8.9

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8.5

Christmas present for my brother 2021, shared now with my family! Pours a deep and hazy ruby to brown, absolutely no head. Pours and looks like a port. Aroma is very complex, loads of oak, vanilla, fig and prune, light tobacco, leather, milk chocolate. Big body, no carbonation, mouthfeel also comes very close to a port. Flavour is extremely smooth, very sweet, malty. Intense tobacco, loads of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, oak. Chewy. Woah. Intense stuff, it's been a while since I've had a Xyayù, but it's still just as good. Amazing barley wine that borders on a fortified wine, extremely good.

8

EB from last week.

8.3

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Gammel rating (3000-4000) som ikke kom med fra Ratebeer. Smaking på Beer Palace, Oslo med Even og Tone.

9

Poh.

9.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 10 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9.5

100ml bottle pour at Baladin Bar, Camden Market, London. Pours clear deep amber with virtually no head. Aroma: caramel, raisins, dates, figs, vanilla. Taste: heavy sweet & moderate bitter, vanilla, fruity, oaky, caramel, toffee, dried fruits. Super smooth. Medium to full body with low/np carbonation. Amazing

8.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

One of the classic variants in this Xyauyù theme of ‘macro-oxidized’, head- and carbonationless Italian barleywines by Baladín, this time infused with smoke from Kentucky tobacco. No head and none expected; clear, deep caramel brown robe with warm amber-bronze hue, very ‘autumny’ as it were. Rich, sweet aroma of old tawny port, lots of vanilla-scenting oak wood, caramel sauce, muscovado sugar, medlar, hazelnut liqueur, madera, burnt bread, cinnamon or even a whiff of clove, touch of caramelized or burnt meat – and indeed, but very much in the background, a whiff of sweetly sauced tobacco, as in dark Brazil cigars or even pipe tobacco, but remaining very subtle (too subtle for me personally). Densely, ‘candied’ and liqueurish sweet in the mouth, brown-sugary and caramelly with candied cherry and candied date aspects, no carb, very vinous and thick body – almost syrupy, in fact; smooth, ‘deep’-caramelly maltiness with a biscuity edge and ongoing ‘brown honey’-like sweetness leads to a rich, noble, desserty finish, adorned with lots and lots of that wonderful vanilla-like oakiness, some soft woody tannins and of course the overkill of fortified wine impressions (tawny port, madera, marsala) – but also a faint meaty and smoky touch, which I assume represents the ‘Kentucky element’. Too bad this smoky-meaty accent does not develop further: it kind of drowns a bit in a warming, very sweet, even sticky, port- and caramel sauce-like ending. Classic Xyauyù so if you are into rich, deep, maderized barleywines that are to be sipped in small bits and perfectly function as a ‘digestif’ after a meal – or even in the company of, say, a selection of fine cheeses, then this is your thing. I can certainly appreciate a glass of one of these from time to time for sheer depth and complexity and this one, like its brethren, is about the finest in its segment you can find, managing to clock in at a formidable 14% ABV and at the same time hiding its alcohol all too well and offering a wealth of liqueurish, candied-fruity and fortified-wine-like flavours. Too bad the Kentucky tobacco remains a vague background whiff, though – a kind of “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” element, very different from the strong smokiness (from peated whisky) found in the Fumé version. Still a great achievement, though, like all these Xyauyùs.

8.2

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8

Bottle at home. 2016 riserva. Has a slightly hazy deep reddish brown colour with no head. Aroma of creme brulee, rye bread, brown sugar, dates, liqueur, tobacco and oak. Flavour of brown sugar, creme brulee, caramel sauce, oak, bourbon and some tobacco in the background. Warming alcohol in the end. Has an incredibly silky mouth feel, heavy body and no bitterness. Rich in all aspects. Lots of variation of caramel and quite sweet without being overwhelming. A dessert on its own.

8.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9.5

Bottle shared at the Great British Beer Festival 2019 - London. Big cheers to Mitch! Pours clear copper with minimal head. Lovely stuff, with rich caramel, toffee, semi-dark malts, honey, burnt barrel. Full bodied, oily and chewy and hearty, with soft carbonation. Warming caramel in the finish, more rounded woody notes, honey. Delicious.

9.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 10 | Flavor - 10 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9.5

Bottle #1138, 2016. Dark brown. Aroma: sweet, dried fruit pies, raisins, caramel, fortified wine, bourbon, vanilla, dessert, soft, sherry. Sweet taste, caramel, vanilla, sweetness, bourbon, sherry, chocolate, soft, great.

8.8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9

(Bottle, 2011 vintage) Cloudy brown colour with no head. Malty, fruity, vinous nose with notes of dried fruit, figs, raisins, chocolate, caramel, tobacco and a touch of Madeira wine. Malty, fruity taste with dried fruit, figs, dates, raisins, chocolate, toffee, vanilla, nuts, a touch of tobacco, Madeira wine and a sweet and vinous finish with fairly low bitterness. Full body, with thick and oily mouthfeel Quite sweet. Really heavy and powerful, still in great balance. Tasty, warming and satisfying. Great beer.