinnamon, some clove, nicely integrated ripe bananas, fruity coffee. Medium bodied with a smooth texture. Sweet with a dry finish. Flavor is more roasted than whats evident in the aroma. Notes of wheat, dark bread, syrup, cloves, banana. coffee, some fudge. Aftertaste, which comes without much duration is dry and has dark chocolate, cinnamon, anise, charcuteries, orange zest and coffee. Bitter, slightly roast-sour finish
0,355l bottle from Systembolaget Övertorneå. Pours very dark brown with a medium mocha head. Aroma is sweet roasted malts. Flavor is sweet roasted malts and banana. Great.
Deep cola brown color. Enormous french-press mocha coffee head. Leaves thick gobs of lace on the top rim of the glass.
The aroma is cola too: sweet, dark corn syrup. Cinnamon and winter spices. Combination of dark malts and spice. This aroma is on some legit German dark wheat s__t right here. Whatever roast is there is immediately softened by the sugars. I’m wowed by the Coke aroma.
The sugary malts are soft and full of more cinnamon and Christmas spices. Caramel and a sort of tawny, rather nutty finish.
Feels chalky at first and then with a slick finish. This is one of the most authentic non-German German beers I’ve had in a long time. This would fit right in any Oktoberfest. Love this beer and wish I had more.
From TJs. Interesting stuff, a dunkelweizen and a baltic porter had a baby and it turned out alright and more more easy drinking than it sounds. Serving: Bottle
Bottle. Deep brown color with a thick foamy beige head. Aroma of bread and roasted malt. Dry taste with some bitterness. Medium thick body. This doesn’t smell or taste like a dunkelweizen.
-- rated with beerbasher/winphone
As dark as a stout with a large tan head and very good lacing. Ripe, dark fruit aroma with hints of licorice and wheat bread. Smooth, spicy wheat flavors focused on stone fruit and sweet malts. Hops leave only a light footprint. ABV is well hidden. Medium-to-full bodied, softly carbonated mouthfeel leading to a long lasting finish.
Bottle 12fl.oz.
[ As Anchor Winter Wheat ].
Unclear dark black brown color with a small large, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, light brown head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, wheat, moderate roasted and chocolate, moderate to light heavy yeasty, banana. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and light to moderate bitter with a long duration, roasted - chocolate, wheat, yeast - wiezen yeast. Body is medium, texture is oily - creamy, carbonation is soft. [20160109]
OK, when I ordered this, I got a dark brew and I asked, judging form the name, if I got the right tap or not. It is so surprisingly big and black. Has a roasty aroma about it. Quite strong on the initial uptake. Comes across like a baltic porter. I can’t remember a dunkel that I had ever being over 6%, so I’m not sure if this actually is in the right style here. Roasty flavors and it seems a little burned. Yes, this is certainly not what I was expecting when I saw whet. Big black porter finish as well. Some leather in the end. A little more than I was expecting for a wheat or a dunkel. The bad manners this presents will give the uninitiated a bad feel for dunkels.
Very pleasantly surprised by this. Wasn’t expecting so much malty chocolate and coffee.Great thick boozy (but not in the taste) dunkel. Like a wheaty stout.
Anchor Winter Wheat is a hearty brew for the Winter season. Pours a medium dark brown with a thick tan head that holds up well. Aroma of wheat and malt. Taste is nice wheaty flavor with a good malt backbone and notes of stone fruit. Winter Wheat will keep you warm wherever you are.
12 oz. bottle from The Party Source. Pours an opaque brown with a big tan head that forms a lasting cap and leaves heavy lace in the glass. Looks great, really. Notes of toast, chocolate, cardboard, earth, brown sugar, soy, and dark fruits. Medium-bodied, with medium carbonation and an earthy, malty, roasty, toasty mouthfeel. Oxidized, but this is last winter’s Winter Wheat. My fault. I’ll rate a fresh one if I get a chance.
Bottle from systembolaget.
Darn brown black, brown head
Aroma of caramel cherries, some burned notes.
