12oz bottle showing its age. Malt and pine, but cardboard also on the nose. Oxidation hidden by the booze a bit, but this one probably only benefits with more time now.

Bottle shared by Andrew, thanks! Pours a clear amber with a slight orange hue and a tan head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma is bread and sweet grains with a bit of caramel and toffee supporting. Flavor is bread forward with a nice caramel and toffee not with a bit of grain backing.

Bottle from Hi Time, Costa Mesa. Drank at my mate Joe's place on 21st March 2026. Lovely beer all round, clean and clear amber body, off white crown. Boozy, malty and far too easy to drink for a 9.6% ABV

2026 vintage
12 oz. bottle
9.6% ABV
Packaged on: 12/12/25
$13.49 6-pk @ Publix

Note: The brewer states that this beer will continue to develop in the bottle for years to come. Which is why I indicated the vintage that I am reviewing.

AROMA: Mildly sweet, with mild floral scents, bread, spice, and hops.

APPEARANCE: Pours an deep amber with a 4-finger, tight-frothed, tan head that dissipates very slowly with excellent lacing. Very inviting!

TASTE: As the beer first touches my palate, I get a brief sense of sweetness that is immediately overcome by moderate-to-high levels of bitterness. Individual flavors are somewhat masked by the bitterness, but I get faint flavors of grass, malt, and caramel.

MOUTHFEEL: Full-bodied with a smooth, creamy texture at the beginning of a sip and then it transitions to a much coarser texture. Which is probably due to the bitterness level and the ultra-dry finish. Carbonation is average.

OVERALL: I've only had a few barleywine beers over the years, so I am certainly no expert on them. But I find this one to taste nothing like the others I've tried in the past. This one is very hoppy and tastes more like an or American strong ale than a barleywine beer. I was genuinely excited to try this beer because I haven't had a barleywine beer in ages, and thought this would be a nice change of pace. But I found myself disappointed because, to me, this was just another hop-forward ale .

The beer is actually a well made beer. It just wasn't what I expected for a barleywine beer, nor anything I would have bought had I known what it was truly like. I've tried many other beers from this brewer, and have enjoyed the vast majority of them. However, I won't be buying this again. Simply because it doesn't fit the barleywine style, or at least not my interpretation of the style. I have a few bottles left so I will let them develop in the bottle, for a year or two, and give them another try. But I'm not holding my breath.