New Glarus Black Wheat

Brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company
Style: Dunkelweizen
New Glarus, Wisconsin USA

Nearly black pour with a big dirty white head. Aroma has roasted caramel, coffee, bitter chocolate, and spice. Flavor has more coffee up front, but I think it is more of a banana/clove/roastiness that is making that come out. Finishes with a lightly bitter and spicy end note.

12oz bottle that I forgot about and left behind most of the six pack in Wisconsin in Grandma’s basement. Brother sent them back in Oct. when he went out there. Dark, dense almost black, just a little light showing through. Very roasty, but also some dark fruits shning through, almost boozy as well (only 5.75%). Roasty coffee/chocolate flavor, lots of coffee in the aftertaste, light biterness, but overall very smooth. Very surprised this hel up so well.

(bottle, rating #600!) Pours dark brown, almost black, with a towering tan head that sticks around with a meringue-like consistency and heavy lacing. Aroma has that characteristic sharp kick of clove and wheat I’ve smelled in many other NG beers, but there are also notes of chocolate, smoke, and roasted barley that combine with some bubblegum and banana sweetness. Aroma continues to become more roast dominant as this warms. The taste starts out lightly sweet with banana, but this soon switches over to roasted malt and chocolate flavors. This transition is signaled by a spike of clove and wheat in-between the sweet and roasty flavors. This roasted malt and tartness from the wheat (and I presume the rye) lingers on for some time after drinking, and is a really nice combination. Flavor improves and becomes richer as the beer continues to warm. Mouthfeel is far creamier than the Crack’d Wheat, but on-par, if not more substantial than Dancing Man. It’s also a bit chalky or gritty as well. This is my least favorite of the NG wheats, but it’s still immensely drinkable, and superior to many other dunkels I’ve tasted. It’s also a perfect beer for a cool, cloudy, late winter/early spring day.

When served in a snifter instead of a weizen glass, this beer smells exactly like a chocolate covered banana, so I had to bump up the aroma score.

It’s been a while since this brew has been around. I’m glad to have finally tried it: poured a dark dark brown colour with a mahogany tint. Mildy malty characteristic which makes the beer very rich. With alcohol and some sweet candy sugar notes on the nose. Creamy on the palate, toffee and dark roasted malts round out this well balanced brew."

Pours an opaque dark brown, with a tall tan head with excellent retention. Leaves globs of brown lace. Aroma is principally smoky roasted notes, with some fruit esters at the edges. Flavors are similarly roasty, but the clove and banana elements play an important role here. Well harmonized on the whole. Medium bodied, somewhat dry.

Beer pours an almost pure black color with a tan head with a nice lacing. The smell is is of coffee, clove, banana, and chocolate. The taste is the same as the smell, according to notes, it sticks to the tongue very well for a long lasting taste. It has a full bodied mouthfeel, and this one is definately a drinkable beer.

12 oz bottle 9/13/07: Deep brown w/ a thing, but lasting light beige head. The aroma was almost like a schwarzbier with a wheat twist. Wheat malt initially, but also lightly roasty and chocolate w a touch of clove yeast. Toasted malt shows up, but roast gets weaker as it warms. Wheat malt is the dominant flavor with a lightly roasted malt. Some tartness from both wheat and dark grains pops in and has a dry finish. Faint clove spice in and out as it may have aged out? A bit of a roasty aftertaste and well balance throughout. Medium body, medium CO2, smooth m/f. Nicely made beer and seems to be a good thirst quencher for a darker beer. I wish I had more!

Date: March 04, 2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, RateBeer SE Gathering, 2005
Appearance: dark hazy brown
Aroma: sweet banana aroma
Flavor: nice light chocolate flavor, touch of sweet banana

Date: June 18, 2005
Score: ii+ to iii+
Aroma: good chocolate covered banana aroma
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor with perfect sweet banana balance

Date: July 18, 2005
Mode: bottle
Appearance: black with just a hint of ruby edges in a bright light, big creamy tan head drips beautiful lace down the glass
Aroma: some sharp clove in the aroma with the rich chocolate and banana
Body: huge creamy body
Flavor: the most wonderful chocolate covered banana flavor you could imagine, lasts through to the finish with no sign of bitterness, only a hint of clove in the flavor

Date: August 14, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: trade
dull chocolate and lackluster esters, a sad fate for this beer,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Score: ***4

The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.