Georgia's Sublime Red Experiments

Sweetwater Sweet 16 Red Wheat Wine

Sampled: April 17, 2013

Sweetwater’s anniversary ales have quickly become a must-taste experience. For its 16th birthday, the Atlanta brewer concocted a red wheat wine. It pours with little head and its minimal lace swirls gently on top of the red amber body.

This ale conceals its mighty alcohol content too well. Only an occasional dash of black pepper sneaks through the bouquet. We can blame that on its 45 percent wheat malt content.

The flavor is immense without ever overpowering. A little nuttiness pops just before the hops hit their peak. Speaking of which, the hops never reach IPA bitterness but definitely resonate. Sweetwater’s blend of Amarillo, Willamette, Nelson Sauvin and U.S. Goldings fits well with the brilliant red malt tones.

Some traces of molasses and allspice stick out. Nice notes of slightly burnt red fruits, even some burnt orange, and apple skin pop on the palate.

The brewer’s notes mention sensory overload, but it’s a more subtle experience most 11 percent ABV brews allow. After finishing Sweetwater 17, I cannot wait for Birthday No. 18.

Terrapin Side Project 19: Mosaic Single-Hop Red Rye Ale

Sampled: March 21, 2013

Call it “smoky molasses grass.” Well, call Mosaic what you want, but don’t deny this – pop the cap, and the first smell is freshly mowed grass.

 Just don’t call this Terrapin experiment a lawn-mowing beer. This Athens-made ale does not hide from its fresh nature or the new hybrid hop that makes its existence possible. Dense hop resin lurks throughout. At times, I can almost taste the hop pellets.

The rye adds a spicy backdrop throughout Mosaic’s journey across the palate. Mosaic is not as fragrant and spicy as its parent hop, Simcoe. Given the rye backdrop, that works in Mosaic’s favor. This Side Project deserves praise for producing an ale outside definable styles.

Terrapin provides the best use of rye in a session ale that I’ve tasted in ages (nothing but Brassiere de du Ciel being sessionable, of course). Given its other stabs at new styles, I wish Terrapin would stick with hop-based brews in its Side Project series.