Draft at Hair of the Dog Brewery in Portland, OR on 5 June 2013. Amber coloured with a white head. Warming alcohol and sweet malts on the nose mixed with spices. Flavours of dried fruit, cake, molasses sugar rounded with a little coriander and peel. Superb.

2013 Vintage The aroma is nicely balanced between the oak and the characteristics it imparts and the malt and its aroma. The oak balances nicely with the malt and adds a touch of a tobacco character and some light tobacco. The malt is rich and full of caramel, light chocolate, light roast and toast. Some light dark fruit notes - raisins, plum and cherries. Pours brown with some ruby highlights. Moderately thick, light tan head that recedes fairly quickly to the edges. Flavor starts sweet with lots of caramel and toffee, moderate toast, light chocolate and roast. Mid palate you get the dries fruit - raisins, prunes and cherries. The fruit welcomes in the barrel notes - oak and a hint of tobacco. The finish is a balance of oak and caramel which works really nicely. The bitterness is moderate and helps balance the sweetness. Light alcohol spice in the finish. Mouthfeel is medium full bodied with medium carbonation. Astringency is faint and the alcohol warmth is medium low. Overall a great beer. The new oak works really well to balance the sweet caramel and toffee notes an doesn't dominate the flavors. This is fairly easy drinking at 10%. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

08.06.2013, 0,35l bottle (2008 vintage) sampled @ BBGTC tasting:
Small creamy mediumlasting head. Aroma is slightly oxidated, caramel malts, bourbon, toffee, vanilla, raisins, grass, oak, dark sugar, warming alcohol, honey. Taste is sweet and oxidated, sugar, caramel malts, raisins, honey, toffee, vanilla, oak, grass. Medium bitterness, slightly dry mouthfeel. Nice one.

Bottle for breakfast on Train 500 from Portland to Seattle, thanks to Michael for grabbing this one from the brewery for me, 27/05/13. Hazed mahogony brown with a good sized beige head. Nose is dark toffee fudge, brown sugars, woody notes, bourbon tang, marshmallows, dark fruit notes. Taste comprises dark fruits, bread, cake mix, Xmas puddings, brown sugar, sticky toffee pudding, dates, light booze. Full bodied with fine carbonation, sweet finish, pretty smooth drinking, lightly warming finish. A great barley wine, the alcohol is well integrated.

Bottle. Deep golden colour with an off-white head. Aroma is oak, alcohol, wood, malt, caramel, dried fruits. Flavour is oak, alcohol, wood, caramel, hop, malt, dried fruits. Full body. Very nice beer.

2008 vintage. The screams of drink me coming from the bottle proved to be too much tonight. Pours a clear deep amber/copper color with a huge beige head that persists forever and leaves lots of sticky lace on the way down. Smells of caramel, brown sugar, alcohol, slight bit of sherry, lightly earthy and sweet dark fruity. Taste is caramel and sugary sweet with an earthy herbal edge and a distinct bit of alcohol presence. I could sip on this thing all night long if only that damn bottle wasn’t so small. Medium to thick body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet almost syrupy mouthfeel. Wood aged, but I get very of that in the aroma or flavor. It’s a damn fine barleywine just the same. Maybe the wood was subtle and has faded, but I’d drink the shit out of these if I could.