ALL-IN ON BOOK REVIEWS: Do you have a (non-fictional or fictional) book related to wine, spirits, or beer that you'd like reviewed? Contact me!

Monday, May 12, 2014

Beer Review: Harvest Dance Wheat Wine Style Ale

When it comes to flavor, beer has a lot of similarities to white wine. So beer-guzzling-manly-men that say white wine is for women are all tools. That's right, I just said that. If you're drinking a Hefeweisen while knocking Sauvignon Blanc then you need to check yourself, fool. But beer is awesome and even the most wine obsessed is in dire need of a good beer every now and again.

I was in a beer kind of mood on Saturday. It was a very long, hard-fought day and my beloved Boston Bruins were playing game 5 against the hated Montreal Canadiens that night. Due to circumstances beyond my control I wouldn't be able to have said beer until after the game but I needed something to either celebrate with or cry into later.


This one almost immediately caught my eye: Harvest Dance Wheat Wine Style Ale by Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City.

I mean, it's got a picture of the Grim Reaper dancing with a bundle of wheat for Godsakes! Then I saw that it said "WINE" on the label and that sealed the deal. Yeah, I scanned the rest of it first but that didn't matter. It could have said "tastes like swamp-ass" on the back and I still would have bought it. I never said I was mentally stable.

I'm not going to bullshit you: I know jack squat about beer. This one is made from Citra hops. Do I know what Citra hops are? Hell no! I have no idea what separates Citra hops from regular hops, if regular hops are even a thing. And you know what? I LIKE IT THAT WAY! I get to relax and enjoy a beer for what it is, only judging it on whether I like it or not. That's a nice little change.

So the Bruins won and soon after I popped open the bottle.

I figured that by saying "wine style" it was referring to the texture. Maybe the carbonation was a bit calmed or the mouth-feel just came across smoother but I couldn't be more wrong. The texture is very, well, wheaty. And although it's not overly hoppy, the hops do contribute some bitterness. To be honest, this beer is nothing like I thought it would be. Apparently what they meant by "wine style" is that it's aged in French and American oak, and bottle conditioned with Muscat grape juice. Pretty cool, right?

BEER AGAINST BLOG
Visually this beer is cloudy and pulpy. The nose shows lime, brown sugar and butterscotch.

The palate is loaded with orange peel and has notes of straight-up oak, browned apple and a Fino Sherry flor yeastiness. Then it takes a drastic turn when the finish comes around with a spike of green table grapes and chili pepper. The rest of the appeal is based on the previously mentioned body, mouth-feel and hops.

Did I like it? Hell friggin yeah. I loved it.

Would I buy it again? I guarantee that I will. 

Should it have "wine style" in its name? That's a resounding no.

Did Tony die at the end of the Sopranos? It still irks me eight years later.

The bottle used was purchased by myself for the purpose of this review.
Newer Posts Older Posts Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Labels

*SPONSORED* ABriefHistoryOf Abruzzo Agiorgitiko Aglianico Airen Albarino Aleatico Alentejo Alexander Valley Alicante Bouschet Alsace Apothic Argentina Armagnac Arroyo Grande Arroyo Seco audio article Australia Austria Baco Barbera Barrossa Valley Batman Beaujolais beer Best Of biodynamic blend blog Bogati Bonarda book Bordeaux bourbon box wine Brachetto brandy Bulgaria Burgundy Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Cahors Caino Blanco California Campania Canada Canaiolo. cans Cape Cod Captain America Carignan Cariñena Carmenere Catalonia Cava Central Coast certification Chablis Chalk Hill Champagne Chardonnay cheese Chenin Blanc Chianti Chile China cider Cinsault Clarksburg cocktails Cognac Colombard Columbia Valley comics Cotes-du-Rhone Counoise Croatia CSW Dane Cellars DC dessert wine Distill Wars Dona Blanco Douro Dry Creek Dunnigan Hills Edna Valley Falanghina February Felix Hart Fer Servadou Fiano fiction Finger Lakes Folle Blanche formulas France Franciacorta Frankovka Frappato Furmint Galicia Galilee Gamay Garganega Gascony Germany Gewurtztraminer gin Glera Godello Graciano greco di tufo Greece Grenache Grenache Blanc Grillo Gros Manseng Gruner Veltliner GSM guest blog Heroes history horror how to Hungary interview Israel Italy Japan Jerez Kansas kosher Lambrusco Languedoc-Roussillon Left Coast Leyda Valley Lisboa Livermore Lodi Loire Loureira love letter Macon Madeira Madiran Malbec Malvasia Marcillac marijuana Marlborough Marsanne Marselan Marvel Massachusetts Matchbook Mavrud Mazuelo McLaren Vale mead Melnik Mencia Mendocino Mendoza Meritage Merlot Mexico Michigan mixology Monbazillac Monstant Montecucco Montepulciano Monterey Montery Moscato Mosel Mourvédre Muscadelle Muscat mythology Napa Navarra Nebbiolo Nero d'Avola New York New Zealand news non-alcoholic nonfiction Norello Mascalese North Coast Oakville Oregon organic original meme pairings Palestine Pecorino Pedro Ximenez Perricone Petit Verdot Petite Sirah Petite Verdot photo gallery phylloxera Picpoul Piedmont Pinot Blanc Pinot Gris/Grigio Pinot Meunier Pinot Noir Pinotage Pliny podcast Port Portugal Press Release Primitivo product Prosecco Provence quickie quote rakia recipe retail problems Retsina review Rheingau Rhone Rias Baixas Ribera del Duero Riesling Rioja Rondinella rose Roussanne Rubin Rueda rum Russian River Sagrantino Sake Salta Sandanski Misket Sandeanski Misket Sangiovese Sangria santa clara Santa Lucia Higlands Sauvignon Blanc science scotch Sekt Semillon Seyval Blanc Sherry Sicily Somontano Sonoma South Africa South Australia Spain spark Sparkling Spider-Man spirits stemware storage study sulfites Superman sustainable SWE Syrah Tannat Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Temecula Tempranillo Tequila Texas thc The Flash Tinta Amarela Tinta Caiada Torrontes Touriga Nacional Traminer Trebbiano Trincadeira Turkey Tuscany Ugni Blanc Umbria USA Valdiguié Valiant Valpolicella vegan Veneto Verdejo Verdicchio Vermentino Vermont Vermouth Vernacca Vidal Blanc video Vinho Verde Viognier Virginia Viura vodka Walla Walla Washington State whiskey White zinfandel Wildstorm Willamette wine Wine Bloggers Off-Topic wine club Wine Pick Wolverine Wonder Woman Zinfandel Zweigelt