Two Brothers Bare Tree Weiss Wine (2002 and later)

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

Devils night at Mullmans: Pours a lightly hazy medium orange and a nice head. Aroma is light wheat, light hops, and some caramel malt, with a touch of fruitiness. Flavor is a bit toned-down and not as full as I expected for a BW of this strength. Also not as hoppy as many other barleywines or wheatwines like smuttynose.

2002. Lighter amber body with a moderate, fluffy white head. Subtle aroma of wheat and barley, dry, toasted cereals, light spices, light esters, some mild alcohol and some very light wood. The body is full, but not thick and coating. Light bubbles slowly and consistently rise up to the top and tickle the tongue on the long way down. The flavors here are splendid. The subdued sweetness allows for more mellow spiciness to come out from time to time. This may be the best of the lot. 8 3 8 4 16

2003. Clear, yellow/amber with a ridiculous, white head that is crazy high. S few drops from the bottle will render a glass full of foam. The aroma has similar banana, wheat and caramel aromas to previous vintages, but also has a mild, unpleasant sour element lurking. The spiciness is significantly lower, as are the fruity esters. The body is a bit lighter and not as enjoyable on the tongue as past years. The sour element really tries to take over in the flavor. It’s like a few drops of spoiled milk somehow got into the bottle. The sweet malt and spicy wheat show up from time to time, but ultimately get lost in the fold. Unfortunately, this just can’t hold a candle to the other four bottles. 6 3 6 3 13

750 mL capped bottle (2002 version, ~3 years old), sampled in a vertical tasting with the ’00, ’01 and ‘03: clear, yellow gold. Most persistent head of those sampled and the most complex aroma: vanilla and toasted grains, along with sweet lemon zest, pine, oak and peach fuzz. Flavours are pretty wild and very deep: vanilla beans, oats, orange zest, and sweet honey. I think this one was my favourite of the bunch – sweet, with enough malted balance and bitterness to carry the brew. 8/4/8/4/17
750 mL capped bottle (2003 version, ~2 years old), sampled in a vertical tasting with the ’00, ’01 and ‘02: Outrageous carbonation, actually puts the De Dolle 20^th anniversary to shame…as soon as the liquid starts moving is froths into a dense, white liquid ice cream, wow. Minimal sour wheat aroma that seems distant, like it blew away in the wind, but there is no wind in my apartment…the flavours are pretty mild, hints of grains and sweet caramel along with subtle whiskey notes. The most disappointing of the four…perhaps this beer needs to sit for several years… 7/3/6/4/13

Nose of white grapes, white wine cotton candy and a wheat and barleywine blend (surprise). Nose of belgian yeast and candy sugars, with quite a lot of citrus. Pours hazy orange/gold with a great big belgin wheat beer head. Some butterscotch and booze. Laced throughout with candy. Some bread. Lots of lemon and soft carbonation. I expected more. Not completely disappointed.

2003 Bottle. Pretty hazy apricot color, big, fluffy, non-diminishing eggshell white head that condensed into what looked like Cool-Whip. Nose of malt, wheat, a bit peppery, orange, yeast. Flavor starts out fruity with touches of prickly pepper, fades into some herbal notes, some mild hops, and a hint of banana. Body is smooth, yet possibly a bit overcarbonated. No alcohol detected at all which was quite a surprise. Quite a nice drink. Thanks for the bottle TAR!

2002 version. I had this originally back when it was fairly fresh. Man did it suck. 4 of us could not finish the bottle. Over the last almost 3 years this has mellowed out. In the bright light it looked like nuclear peach juice with a foamy densely beaded head. Melon,apricot,green apples and other stuff goin on. ABV is nicely masked. 1/2 way thru the bottle the belching began. What use to be drain pour is not so bad.There was something in the mouthfeel that was a put off. Dryish.

2002. Gentle hiss as the cap comes off, pouring a mostly translucent bright orange color with a foamy, cohesive and off-white head. Wonderful lacing as we go. Aroma projects a nice complex assortment of green grapes, granny smith apples, lemons, apricots, nectarines and orange rinds. Oak is easily detectable when it hits the tongue. Nectarines, dried apricot chews, mellowed bananas and some lemon zest. Sugary signatures entertain throughout each pour as a nice added offspring of the hefe yeast. Quite quaffable and admirably effervescence. Citric subtleties and sweet complexity summarize the flavors on the outset, followed by a mellowed oak finish. It’s too bad that this brewery only does one good beer a year, and you’re looking at it.

2003, served in my St. Bernardus chalice at cellar temp:

Poured it very carefully to keep most of the yeasties in the bottle, beautiful light bronze hue topped my a huge fluffy slightly off-white head and produced outstanding lace. The nose detects a nice light fruit character of apricot, tangerine, and golden apple. Additionally, I also smell some musty yeast esters, a light dose of wheat and grain, sublime pepper and herbs, and just a dash of candi sugar. The taste starts with a lovely acidic fruitiness and dusty yeast notes on top of a malty and sugary base. The midesection got a bit of wheat husk and heather mildness. The finish has a very light sprinkle of pepper and a neat little inclusion of mint and green tea leaf. Still I found the finish a touch to short to be great. What makes the palate very nice is the hidden alcohol and a bubbly carbonation. This beer is refreshing for something so big. What I dig about these brews is that they are hard to define and place into a style, Unique and often wonderful. I hope my others age this well.