Yona Yona Barley Wine 2002 & 2005
Yo-Ho Brewing Company in Saku, Nagano, Japan 🇯🇵
Barley Wine - Barley Regular|
Score
7.22
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7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Backlog. On tap @ Popeye, June 2008. Not sure which year, but it was advertised as 8.5%. Aroma’s of sweet fruits, caramel, a bit alcohol, also some hop-bitterness retronasal. Flavor is moderate sweet & moderate bitter. Alcohol feel is quite strong. Body is medium to full. Long, bitter finish. Excellent.
Tried
from Draft
on 03 Nov 2013
at 01:06
7.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
12oz bottle (2002) pours a translucent brown with some white head. Nose is sweet, malty, sherry, bread. Flavor is malty, apples, brown sugar, cookie dough. Full bodied and smooth. Doing very well after 8 years.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Dec 2010
at 17:41
6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle courtesy of argo0, thanks! Nice amber color. Aroma of caramel. Taste is also caramel. Not bad. Straightforward.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Dec 2010
at 16:26
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle, 70cl(?). 2005 vintage. Pours a slightly unclear, dark golden body with a small, beige head on top. Piney, resiny, slightly citrusy aroma with a nice malty sweetness to balance it. Caramel. It has a little warming feeling on the palate, with the flavors being on the hoppy side, with resin, pine and citrus. Still, there’s enough malty caramel-sweetness to prevent it from going completely out of balance. Bitter, resiny and warming finish. A delicious treat, and a nice experience drinking it with it’s creator. (080811)
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Aug 2008
at 04:58
8.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 9
Ceramic bottle, 2005 vintage sampled in 2008. Shared together with the brew master himself. Clear amber body with a thin beige head. Aroma is malt, caramel, dry fruit, spices and a hint of alcohol, very complex. Flavor is complex as well, sweet malt, caramel, dry fruit, citrus, raisins, a hint of sherry and warming alcohol. Incredible well balanced with a long and pleasant finish that just goes on and on. Quite easy to drink, but made for sipping. Lovely.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Aug 2008
at 16:27
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle. 2002 Vintage. Chestnut color with an off-white head. Light sherry aroma with some caramel. Oxidized sherry, light malt flavor with a bit of earth and some citrus and woodsy hops. Lingering bitterness, light cocoa and malt. Held up well.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Jan 2008
at 22:29
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
2002 Vintage Yellowish head, fast dwindled to rim over foxy red-to-amber beer. Very nice, deep & complex nose of cakey malts, and good, noble but restrained USA hops. Like a freshly baked caked, put into the fridge for keeping. Fruity notes with grapes, plums, a dash of mandarine and Marssala. Ends with something of seaweed (the Nippon touch?) Short very bitter taste, leaning over to overroasted cake, switching back to serious, nearly metallic hoppiness. Well bodied, very slick, slightly oily or even buttery. Ends with a wee bit of burning. Aftertaste is fruity-bitter: bitter melon, orangezeste and sugar-jellied fruitjuice with a dash of ginger. Remarkable beer seen its origin. Then again, has Nippon ever failed to equalize the best foreign examples? BIG thanks to Warren & Bill for this rare gem.
Tried
on 01 Feb 2007
at 13:14
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
This is for the 2005 version, which was released for the Japan Craft Beer Festival in Sept 06 in Tokyo. The 2005, unlike the 02 and 03, is distinctively different and IMO not a barley wine. I think the ABV sits around 8%, but this is pure west coast American strong ale. Heading in the direction of an Arrogant Bastard. Much hoppier than previous years, with caramel strawberry and citrus notes. Overall balance is OK. There is significant floral hops and an aggressive bitter finish. Not bad, I don’t think I prefer it more or less than previous years, its just different.
Tried
from Can
on 09 Oct 2006
at 09:17