Two Brothers Bare Tree Weiss Wine (2002 and later)

Brewed by Two Brothers Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Warrenville, Illinois USA

2005 Vintage

Poured a well-hazed copper under a cream-colored head that was quickly a skin. Tart and funky aroma with the yeasts procuring banana with lactic notes. Mouthfeel is creamy yet sugared and the flavor finds an explosion of complexity: sweet, sour, fruity, vegetal... finally settling as banana with fresh, green notes. A lingering finish captured the flavors of all of the above, possibly concentrating a little too heavily upon its sweetness. As I lit a robust cigar and the smoke produced harsh savory and spiced notes, the beer became more relaxed and enjoyable.

<font size=-4>750ml bottle from <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/mundel Carlo Fine Wines and Spirits, Mundelein, IL 60060<font size=-1>

(02.18.06) On tap at Firkin’s, Libertyville, IL. Hazy red beer having an average creamy off-white head with good lacing. Spicy, smoky aroma. Soft carbonation. Full bodied beer that starts with moderate malt sweetness and spicy (clove)/fruity citrus flavors. Finishes dry with light malt fade. Aromatic spicy wheat beer, rich in flavor and texture. Call it a wheat wine, an imperial hefeweizzen or a wheat barleywine, this beer rocks.

This bottled brew poured a medium sized head of off-white colored fine to medium sized mostly lasting bubbles that left behind a very hazy dark orange brown colored body with carbonation suspended with yeast particles and a very good lacing. THe aroma was malty doughy and slightly vinous with a lambic like note. The mouth feel was thick and smooth initially with a tingly finish. The slight malt flavor contained notes of dough on a wheat base.

’05 bottle at Fort Wayne Tasting 2/4/06. Mostly diminishing small off-white head that was smooth with poor lacing, minimal carbonation, and an orange hue. Aroma was sweet, sour notes, malty, clove, spicy, melon, and apricot. Flavor was sweet, doughy, thick, fruity, and some vinuous but not that noticeable even at 11%. Medium body.

’05 bottle - moderate head, amber color, citrus aromas. This beer smells and tastes very much like a weizen. Clearly the alcohol content is much higher than your standard weizen, but don’t expect it to taste anything like most barley wines. The palate has a lively carbonation and moderate body with a long mildly bitter finish. Thanks to Thedm and Hotstuff for this most unusual brew.

Vintage 2005. I was expecting more from this noir looking bottle. I expected sometype of decatdent complex nectar, and instead I was given a wheat beer with a dose of alcohol. I have had the weisse wine before and have been enthused. This time I was left wanting more, and trying to figure out what happened in the brewing timetable of this beasty. The pour is an amber color, with a dense white head (thanks to the wheat) the aroma is slightly oxidized (raisins) and wheat aroma lingering with some malty sweetnes. Clear, but not brilliant with decent carbonation. The first sip is definately sweet, but not cloying, there is an acidic bite that might be due to alcohol. Finish is quick with a yeast and wheat component that jumps big and then falls off the cliff like a lemming. Next time perhaps they might try a different yeast strain or mulitple yeasts. Or possibly a heavier Oak component.

2005 bottle. light reddish color, fruity and sweet up front with a nice little sour smell too. taste is about the same. really fruity and spicy tasting. very good, rich- not hoppy. a very unique barley wine. not what i was expecting at all, but certainly really good - id love to have more of these, wish they were sold around here. thanks alot TAR !!!

This beer pours a maroon reddish color with a funky golden hue at the bottom. It leaves an off-white head that quickly disappates. The aroma of this beer is vinos with some definte fruit qualities cantelope, plum, peach, apple, grapefruit. It actually reminds me of a glass of chardonnay. As I let this beer sit on my palate, I pick up alot of sugary sweetness, it first hits you with a blast of fruit then gives you just the slight bitterness of hops and finishes you off with unripened fruit tartness. This beer is good, I love the different flavors and aromas it gives you.