Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week:" Two Brothers Bare Tree Wheat Wine

We had our gripes about DarkLord Day, to be certain. But there were some good things about heading down to Munster and waiting for four hours in line with nothing to show for it except a farmer tan. For beer lovers it means getting to hang around with your own for a day, sampling from folks' private collections. At times, the combination of beer and the crowd made DarkLord Day resemble "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" (thanks, Lauren, for that reference).

The Three Floyds warehouse was set up with a stage for bands to play and selections from other breweries available (dubbed "real ale"). When we finally made it into the warehouse the only offering left was Two Brothers "Bare Tree." It's a high-octane wheatwine, a style we've covered before in "BotW." Bare Tree pours a cloudy orange with a nice cream head. White pepper and bright warm citrus (think lemon) were dominant on the nose, and there was a serious alcohol burn on the palate, along with more lemon and spice. All that citrus gives Bare Tree a sour finish, as well.

For those DarkLord attendees disappointed in not getting a bottle of the prized stuff, this and the other selections offered in the warehouse made for a nice consolation prize. Also of note were the other Three Floyd's selections, one of which will be featured next week. Until then, enjoy finding a bottle of this week's "BotW", Two Brothers Bare Tree, at West Lakeview Liquors in 22-ounce cork-and-caged bottles.