Bell's Wheat Love Ale
Bell’s Wheat Project (2005) is an experimental foray into the development of complex flavors in beer.
The Project comprises five new ales, four in series and one specialty strong product.
The first four, Wheat 2, Wheat 4, Wheat 6 and Wheat eight are all made using 55% Wheat (either wholly or mostly malted) and 45% Barley malt.
The barley malt makeup is exactly the same in each of the four and consists of three different malts.
The total amount of grain in each of the four is also exactly the same, so each of them should have a virtually identical original gravity. The type and amount of hops in each of the four is exactly the same. And the processing through the brewhouse and fermentation is also exactly the same. The changing factors between the ales are the composition of the 55% of wheat used and the type and number of yeast strains used. In Wheat 2 the 55% of wheat is made up of two different kinds of wheat malt, and this ale is made with two different yeasts. Wheat 4 is made with four different wheats and four yeasts. Wheat six and eight made with six and eight wheats and yeasts respectively.
The final product, Bell’s Wheat Love Ale, is made with the eight yeasts of Wheat eight and is a strong, but relatively light colored, “wheatwine.”
2. Basic Content List for the Wheat Series
Wheat Two
Wheats: White, Dark
Yeast: Bell’s house ale strain, WLP410 Belgian Wit II
Wheat Four
Wheats: White, Victory, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied
Yeast: WLP550 Belgian, WLP570 Golden, Wheat Two blend
Wheat Six
Wheats: White, Dark, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied, Red, Caramel
Yeast: WLP500 Trappist, WLP530 Abbey, Wheat Four blend
Wheat Eight
Wheats: White, Dark, Victory, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied, Red, Caramel, Chocolate
Yeast: WLP4000 Belgian Wit I, WLP565 Saison, Wheat Six blend
The Project comprises five new ales, four in series and one specialty strong product.
The first four, Wheat 2, Wheat 4, Wheat 6 and Wheat eight are all made using 55% Wheat (either wholly or mostly malted) and 45% Barley malt.
The barley malt makeup is exactly the same in each of the four and consists of three different malts.
The total amount of grain in each of the four is also exactly the same, so each of them should have a virtually identical original gravity. The type and amount of hops in each of the four is exactly the same. And the processing through the brewhouse and fermentation is also exactly the same. The changing factors between the ales are the composition of the 55% of wheat used and the type and number of yeast strains used. In Wheat 2 the 55% of wheat is made up of two different kinds of wheat malt, and this ale is made with two different yeasts. Wheat 4 is made with four different wheats and four yeasts. Wheat six and eight made with six and eight wheats and yeasts respectively.
The final product, Bell’s Wheat Love Ale, is made with the eight yeasts of Wheat eight and is a strong, but relatively light colored, “wheatwine.”
2. Basic Content List for the Wheat Series
Wheat Two
Wheats: White, Dark
Yeast: Bell’s house ale strain, WLP410 Belgian Wit II
Wheat Four
Wheats: White, Victory, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied
Yeast: WLP550 Belgian, WLP570 Golden, Wheat Two blend
Wheat Six
Wheats: White, Dark, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied, Red, Caramel
Yeast: WLP500 Trappist, WLP530 Abbey, Wheat Four blend
Wheat Eight
Wheats: White, Dark, Victory, Toasted sprouts, Torrefied, Red, Caramel, Chocolate
Yeast: WLP4000 Belgian Wit I, WLP565 Saison, Wheat Six blend
3.6
410 reviews
Comstock, United States
Community reviews
Bottle from Philly Steak. expiration date was 9/18/13, but I don’t think this was a problem as it wasn’t in the fridge. Nice notes of wheat, spice, citrus and some bread. Not bad.
Nice looking beer but not much of an aroma. Taste is malty up front... then not much after that. Mouth feel is medium.
12 oz bottle (9/18/13), thanks to Jeff. Pours hazy gold with huge rocky white head. Dissipates reasonably quickly. Aroma: coriander, lemongrass -- this is classified as a barley wine? Smells like a big, sweet wit to me. Taste: moderately sweet; wheat, coriander, lemon, bubblegum; short medium bitter finish. Some synthetic plastic thing going on in the aftertaste. Medium to full body, slick, creamy texture. Some alcohol, lively carbonation. Overall: Basically a boozy wheat beer (surprising how an 8% beer called "wheat love" would turn out like that, eh?). Pretty unique, but more of a novelty than a beer I’d like to drink regularly. Hard to finish the bottle, actually.
