Solid honey malt barleywine, great for a total wine shelfie

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle. A- Caramel, pine. A- Orange copper color, clear liquid, beige head. T- Caramel, pine, florals, medium bitterness, malty. P- Medium body, average texture, average carbonation, slightly bitter finish. O- Even after three years of age, this was just as much an imperial IPA as it was a barleywine. Loads of malty caramel and piney hops. Haven't had a beer like this in years. Very old school.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Seen before but never consumed, I purchased a single 2017 vintage, 12 oz bottle at the only real craft beer store in the Petroplex a couple of weeks ago. Ready to pour into my Buffalo Bayou snifter, here it goes. I note an opaque, dark gold liquid with a decent pure white head, looks like good lacing possibilities. A smell, some ripe yellow fruit and cereal. I take a full drink. A bit different taste, yellow raisin, somewhat vinous, crackers and a surprising hoppiness. Not exactly my style but I can appreciate. The alcohol is not apparent. Certainly a bottle to finish. Buy again? Likely not.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

From Mar 2008

I got this in a trade with JDV. Thanks Deniz!

This is the 2007 vintage:

It pours a clear deep amber/copper with about a 1" head of foam from a vigorous pour. Good lacing here.

The smell is very fruity(dark fruit) and yeasty?
I also get a touch of caramel and some alcohol.

The taste is loaded with dark fruit...plum, black cherry, some fig, and they're pretty tart but tasty but I also get some sweetish notes from the malt and some tobacco. Nice. I think this is the fruitiest BWSA I've tried so far and it's a nice slant on the style me thinks.

The mouthfeel is kind of on the thin side and the carbonation is low(appropriate for a BWSA)and it finishes on the tart side because of the dark fruit. Pretty tasty fresh and I could see this would be interesting as to where it would go with a bit of aging on it. I'm certainly glad I got the chance to try it!

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Tap at Whip in, Austin. Vintage 2013. Clear nut brown color, firm white head. Aroma is bready and hoppy. Medium to full-bodied. Sticky. Fruity, piney hoppy, a bit bready, sweetish. Covers its abv. Hop-dominating barley wine.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Draft at the source. Amber color with small off-white head. Aroma is alcohol, malt, plum, and honey. Taste is very malty, with some oak, spiciness, and dark fruits. Alcohol is quite noticeable. It’s okay, but in its defense, I’m not the biggest fan of barley wines, at least up to this point.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Got in a trade with Cyde. 12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 10/1/2012. Pours very hazy orange copper color with a 1 finger dense cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big tangerine, lemon zest, orange zest, orange rind, apple, caramel, raisin, toast, brown sugar, floral, pine, and floral/toasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of hop and malt notes; with good strength. Taste of big tangerine, orange zest, lemon zest, orange rind, apple, caramel, raisin, toast, toffee, brown sugar, floral, light pine, and floral/toasted earthiness. Light earthy pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, citrus zest, apple, caramel, raisin, toast, brown sugar, toffee, floral, light pine, and floral/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic balance and complexity of hop and malt flavors; with a great bitterness/sweetness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very creamy and slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming present after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent barleywine! All around great balance and complexity of hop and malt flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

2011 vintage Gorgeous pour, nice clarity nice fluffy sticky head. Smells like burnt caramel / candy corns, nice and malty. some grapefruit zest. Resin, big malt bomb, insanely sweet with a nice oaky sweet finish. it’s a pretty good beer!

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle 2010 thanks to fata2683: Poured a coppery orange with a thin ghost like off white head, dissipated fast. Aroma is light hops, caramel, malts, and leafiness. Taste is bitter fruit with some veggie like character, nice malts, and very tingly spice in the finish.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

2007 bottle. Malty, cereal nose, citrus, orange, grains. Orange-brown color with no head. Delicious toffee and chocolate flavor, vanilla, butter. Very tasty, smooth and lovely. Well aged.