Sweet full flavor.
Bottle from systembolaget.
Pours black with a tan head.
Aroma of roasted malts and chocolate.
Sweet, dark chocolate, coffee and a little wheat.
How: Bottle.
Where: Systembolaget.
Appearance: Almost black colour with a beige head.
Aroma: Roasted malt, fruit, alcohol, chocolate.
Body: Medium body and carbonation.
Flavour:
Aroma is sweet brown sugars, slight chocolates, dark bread and raisins. Taste is wheaty malty, nuts, mild coffee notes, spices and a slight warming finish.
Pours clear reddish black, medium brown head, creamy with nice lacing on the glass. Aroma is roasty, wheat, pumpernickel breads. Flavor is medium sweet and very light bitter, roasted wheats, faint smoky notes. Medium body, slight astringency
Mmm, alltså det här var ju inte dumt. Smaken bar toner av karamell, råsocker och jord. Balansen satt inte helt på plats men kroppen var stabil.
12oz bottle from the state store
Pours dark brown with a small beige head, light lacing. Aroma of toasted malts, bready, nutty and chocolate. Flavors of dark malts, chocolate, ashy with a bitter, dry finish
Decent but not a fan of this one.
Bottle @ Linko, Helsinki. Pours black with a little brownish head - very black for a dunkelweizen. The aroma is light to medium roasty with raisin and other dark fruity elements and pushing through, also a touch of spiciness - intriguing. Taste is medium sweet and rich in flavours; roastiness is kept in check and fills only a supporting role. Wheat, yeasty spiciness and dark fruitiness are most prominent. Nicely balanced despite a wide set of different, even contrasting flavours. The palate is medium-bodied and smooth, low on carbonation. Simply excellent - has all the characteristics a proper winter wheat beer needs to have.
Single bottle from Trader Joe’s. Late at night, drudgering at the computer, I just wanted "a" beer. Find this much distinctive than I could expect. Pours a dark brown body with a stiff brown head that remains standing in my wheat ale glass. Smell carries ideas about banana bread and walnut, before making with a warm malt smell. Not a lot of alcohol in the nose. Hold the first sip on my tongue (because I have a new filling in one tooth that complains whenever something cold comes near it). There’s a bit of cardamon from wheat malt and a weizen yeast ferment. Stiff malts and a tickle of noble hops prevail. Alcohol does not detract from taste, instead adding some mellow smoothness as it builds up in my lobes. Can’t help it, I just find this to be an excellent beer at the right time.
Pretty good. The fact that it was a dunker surprised me in a good way. Pours really dark with little head. Smells of malt and chocolate. Tastes of bread, chocolate, pumpernickel and perhaps a bit of licorice. Enough going on to make you think. It's hearty and at 7% it'll warm you up on a winter night.
Dark brown to black pour with a one finger creamy tan head. Aroma is sweet wheat, molasses, caramel, light dusty chocolate, dark fruit and some clove spice. Flavor is chocolate, caramel, toasted sweet wheat bread, dark fruit, clove and cinnamon spice, light earthy hops, licorice, a little soy sauce and earthy woodiness. Medium body, slightly syrupy entry, dry finish and medium, blanketing and somewhat sharp carbonation. Good stuff overall, solid Dunkelweizen.
Bottle, bought @Systembolaget, Hyltebruk. Pours deep, almost opaque black with a large, staying creamy beige head. Aroma has sweet malts, roasted, wheat. A bit mild in aroma. Low carbonation, fine dry and light creamy mouthfeel. Flavour has good sweet wheat, roasted malts, nuts, chocolate. Lovely warming and quite malty dry finish.
Dark brown appearance. Roasted bready malt with a sprucey after taste and a bit of chocolate.
Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a black color with faint red highlights and a huge foamy brown head that lingered and left excellent lacing. The aroma was malty, wheaty and bready with molasses, dark fruit and an herbal presence. The flavor was bitter and very malty with bread dough, molasses, wheat, dark fruit and an herbal note. Long finish. Moderately full body. Interesting.