Central Waters La Petite Mort

This little curio of a beer is, per the brewers themselves, a "Belgian-inspired" doppelweizen aged in bourbon barrels.  I have previously reviewed some doppelweizen beers; they are among my favorite styles, and one of the most under-appreciated in America.  I am not exactly sure how one makes a "Belgian-inspired" doppelweizen, but I will play ball.  My readers in the upper Midwest and Great Lakes areas---specifically Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota---should know Central Waters deserves the chance; this is a brewery that knows what it's doing.


La Petite Mort is substantially darker than any doppelweizen I have previously encountered.  Darker than chestnuts and a bit more opaque than many of its cousins.  The degree of carbonation on display is considerably low for a doppelweizen or Belgian-inspired beer, no doubt a result of the barrel-aging.  Foam formation and retention are almost non-existent.

The smell gives no indication of anything remotely German or Belgian.  This is very much a barrel-bomb, with oppressive bourbon aromas of burnt sugar, cherry, wood, and char. 

The flavor follows the nose almost exactly.  Big burst of whiskey at the start, with the signature bourbon flavors of caramel, burnt sugar, burnt wood and a wee bit of smoke.  Some brown sugar and cherry comes out as the beer warms a bit.  A small degree of alcohol warming is present throughout the sipping, though it never comes close to being an obstacle.  At no point do any hints of typical doppelweizen flavors---wheat, clove, bread, banana---peak through the barrel assault.  I would love to try the base beer without any barrel-aging.  Most American attempts at German wheat beers plainly fail to capture those flavors; it's more than possible Central Waters simply missed the mark and the barrel isn't covering up those flavors, they simply aren't there to begin with.

The texture oddly retains some---some---of the fluffiness of a German wheat.  It is also not as thick and sweet as most barrel-aged American beers.  I would rate the mouthfeel a medium-full.

La Petit Mort is an interesting beer that is tasty enough in its own right.  As a bourbon barrel-aged beer that's much drier than most other barrel-aged strong beers, it also benefits mightily by being quite drinkable.  It shares this trait with Central Waters' two barrel-aged imperial stouts, Bourbon Barrel Stout and Peruvian Morning.  That being said, if they were trying to marry the flavors of German and Belgian beer with the characteristics of American whiskey, they plainly failed.  The bourbon barrel dominates everything else.  I am happy they don't openly advertise this on the bottle as a doppelweizen (Belgian or otherwise), as I would have felt deceived.  Nonetheless, this is a worthy beer for any fan of bourbon-barrel aged ales.