3 Sheeps Brewing Company released Deeply Rooted, and it is not good. They also released Triple Barrel Wolf, which is absolutely amazing. The old Wisconsin compromise.

The biggest issue with Deeply Rooted is the adjuncts: orange peels and Ecuadorian vanilla. I know beer nerds with 3 roommates suddenly become experts on geographic bean sourcing. But like that surfboard in your Milwaukee studio apartment: you truly don’t need it. This is a case of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

3 Sheeps is clearly gifted in barrel aging and this grand marnier wafflecone derails all of that. The underlying beer is likely very good and then they hit up the taste equivalent of Auto Zone and just ruin this stock barleywine. The result is pithy zest vents on the sides, sticky marshmallow seat covers, tacky pastry spinner hubcaps that entirely distract. Barleywine as a style almost never needs additives and it is almost never improved by them.

When I see adjuncts on a barleywine label it’s like seeing “SEE CASHIER” on a gas pump, I am straight up leaving.

Imagine my surprise when the triple barrel wolf enters the picture and picked me up lovingly by the nape of my neck and made me a part of the “you’re getting nothing done tomorrow” pack. This beer is so tightly balanced, excessive but with traction control. Sometimes, multiple casking feels like the Reply Guy of the beer world like, damn ok you want our attention fine you have it.

This doesn’t need to bank on its multichambered experience. It leans into this “Wisconsin Svelte” execution you see from Central Waters. At first it feels insubstantial, but then you realist how much macaroon, lava cake, Jordan almonds, and Monkey bread is occurring. It is a kick to the obliques how many waves of cask massaging are occurring here. I love that disbelief moment where you taste this and then re-read the label like some idiot who threw the package away and there’s more microwaving instructions.

It is extremely spicy, hot, warming, molten ganache in your chest, chocolate rejection to the Sadie Hawkins dance. I don’t know how this same brewery made both of these beers but I want to shear this sheep again.

Canopy is fine.