@ Party Town / Florence KY Cloudy light amber with a huge frothy head (at least 4") that slowly settles to 1", lace hanging on an inch above the drink. Taste is Belgian Strong Ale that I suppose could qualify as a Barley Wine. It begins with a strong wheat and malt that invites spice and toffee (maybe even a little bubble gum) in the palate, adding a light balanced bitter in the finish. A remarkable brew, not heavy in the stomach, and fully satisfying. Highly recommended.
Bottle @ home, courtesy of jcnielsen. Thanks Justin! Carbonation seems pretty high. Tough to pour this one without a lot of head. When it finally settles down, I’m left with a very cloudy yellow orange appearance and a big off white head. Looks a lot like a typical German Hefeweizen. Yeast spiciness is present in the nose as are some banana, lemon, and vanilla. Not much in the way of aromatic hops. Some toast and very light caramel in the flavor along with plenty of wheat. Maybe a slight metallic note. Moderate sweetness. Fair amount of banana and citrus. Lightly bitter. Finishes with a touch of heat. Doesn’t really blow my mind, but it’s pretty good nonetheless. Not really sessionable but I wouldn’t mind having a pint or two on occasion.
12oz bottle - pours a deep golden yellow. Some straw , caramel and banana aromas. Palate is sticky and thick. Tons of caramel flavors with some fruity esters. A bit of warming alcohol. Great winter beer.
Pours a hazy yellow with a white head. Aroma of grass, bread, bananas, and cloves. Tatse of honey, wheat, banana, grass, and slightlu of citrus. This is really great, hides the abv very well.
The beer is the color of a fading sunset, somewhere between yellow and orange. Fairly hazy with a gargantuan, pure white head. Lasting retention and ample lacing. The aroma offers oranges, grapefruits, juice, sweet citrus candies, yeast. The flavor is mildly sweet with a light hop bitterness. Orange candies and a hint of butterscotch. Alcohol is present but doesn’t hinder enjoyment. Creamy feel with a light prickle from the carbonation. Solid.
Jacksonville, Fl. – Grassroots Market – 12 oz bottle. Pours a hazy medium orange with a soft snow white head, light lacing. Aroma has some lemon accents, a touch of yeast. Flavor has some banana notes, some ester notes, a touch of lemony tartness. Mouthfeel has a nice sticky texture to it. One of those beers I had always thought I had had....thanks to the RB app - I can look it up now!
12 ounce bottle dated 9/18/13 poured into a chalice. Pours a slightly hazy gold color with a big froth of bright white foam. The aroma has nice, strong notes of banana and raw wheat with a pretty nice fruity sweetness coming across. The taste is in line with the aroma. Quite nice. Its a lot more like banana but bread than the aroma indicates. I really enjoy that. Medium bodied with medium to high carbonation. Rather good wheat wine.
Hazy straw gold with a tight foamy white head. Nose is big with notes of belgian white wheat, wheat grains, dough, and fresh english muffin. Big big flavor, very complex and super charming. Lots of doughy fresh wheat, belgian white wheat, coriander, toast, sweet blonde earthiness, and a wee little tart note on the finish. Blonde toast and white wheat/coriander finish out the flavor on a smooth and big note. Really surprising.
Maybe like an imperial Oberon much sweeter with some spice. Its decent OK wheat wine.
1/13/2014. 12 oz. bottle. Cloudy light amber color with a large white head. Aromas are citrus, spice, herbs, yeast and grass. Refreshing, very tasty and easy to drink.
Bottle: Light gold in color with a monster of a head; three fingers of frothy white topping. Dies back to a just less than a finger and persistent throughout the glass. The nose is all business… wheat, yeast, and herbal. Same in the taste. It’s bright, crisp, and refreshingly simple. Good stuff.
