Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Spiteful Corporate Guy Wheatwine

Beer:  Corporate Guy (CPG)

Brewery:  Spiteful Brewing

Date:  January 25th, 2014

Style: Wheatwine

ABV:  11.0%

Similar To:   Bells Wheat Love Ale

Description:
It was a cold night in January when a group of beer devotees* assembled at a private residence in Chicago's West Town to sample a wide range of beers from an undisclosed local brewer, later revealed to be Spiteful Brewing. 

Their opinions, much like the beers they tasted, were many and varied, but in the end they reached an (approximate) consensus on those which distinguished themselves from the rest of the field.  By the end of the evening, long after the official reviewing had been completed, the tasters had ventured pretty far off the beaten track in terms of the beers being "sampled" and skyped in an absent comrade to join the fun, much of which was had by all.   

As the organizer and informal guide for the evening, two beers in particular stood among those from Spiteful which we sampled, the Corporate Guy Wheatwine profiled in this post, and G.F.Y. Stout whose review will be posted shortly.

First Impression:
Reddish-brown with a lot of thin white head which dissipated quickly.

Smell:
Wheat (what a suprise), malt, and some pleasant sweetness in the background, whose source was elusive (maybe fruity?).  Admittedly, my nose may have suffered from overexposure by that point in the evening.

Taste:
Oh yes, very strong wheat and rye taste with the underlying sweetness I smelled initially.  Despite previous sampling that evening, I can tell that this one has the strongest alcoholic kick of the bunch, and warms going down.

On the Palate:
Very thick and surprisingly carbonated.  Feels almost like warm root beer, of which I'm a big fan.

Why You'll like It:
A good choice for those who like strong, flavorful beers, but are tired of stouts, porters, and strong ales, and are looking for a new style to try. 

...and why You won't:
Wheatwine is an acquired taste and those who prefer IPAs and other more hoppy beers aren't likely to find that what they're looking for in CPG, or really in any beer of this style.

In Closing...:
A hearty beer for people who aren't into stouts and their similarly dark ilk.  Enjoyably sweet and, in my limited exposure, the best beer that I've tried from this brewery.  Like a Winter Warmer without the seasonal spices which put so many drinkers off.

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars (out of 5)

*This is the politest term I can think of to describe us.

1 comment:

  1. Loved this one in their line-up. Needed more than just a taste.
    http://blackliver.ning.com/photo/corporate-guy-spiteful-brewing?context=user

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