Marin Star Brew Triple Wheat Ale

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

I love this style of beer. It is full bodied, strong and good. I have had two commercial wheatwines, Marin's and Papago's, both were excellent and our my favorite brews. Good job Arne.

2002 Vintage. Star Brew 2154 is actually a wheatwine by style. Wheatwine is a substyle of barleywine that was pioneered in California early on in the micro boom, by the Rubicon Brewing Company of Sacramento, CA. This "blonde barleywine" is brewed with a significant portion of malted wheat, as well as malted barley, giving it some character you just won’t find in a traditional barleywine. Wheatwine is a wonderful, rich, and delicious barleywine strength version of an American wheat ale. Star Brew 2154 Triple Wheat Ale pours to a beautiful, bright, deep golden color with a creamy white head that fades, and a soft carbonation. The nose on this beer is interesting with aromas of sweet malt, wheat bread, some spicy hop aroma, and peppery alcohol. The palate is rich and full on the tongue with big flavors of malt, fresh baked wheat bread, touches of estery fruit, and hints of cracked black pepper. Star Brew 2154 ends with more malty and wheaty flavors up front, then ends with a warming, soothing burn.

Thick gold, oily looking, sweet nose of grain and ripe citrusy hops. Good counterpoint of wheat to the barley richness, clean tasting and that tired old "perilously drinkable" schtick. Satites yet it’s hard to resist the urge for more. A cotton pickin’ smash!

Star Brew 2080 (2001). This one aged very well. Nice amber color with a thin head. Very smooth - the alcohol was no longer noticeable. Malty goodness with a subtle sweetness. Faint hops, mostly in the aftertaste. I highly recommend cellaring a few of these!

Cask version, and I really liked this beer. Very light amber color, with a yellow hint, no head. A hoppy, warming aroma. Shocked at how malty this was, sweet and very full bodied. Flavors of honey mix with fruit punch, a finishing bitterness, and a note of sherry. Truly a unique beer, and very good. Earns a "wow."

22oz bomber: just found out this was a barley wine.. really tasty, incredible citrusy smell. nice hops, wheaty, sticky pung.. The wheat has an interesting after taste, and the alcohol is masked well.. im enjoying this, nice and thick, feels good in the mouth.. really impressed actually, compared to the first one i tried, one of the more hoppier barley wines...

Not so sickly sweet as some belgians. Smooth mouthfeel. Ratebeer says barley wine, but the bottle says triple, so trippel? Nice citrus aroma, and a lingering bitter finish covered by a light candy sweetness. Dangerously drinkable.

Great sweet, hoppy aroma. Great balance between traditional barleywine flavor and wheat flavor. Nice wheat flavors in finish. Great bitterness lasting through the finish. An incredible and original beer. Underrated.