Malty sweet with some cherry and biscuit notes. Lacks balance, slightly cloying and not that well made. Not horrible, but I wouldn’t order again.

Deep copper and amber coloured body with a slightly muddied brown glow and almost no head at all, some large tan bubbles, that’s it. Aroma of pit fruits, alcohol, light peat, caramel and some cognac. Full-bodied; Assertive nutty flavours at first with a large body, some caramelised sugars and not much else - perhaps some raisins. Aftertaste shows a little earthy malt, some cognac and brandy with the alcohol burn and a little oak at the very end. Overall, a decent barley wine, but definitely not complex enough to be considered good, plus there isn’t much carbonation here, so this can be passed up. I sampled this twelve ounce stubby bottle purchased exactly one year ago at Whole Foods in Seattle (WestLake), Washington on 08-February-2013 for US$4.49 sampled at home in the real Washington on 08-February-2014 - exactly a year after purchasing it - perhaps it made the beer more subdued and less carbonated as well? Label says 13.3% abv on my bottle, no indication of vintage.

Bottle, 2009 vintage, thanks to 5000. Pours a flat, medium-grade leather color with a small beige head that dissapears rather quickly. Inviting aroma is fruity, faded citrus hops, caramel, raisons, and a very light amount of smoke. There is a layering of flavors, from fruity and toffee sweet, to light smoke and earthy. It has a bit of cocoa and roasty/earthy/leathery vibe that reminds me of Adam... a big compliment. It’s hard to think of this as past it’s prime, which it probably is, but it drank very well with four years on it. A solid offering that I would love to try again.

Bottle from CoOp Bellingham, WA, 12.35% ABV
Dark amber-brown color, small head. Quite nice aroma of malt and caramel, an most of all a pleasant note of sweaty hops and light cheesy yeast; English barley wine. Caramel flavor; the mouthfeel is quite round, there is a moderate sweetness; correct bitterness, with a very light buttery and nutty touch in the end. The final is somehow short, and there is an impression of alcohol.
Good aroma, the flavor lacks of depth.

Shipped to me by my wife on a trip to Portland. Rather understated for a barleywine. +++ Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a hazy caramel-brown color with a small beige head that left a bit of lacing. The aroma was raisin, cherry and caramel. The flavor was bitter with notes of nut, caramel, raisin, tart cherries and bread. The finish was medium length caramel and raisin. Medium body. Decent.

Bottle thanks to 5000. Pours reddish brown with cream white head. Nose of molasses, brown sugar, candy sugar and wood. Taste is very smooth raisin, brown sugar, candy sugar and wood.

12 oz. bottle, pours murky orange brown. Aroma of toffee, dark fruits, and caramel malts. Flavour of dark, sweet fruits, toffee and bitter hops on the finish.

12oz bottle pours deep copper with thin off white head. The aroma is dark fruity sweetness to go along with a mild level of pears as well as some mild booziness. The taste seems similar with prunes and dates mixing with pears and apricots. Off in the background is a smooth mild malt sweetness. This is tasting very nice considering how young this is and the immense size of the ABV. A couple of years will round this out very nicely.

Bottle from Malt & Vine. 2009 vintage. Pours ruddy copper with a few bubbles. Rich sweet heavily roasted malt aroma. Full bodied with mild carbonation. Flavor is mostly caramel, with mild heat, and something like woody/resin hop. Has an oaky tinge. Finish is more sweet than not, but not sticky sweet. Pretty decent drink. Drinks way too easy.