Beer of the Week - November 15th to 21st

Since this is my first Beer of the Week (BOW), I will try to give you the rough idea of what I want to showcase with my pick. It isn’t always the highest rated beer or the most flavourful or even the prettiest. What I envision with my BOW is the beer that caught my eye, tongue and heart and made me think and talk about the most. Unique, yet approachable is what I want. Give me something memorable and I am hooked.
This week it comes down to something a little surprising for me and an old Favourite. Both beers are high ABV, and both bring far different flavours to the table. But in the end, it is the beer that I can’t get off my mind because I was sure I would not like it when I first took a sip.
Cuvee Barrique from German brewer Schneider Weiss captures what I love about the journey through the WHOLE bottle of beer. It was a sour face pucker when I first took a sip. I was snookered and a little miffed that I had a huge bottle to get through.  But as I began to swish it around, letting it linger on my tongue, all these unique flavours came through. Plum, raisin, cherry and a distinct red wine punch kept coming through. This beer is aged in Pinot Noir barrels for 8 months and it shows. I only gave it a 3/5, but I think that could change going forward.
I keep coming back to this beer when I get a moment and fantasize what to pair it with for a perfect dinner. I am thinking a nice roast with all the trimmings. That would allow me to showcase this full bodied Weizenbock and really give it a workout.
This beer is the reason I never pour a beer out. I always think you need to experience the entire beer as it warms to really get a feel for it. This one took me over an  hour and it was worth every minute.
Bravo Schneider Weisse Cuvee Barrique on my first ever BOW Award!