From Dec 2007

This pours from 22oz bottle a clear deep amber with a small but stubborn head of foam with plenty of lacing.

The smell is of caramel and roasted malt...very sweet on the nose.

The taste gives me notes of caramel malt, fig, toffee, roasted malt, some honey, some molasses, and a slight citrus snap in the background. It has a medium to medium thick body and the carbonation is medium. It finishes almost syrupy sweet and the alcohol is fairly well hidden. Pretty good sample of the style. I'm pretty impressed with how long the foam hangs around(it's still a solid 1/2" layer far into the session)...longer than most BWSAs I've tried. I think it could use just a smidgeon more of a hop presence to balance the malt but as is, it's pretty good. Would I seek it out again?(as it's not available locally) Probably not.

22 ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours hazy/cloudy very dark brown color with a small dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lacing cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of raisin, plum, fig, cherry, caramel, molasses, brown sugar, toast, brown bread, light chocolate, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good complexity and solid balance of dark/bready malt, fruitiness, and earthy hop notes; with solid strength. A bit strong on fruitiness, but not bad. Taste of raisin, plum, fig, cherry, caramel, molasses, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, light chocolate, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light amount of earthy hop bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of raisin, plum, fig, cherry, caramel, molasses, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, light chocolate, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity and balance of dark/bready malt, fruitiness, and earthy hop flavors; with a good malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a smooth and moderately creamy/slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very good barelywine style. All around good complexity and balance of dark/bready malt, fruitiness, and earthy hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Bottled@Monks Cafe Wallingatan, Stockholm. Pale ambery brown colour with a small off-white head. Aroma is sweet malts, rye, some alcohol, mild fruittyness as well. Flavour is the same with sweet burnt sugary notes as well. Burning and quite sweet.

Pours a dark slightly murky brown. Nose is toffee, brown sugar and molasses. Taste is muted molasses, cane sugar, alcohol, smoked wood chips and cola.

Sample at the Barley Wine beer tasting at Blacklick Wine & Spirits on 01/14/10. This brew is a hazy reddish-brown color with a medium beige head that diminishes steadily. Stringy lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, brown sugar and hops. Rich body with flavors of sweet malt, caramel, fruit and hops. The finish is toasted malt up front with some hops and mild alcohol in the aftertaste. Pretty good overall.

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy orangish amber with a thin light brown head. Aroma consists of sweet barley notes and a quite strong presence of alcohol. Flavor is full of sweet barley with a slight undertone of alcohol. A bit light on the tongue.

Bottle pours out a copper/amber topped with a sand head. Aroma was sweet plenty of brown sugar and caramel. Tast was more sweetness. A nice thick malt and faded hops. I think this bottle is a year old. Not bad.