Rating: 4.5/5

Decadence 2014 Anniversary Wheat Wine Ale by Alesmith is a 10% ABV Blonde Barley/Wheat wine.

Label:
AleSmith Decadence Anniversary Ale was originally brewed in 2005 to celebrate our first decade in business. Our brewers had such a great time creating it that they decided to brew a new style each year to commemorate our anniversary.

Now, nineteen years after we started, we’re proud to present another great addition this ongoing series, AleSmith Decadence 2014 is our interpretation of a Wheat Wine Style Ale. The generous amounts of wheat used in the his beer impart a bready aroma with hints of honey, ripe fruit, and a spicy graininess. In the finish, a pleasant malty sweetness from the wheat is balanced by the addition of German and American hops. Enjoy this special brew now or age it at a cool temperature for a truly rewarding experience.
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Alesmith turns 19 and they release a wheat wine this year. Many of the past Decadence beers have been a different type of style each year. The last 2 years I have tried the anniversary beers they have been very awesome. This year is a wheat wine style. Not many breweries make this type of style. The Bruery makes one that is bourbon barrel aged and is a portion of the awesome White Chocolate. Alesmith is known for well above and beyond beers so I am curious to see how this one fares. Here’s to many more years in making really great beers, Cheers!

Aromas:
Vanilla, peppercorns, biscuit bread, rye, honey, stone fruits like peach, apricot, oranges, coriander spice, lemon peel, passion fruit, mango, vanilla and caramel.

Flavors:
Honey, grape, white raisins, biscuit bread, peppercorn, vanilla, caramel, toffee, stone fruit like peach apricot, orange peel, lemon peel, coriander spice, cinnamon, banana hints, melon, dragon fruit notes, pineapple, apples, marshmallow hints, graham crackers, brown sugar, floral hops, almonds and pecans.

Aftertaste:
Citrus, rye, biscuit bread, grape, clove and coriander spice as well as some earthy notes. Alcohol notes in the taste. Smooth drinkability despite the ABV, caramel to golden full body, medium mouthfeel.

Overall:
While this beer is very good, it is best drunk warmer to release more flavors. Despite the ABV, this one flows really well. I found myself liking this one but not as much as the previous versions Anniversary ones I have had from Alesmith mainly because it only starts to get more complex the warmer it gets so drinking it colder is not really the best thing to do. Then again it is the style too. This is a wheat wine at its prime with no alterations or aging. I would recommend a try or at least aging this one but some of the other Alesmith beers have definitely rocked harder for sure. This one is still very good though.

Anime Corner:
Asuka Langley Sohryu/Shikinami Neon Genesis Evangelion was chosen for this pairing since I wanted to show the color pairing of the beer and the way the beer flows. As you can see the beer sparkles like Asuka in the sun but be warned because the 10% creeps up behind you like the dark hands of the Eva as they try and embrace Asuka to a dark level of flavor. That and the fact that you really have to let it warm up to get the best experience.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/MeXZjDK.jpg