Marin Star Brew Triple Wheat Ale

Brewed by Marin Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Larkspur, California USA

Bottle courtesy of Naven. Sweeter, yet less dark and malty than a barley wine. Very drinkable, yet dangerous. A very nice beer and a style that I’d like to see more of.

Translucent light amber body with yellow hues. Thin off white head is persistent. Little orb-like circles of lacing left behind at regularly dispersed intervals, looks like an invasion of tiny flying saucers. Hoppy and floral aroma, both very strong. Some sugary, watery scents wafting outward remind of bottled orange blossom essence. Notes of cake icing, bready malts, honey and caramel. Flavor is similar, with additions of saltiness, wheat malt and muted citrus. Very sweet, moderately acidic. Finishes with salty notes. Similar to a dried out, older, honey-based barleywine. Alcohol is moderately noticeable throughout. Palate is medium-full to full bodied, sticky and drying. A good effort.

Pours a clear reddish orange, with a very light white head. Not overly attractive. Very floral nose, some sweet apple, with rose petals and orange blossom. Alcohol is pretty prevalant in the taste. Some caramel, brown sugar and sweet malts, dominate the flavor. The finish was fairly smooth and the mouthfeel was pretty pleasant. The smell is better than the taste but not bad overall.

22oz bomber, no date. Pours a clear honey golden with a one finger creamy eggshell head with good retention. Aroma of honey, grain, some citrus hops, caramel malts, almonds, and light lcohol. Why isn’t wheat wine a style yet? Flavor is typical wheat wine with wheat, citrus, almond, raisins, and some spicy alcohol, not terrible by any means though. Very little bitterness overall. Medium to full body with light to moderate smooth carbonation. Still lovin’ the wheat wines.

Dusty, semi-hazed and glowing orange in color with a thin, greasy dust topping. A solo saliva bubble pops in the center and tiny, beady, cascading lace lines the snifter. Frisky wheat wine aroma rolls out kiwi peels and mango rinds. Papaya chews and sweet potato shavings join aromatic cascades sitting on orange starburst chews. Caramelized wheat and candy crusted amaretto cubes lay in heavily for flavor but it’s deceptively easy-going. Starfruit and tangerines take the tropical citric forces through a smooth, balanced flavor and feel. Sweet vanilla cream resonates on honey grahams. Aged complexity is signaled with a touch of buttery vanilla cloves, eventually transitioning into margarine topped, candi-laded, creamed wheat soufflé avec assorted rind shavings thrown on for decoration (and imparting flavor from the areas from whence said rinds resided.) Tangerine wheat sweetly masks the alcohol strength, humming with the medium-to-full body that couldn’t be better balanced. Croissant innards eventually fade out with dried papaya chews and a calming, bright bitterness. A great example for the wheat winers of our day. Big thanks to tpkenned for the batch 2911 2005 bomber!

Bottle from odeed I think. Pours a nice copper color,looks thick and tasty. I did not know it was a Barley Wine. It had a much different taste, much more grainy then a BW. So it was interesting,sweet and syrupy with the flavor of the juice froma can of pears??

Bottle (2003): Courtesy of lunaticharness. The nose has lots of lemon with some cleaner-like aromas along with some orange and hints of yeast. Pours a slightly hazy orange with some sediment and a moderate white head. Starts with a quick dose of lemon and honey followed by some mild caramel. Moderately piney hopped finish. There is some light oxidation which at times is a good thing, other times it seems to hurt. Slightly fizzy mouthfeel.

GABF 2006. Called Marin Wheat Ale. Ruddy amber. Small off-white head. Aroma is fruit laden (perhaps fermenting fruits), some alcohol, sweet malts, grains and light hops. Taste consists of more fruit notes, hops, grains/wheat flavors, some sweetened malts, and a hint of honey. Light alcohol here too. Body is medium-full with mild carbonation. Ends with more grains, fruit notes, soft alcohol, touch of honey, and hops.