2003 vintage shared at Blipp’s surprise tasting. Pours caramel amber with off white head. Nose and taste of sherry, bready malt, dark fruit, caramel and toffee. Full bodied.

On draft at Meridian Pint, DC. Pours a cloudy amber with a thin off white head. Aroma of raisins. Grassy, bitter flavor. Bitter finish.

Draft. Murky amber brown color. Sweet caramel and pine aroma. Taste starts sweet then very bitter for a barleywine. Not bad.

22 ounce bottle into snifter, 2011 bottle; so it is probably about a year old now. Pours hazy reddish orange color with a nice 1 finger dense khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of big caramel, apple skin, biscuit, grapefruit, pine, herbal spiciness, citrus peel, molasses, some dark fruit, and a bit of alcohol. Nice and well balanced barleywine aromas here. Taste of big caramel, orange zest, pine, biscuit, dark fruit, grapefruit, herbal spiciness, molasses, toffee, and toasted malt. Decent amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of big caramel, citrus, pine, molasses, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a while. Medium carbonation and full bodied; with a very creamy and slick mouthfeel. At 11.6% this is most certainly a sipper, and I would expect it to be. Good balance of flavors and bitterness; with a nice malt forward profile. Alcohol is fairly well hidden with only a warming present on the finish. Overall this is a very nice and well balanced barelywine. Nice flavor profile and very enjoyable stuff.

22 ounce bottle from Beer Run in Charlottesville, VA, 2009 vintage, opened 5/17/11. Pours a clear vibrant copper color with a medium creamy white head. Average head retention and lacing. Aroma of toffee, brown sugar, raisin and citrus hops. The taste is raisin, soy, toffee, caramel, anise, bitter earthy and citrus hop finish. Medium bodied. A bit of oxidation. Not bad.

2010 Vintage Sampled on a what the hell kind of day. 3/30/2010 Pours a slightly cloudy orange amber color with a big fluffy white head that recedes quickly but never really disappears. Smells of sweet fruit and citrus hops. Slight touch of alcohol and oranges and apricots come to mind. Taste is hop bitterness right away but almost instantly gives way to some sweetness. Fruits and light brown sugar and caramel lots of hints of citrus mid way through finishing with a long lingering orange apricot and bitter hop finish. Full bodied, sweet sticky almost syrupy mouthfeel, medium level of carbonation. I enjoy this beer every year, its a touch on the sweet side, but I enjoy the hell out of it.

Bomber from Half Time. Pours brilliant ruddy copper with a smear of head. Rich aromas of roast malt and darkish fruits. Full bodied. Starts with roast malt sweetness, a touch of heat, some citrus and mild raisin, and it finishes very bitter. Tho a touch of sweet swims out suddenly. Very tasty, well crafted ale.

From tap at Sunset Grill. Pours cloudy orange with a small, off-white and creamy dense head. Aroma is rather hops fruity, slight malty. Bitter, citrusy to grapefruity hoppy. Rather dry and bitter, yet with a crisp fruity note. Bitter and lingering hoppy fruity. Dry and distinct bitter finish.

Bomber, 3 years old or more. Lovely lemon nose, shocking and nice, almost like Pledge, with caramel. Tangy citrus flavor, sprite, hints of ginger, cherry, some minerals, dried fruits. Lighter body. Has aged nicely into an original BW.