Bottle thanks to shrubber85. Pours cloudy gold with white head. Nose and taste of lemon, toasted wheat, orange peel, coriander, clove and light spice. Medium body. Certainly not a barleywine, but solid.
Light hazy yellow with champagne like head. Aroma is wood, clove and a hint of old apple. Taste is similar, but adds more spice. Ejjoyable.
Apple and lemon nose, clove accent. Hazy golden, huge head, good lacing. Apple and clove flavor, emphasis on the latter, dry. White wine finish, tannic almost rubbery. Elegant and complex. Alcohol not noticeable. Not usually my type of wheat beer, but this is exceptionally well made. Defies classification. Belgian blonde? Tripel? Saison? Who knows? Who cares, this is good!
Bottle thanks to jstax.pour is light gold with a nice white head..Nose is nice wheat, banana, honey, spice, sweetness...Taste is nice sweetness, Honey, wheat, bold, a bit much carbonation.
Bottle. Pours a hazy straw color with a very thick and foamy head. Aroma has a lot of yeast, as well as some citrus and spice (clove, nutmeg). The flavor is similar, rather subtle but complex. A lot of Belgian yeast, some spice, and a hint of citrus. The finish is quite sweet, but not cloyingly so. An odd beer (and certainly not a barleywine), but a very nice one.
Pour out of 12 oz bottle, hazy yellow-orange pour with white head, aroma brought notes of caramel, toffee, hints of earth, slight bread, nice, orange, grapefruit, touch of wheat, vanilla, and honey in there, tasty and very interesting. Taste is a mix of grass, biscuit, bread, slight vanilla, honey, slight orange in there, finishing sweet, slightly dry.
Bottle, Big foamy pour, cloudy straw body. Aroma is suppressed by the foamy head, but get saison-like spiciness, sulfur and some sulfur/funk. Medium body. Interesting, with a warming alcohol presence bigger than the body might suggest. This is exceptionally complex as each sip presents a slightly different taste experience. I thought the barley wine categorization was odd, but it certainly drinks like a barleywine. Cool!
Barley wine? Not really my idea of one but oh well. Tastes like a well done strong wheat beer with Belgium yeast. Banana and clove along with other light spices on palate. The numerous wheat and yeast used help make this one a complicated well done beer.
"Barley Wine" seems like a stretch for this one. I’d just call it a [strong] wheat ale. Pours cloudy amber with a foamy white head. Aroma of banana, clove, and vanilla. Taste is fruity with banana (and others), spice, orange. Pretty delicious.
Draft at Jerry’s. Hazy yellow with giant, foamy, white head, strong lacing / Light, bright nose of citrus, pine, soap / Medium body, creamy and lush, sweet, good balance, long finish / Elegant, lush flavors of lemon, pear, pineapple, pine, banana, soap, cream / Forget this being a barleywine, but it is one fine pale ale or Bellgian blonde.
12 ounce bottle thanks to Dan. Pours a cloudy orange color with a large white head. A rich spicy and honey nose with huge wheat. Sweet, some lemon and big spicy banana esters, some pepper, wheat, very dry overall. Man, this is a pretty big beer. I get a ton of Belgian esters/yeast in this. Very nice beer.
Poured from 12oz bottle, slight grapefruit soda nose. Amber pour, four fingers of white foam. Leaves tingle on the lips and tongue. Sherbet creaminess on the tongue, slight citrus finish.
Urine yellow, champagne like fizziness. Really nice wheat backbone on the nose. Taste is interesting. It’s really good and then I get a root beer / sassafras with caramel candies. Peppery finish. It was great until I got the nasty root beer taste.
Bottle at cheese shop .. bright yellow pour with huge white head.. Aroma is clean crisp fruit aroma...good
12oz bottle in a snifter. Pours deep golden with a lacy, white head. Aroma of a lot of wheat, some spices, light fruits, a little floral hops, some light alcohol, and hints of banana like esters. Flavor the same with a nice blend of all of the wheat. Average texture. A pretty good beer.
Bottle from total wine Sterling. Pours golden with a thin white head. smells of alcohol but also holiday cheer. Nice and fruity and flavorful on the tongue. It hides the alcohol well. I’m not a big fan of the style but I could quaff this stuff all day.