Gnomas
Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Barley Wine - Barley Rotating Out of Production|
Score
7.12
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The Gnomas, an English barleywine, elusive and mischievous yet still a gentle woodland creature. Flavors develop with time, a perfect beer to store in your gnome hole.
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8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
This was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a semi-dark copper to burnt orange somewhat like a brown color with a finger’s worth of white foamy head that held for a little bit and fell off at a gentle pace. Stringy semi-foamy lace.
The aroma had some sweet barley/grainy tones, red delicious apples, light cotton candy, sweet woodiness, some grassy hops and ends with a little bit of leathery earthiness.
The flavor keeps the sweetness of the malts forward to bring about the previously mentioned aromas to meld finely. Some butterscotch adds in slightly and then everything seemed to come together in the aftertaste to ride on into the finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a fair sipping quality about it. Moderate semi-sweet smoothness wants to lay down on my tongue but grips some carbonation for a nice balance. ABV felt fine.
Overall, nicely done barleywine leaning towards the English side. This is way better than their barrel aged version, to me at least.
This was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a semi-dark copper to burnt orange somewhat like a brown color with a finger’s worth of white foamy head that held for a little bit and fell off at a gentle pace. Stringy semi-foamy lace.
The aroma had some sweet barley/grainy tones, red delicious apples, light cotton candy, sweet woodiness, some grassy hops and ends with a little bit of leathery earthiness.
The flavor keeps the sweetness of the malts forward to bring about the previously mentioned aromas to meld finely. Some butterscotch adds in slightly and then everything seemed to come together in the aftertaste to ride on into the finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a fair sipping quality about it. Moderate semi-sweet smoothness wants to lay down on my tongue but grips some carbonation for a nice balance. ABV felt fine.
Overall, nicely done barleywine leaning towards the English side. This is way better than their barrel aged version, to me at least.
Tried
from Can
on 30 Apr 2017
at 20:25
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Can to snifter. Red-amber color. Little too sweet (for me), but still a nice sipper. Toffee, caramel, raisin.
Tried
from Can
on 21 Mar 2016
at 20:09
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Willrunforbeer cracks another 12 oz can, thanks man! Color is a Amber with no head. Aroma shows me mild dark fruits, sugar coated plums, raisins and toffee. Brown sugar.
The flavor is heavy on dark fruit and sugar notes. Lots of figs and candied plums. I think the coolest thing is that the booze is hidden but under this much sweetness that is understandable. The body is medium with a sticky, syrupy texture. For a very young barley wine it is pretty drinkable, as drinkable as a young barley wine can be. I guess you SHOULD store this in your gnome hole!
The flavor is heavy on dark fruit and sugar notes. Lots of figs and candied plums. I think the coolest thing is that the booze is hidden but under this much sweetness that is understandable. The body is medium with a sticky, syrupy texture. For a very young barley wine it is pretty drinkable, as drinkable as a young barley wine can be. I guess you SHOULD store this in your gnome hole!
Tried
from Can
on 17 Dec 2015
at 20:41
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Can. Pours a clear deep reddish amber with a near white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has notes of bread and toffee with a bit of dark fruits supporting. Flavor has sweet grains, toffee and dark fruits with a touch of earthiness supporting.
Tried
from Can
on 28 Nov 2015
at 12:35
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12 ounce can into snifter, canned in 10/2015. Pours hazy deep ruby red color with a small dense off white head with decent retention, that reduces to a spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, toasted brown bread, raisin, plum, fig, berry, apple, toffee, nuttiness, light chocolate, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great complexity and balance of dark/bready malt and moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, toasted brown bread, raisin, plum, fig, berry, apple, toffee, nuttiness, light chocolate, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toasted brown bread, raisin, plum, fig, berry, apple, toffee, nuttiness, and herbal/yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt and moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and slightly sticky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with only a slight warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is an excellent English barleywine style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt and moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to sip on for the big ABV. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Can
on 19 Nov 2015
at 20:59