Insanity
Weyerbacher Brewing Co. in Easton, Pennsylvania, United States 🇺🇸
Barley Wine - Barley Special|
Score
7.34
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Insanity, 11.1% ABV, is made by aging our Blithering Idiot Barleywine Ale in whiskey barrels. The barrel aging imparts an additional level of complexity to an already intense malt profile by adding a combination of vanilla, oak and whiskey notes.
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8/10
Tried
on 09 Apr 2015
at 13:10
8.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
Bottle [from trade with mista] @ home. Hazy red color, medium sized beige head. Aroma is malts, slightly alcohol, sweetness, overripe fruits. Taste malts, sweetness, overripe fruits, a hint of vanilla somehow, some alcohol. Full body, suitable medium carbonation. Pretty good barley wine, I quite like it.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Apr 2015
at 17:28
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Reviewed from notes.
This was poured into a chalice and a snifter. The head was slightly larger but a half finger in the snifter.
In the both glasses, the appearance had a nice looking dark brown color with a nice moderate lacing coating the sides of both glasses.
The smell had a nice conglomeration of plums, dates, and vanilla substances that seemed to be combined nicely into a blend of roasty oaky/slightly bourbon-like aromas.
The taste was subtly sweet through the dark fruits and yet it still brought forth the nice alcohol warmth from the bourbon.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium and tried to show a heavier aspect that honestly, didn’t quite just cut it just yet. This one was more of a sipper for the most part and had a pretty good carbonation underneath it all.
Overall, in my opinion, this was a good barleywine worthy of having again.
This was poured into a chalice and a snifter. The head was slightly larger but a half finger in the snifter.
In the both glasses, the appearance had a nice looking dark brown color with a nice moderate lacing coating the sides of both glasses.
The smell had a nice conglomeration of plums, dates, and vanilla substances that seemed to be combined nicely into a blend of roasty oaky/slightly bourbon-like aromas.
The taste was subtly sweet through the dark fruits and yet it still brought forth the nice alcohol warmth from the bourbon.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium and tried to show a heavier aspect that honestly, didn’t quite just cut it just yet. This one was more of a sipper for the most part and had a pretty good carbonation underneath it all.
Overall, in my opinion, this was a good barleywine worthy of having again.
Tried
on 24 Jun 2014
at 12:39
6.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Respectable barley wine. Pours reddish brown decent head and lacing. Sweet caramelized malt. A little on syrupy side. OK.
Tried
on 13 Jun 2014
at 18:02
6.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 6
Bottle: Pours cloudy, light to medium brown in gradients...minimal off-white ring. Caramel, light bourbon and wood aroma. Raisin, vanilla, oak and bourbon flavor. Increasing alcohol prescence. Sweet and clumsily boozy.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Apr 2014
at 14:38
5.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottled 12/17/13 bottle, drunk 2/22/14
Chestnut-auburn body has a smattering of beige head that fizzles away to the edge. Clear, filtered.
Bourbon in the nose, not surprisingly. Soft, lots of coconut and pineapple with light caramel malts in support. Shockingly low on the alcohol vapors. I had 10:1 odds this thing was a fusel bomb. Still the aroma, other than the well-developed, well-rounded barrel character, is pretty lacking in much else, and not overly strong.
Soft, low carbonated mouthfeel is at least free from tannic dryness, and the malt is well-attenuated, but still leaves enough suppleness to give a comforting texture. Coconut, caramel, light pineapple and touches of berry-like melanoidins. As with all Weyerbacher beers, way too filtered (diotomaceous earth still?) stripping much of the mouthfeel and even lending wateriness on the finish. Granted, with this malty of a beer, it’s somewhat mitigated, but still noticeable. Rather simplistic, though at least pleasant, flavor. I will say, the alcohol is very well-concealed at this level. Thanks to Jtclockwork for the bottle!
Chestnut-auburn body has a smattering of beige head that fizzles away to the edge. Clear, filtered.
Bourbon in the nose, not surprisingly. Soft, lots of coconut and pineapple with light caramel malts in support. Shockingly low on the alcohol vapors. I had 10:1 odds this thing was a fusel bomb. Still the aroma, other than the well-developed, well-rounded barrel character, is pretty lacking in much else, and not overly strong.
Soft, low carbonated mouthfeel is at least free from tannic dryness, and the malt is well-attenuated, but still leaves enough suppleness to give a comforting texture. Coconut, caramel, light pineapple and touches of berry-like melanoidins. As with all Weyerbacher beers, way too filtered (diotomaceous earth still?) stripping much of the mouthfeel and even lending wateriness on the finish. Granted, with this malty of a beer, it’s somewhat mitigated, but still noticeable. Rather simplistic, though at least pleasant, flavor. I will say, the alcohol is very well-concealed at this level. Thanks to Jtclockwork for the bottle!
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Feb 2014
at 10:15
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle thanks to Matt. Pours a dark amber with beige head that leaves spotty lacing. The aroma is oak, vanilla, and boooze. Medium mouthfeel with rich candy sugar and oak with light fruit and sweet finish. Good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Jan 2014
at 19:42
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 ounce bottle. Cloudy light brown color topped by a medium-sized creamy beige head. Rich, complex butterscotch malt aroma has notes of amaretto and toasted almonds. Flavor is intense sweet alcohol and more amaretto. Subtle oaky notes in mid taste. Hints of dried dark fruits and vanilla bean. Complex, chewy mouthfeel. Very nicely done.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Jan 2014
at 19:56
8.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 11/9/2015. Pours very hazy deep ruby red/copper color with a small dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with some light streaming carbonation. Aromas of big caramel, raisin, cherry, fig, date, apricot, apple, toffee, brown sugar, brown bread, bourbon, and toasted oak; with lighter notes of molasses, vanilla, coconut, herbal, and yeast/toast/oak earthiness. Slight booze in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge caramel, raisin, cherry, fig, date, apricot, apple, toffee, brown sugar, brown bread, bourbon, and toasted oak; with lighter notes of molasses, vanilla, coconut, herbal, and yeast/toast/oak earthiness. Light herbal bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruits, caramel, cherry, apricot, apple, toffee, brown sugar, brown bread, bourbon, toasted oak, coconut, vanilla, molasses, herbal, and yeast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel flavors; with a great malt and bourbon/oak spiciness balance, with zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly drying from bourbon/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy, silky, and lightly slick/syrupy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is fantastic. Alcohol is well hidden; a mildly increasing warmth with minimal barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged English barleywine! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV. Very rich and complex, with perfectly balanced flavors and minimal barrel booziness after aging. I always prefer it after at least 1 year of age to smooth out the barrel booze; and it just keeps getting better with this batch nearing 2 years old. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Oct 2013
at 18:57
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle. Pours clear reddish hazel with floaties. Small off-white head that dissipates with nice lacing. Aroma is bourbon, wood, toffee. Flavor is quite woody, notes of bourbon, toffee, vanilla. Medium sweet, light bitter, a fair amount of astringence. Full body, creamy mouthfeel, pretty hot. Interesting beer, but REALLY strongly influence by the barreling process, to the point where it becomes a distraction.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Aug 2013
at 20:18