Old Numbskull
(has 4 batches)

Bottle, Brew Dog Shop. Good lookin’ dark amber pour with a restrained off white-head. Sweet malts and fruits in the nose, alongside some hoppage and wood notes. Cracking balance in the flavour. Rich and creamy mouthfeel with the booze skillfully smothered. Slipped down an absolute treat and drank nowhere near its strength. Stonking stuff.

0.75l bottle as a birthday gift from my lovely girlfriend bought at Cask Beer Co.. London. The first thing i notice on the pour is a lively deep amber almost warming red body, light cloudy and it has a big really lacing light beige top. Looks and smells fantastic with lots of malty fruity sweetness mixed with lots of nuts and some spicy caramel. I'm actually having this for dessert after a fantastic surf N turf meal. Rich thick oily on the mouthfeel and the carbonation level is soft and prickling on the tongue. It has those sweet sticky nuts and some spices in the taste. It's sweet, but still balanced in a lovely way. Lots of malty caramel sweetness, some traces of both gunpowder and dried wild strawberries. A lovely thing. The alcohol is hardly noticeable at all, and that's a bit scary. Really enjoyed this! 06.07.2013

750 ml bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but was purchased in late 2011. Pours hazy deep ruby red color with a small dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lasts. Light soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big caramel, raisin, apple, orange zest, floral, brown sugar, pine, molasses, toast, orange rind, brown bread, and floral earthiness. Damn nice aromas good balance and complexity of dark malt and fruity/earthy hop notes; with good strength. Taste of big caramel, toffee, orange zest, apple, toast, floral, pine, orange rind, brown sugar, brown bread, chocolate, light roast, and floral earthiness. Fair amount of floral/pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toffee, orange zest, orange rind, light fruits, toast, light chocolate, brown bread, brown sugar, floral, pine, light roast, and floral earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic balance and complexity of deep malt and hop flavors; with a nice bitterness/sweetness balance, and hardly any cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and very full bodied with a creamy, slick, and fairly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic well aged barleywine. Fantastic complexity and balance of deep malt and hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.

Bottle 0.75l at Gallows Bird, Espoo. Helsinki. Colour is clear dark orange with small white head. Aromas and flavours: Fruits, raisins, hops and malts. Fabulous.

750 ml bottle bought @ Systembolaget. Pours clear copper with a small frothy offwhite head that quickly dissipates without leaving much trace on the glass. Smell is sweet, slightly fruity and tiny herbal with caramel, grapefruit juice, biscuits, alcohol, pine needles, resinous wood, lemon zest, orange zest and hints of peat. Taste is sweet and bitter with crackers, caramel, biscuits, lots of grapefruit rinds, alcohol, pine needles, resinous wood, toffee and hints of peat and burnt cookies. Mouthfeel is soft, round, tiny oily bitter, slightly boozy and near full bodied. Finish is sweet and bitter with caramel, grapefruit rinds, pine needles, resinous wood and orange peal.

Sample at the Blarney Wine tasting on 03/16/2013: Murky reddish-brown color with a medium thick off-white head that diminishes slowly. Patchy lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, piney hops and malt. Full-bodied with flavors of earthy malt, figs, caramel and resiny hops. The finish is sweet with a caramel malt and dark fruit aftertaste. Shocked that it has taken me so long to try this well-executed Barley Wine.

Bouteille 750ml (2003), courtoisie de Hogtownharry ou Blankboy. De couleur ambrée très foncée et légèrement voilée. Nez fruité (prunes, raisins, pêches, léger de cerises et d’agrumes), malté de caramel toffee sucré, léger d’alcool liquoreux, de malt rôti de et de houblon résineux aux notes citriques avec des notes de sucre brun, de vanille et de pain. Ronde en bouche avec un pétillement moyen une texture riche, légèrement crémeuse et sirupeuse. Goût assez fruité (raisins rouges vineux, prunes, léger d’agrumes sucrées, notes de pommes, de figues, de pêches et de cerises), avec des notes de vanille lors de l’entrée en bouche auquel se rajoute un goût malté de caramel toffee sucré légèrement rôti avec des notes de sucre brun et de pain parallèlement à un goût amer de houblon résineux, légèrement citrique et herbeux. Progressivement un goût d’alcool moyen réchauffant (notes liquoreuses et vineuses) vient se rajouter et accompagné de notes de sucre brun puis en finale, l’amertume de houblon est plus herbeux (notes terreuses). Post-goût long et un peu sec, moyennement amer d’alcool, de houblon résineux et herbeux avec un goût fruité (pelures de prunes , notes de zeste d’agrumes).