Xyauyù Kentucky - Riserva 2015
(Batch of Xyauyù Kentucky)

Gift from Laurine B. aka my Lolo. After a while sitting in the cabinet, finally time to open this bottle with the one and only Ben M. . Caramel, dried fruits, tobacco, sweet, nutty. Extremely well balanced. This is just amazing. Cheers!

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

Poh.

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.

Sweetness and light. Cream soda up front, smooooooth

Smooth, sweet, heaven/dangerous

Incredible stuff, a complex sherry-caramel-tobacco mixture. This is barleywine.

THT April. Clear brown and no head. Big sweet rusty boozy raisin juice. Dried fruits, dates, sweet and soft, roasted marshmallow edges. Big sweet and bitter. Medium body and soft carbonation.