6.8

Appearance - 3 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 12

Bottle. Deep hay amber. Short, off-white head, disappearing. Aroma of bourbon, dark fruit, oak, wet paper. The flavor is moderately to heavily sweet and lightly bitter. It finishes moderately sweet and lightly bitter. Medium to full body, velvety texture, moderate carbonation. Taste more of wood and less of bourbon, caramel, raisin, cardboard. Alcohol finish. though not as boozy as many 11 percenters. Not terribly complex. Well, this is a big, malty beer that tastes like it's been in a bourbon barrel. Woo-hoo.

7

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7

Bourbon barrel aged American style barleywine, older bomber at Bart's tasting in the Struise shop in Bruges. Creamy, yellowish beige, tightly lacing, closed head over a misty chestnut brown beer with ruddy-burgundy hue. Aroma of hazelnut oil, old brownies, dried blackcurrants, orange peel, old peanuts, aging dry sherry-like oxidation, dried tree leaves, brown bread, marmelade. Dried fruit sweetishness in the onset, fig- and even cherry-ish notes, blackcurrant-like sourish touch but nothing infectuous, lots of residual sugary sweetness, medium carbonation (actually on the sharp side for a barleywine, impairing the vinous mouthfeel it is supposed to have). Thick and syrupy body though, deeply nutty with a bitter chocolatey touch to it, lots of marmelade- and dried grapefruit peel-like notes in the finish, some vanilla-ish oak but low in tannins, firmly hopped, grapefruity mixed with persisting malt and sugary sweetness, followed by a glow of evidently bourbon-like warming alcohol; retronasal oxidation as well. Nice enough, but if this wants to achieve greatness among American style barleywines, it needs more depth and complexity, as well as less fizziness; probably a bit too old already as well.

6

Jak sie otworzy lepiej, ale i tak bez szalenstw. Miodowo, goryczkowo, nieco suszono, jak nieco itleniona DIPA z nad wisly troche. Alko

8.5

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 10 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

12 oz. bottle aged about 16 months. Darker brown color, ruby highlight around the edges. Aroma is subtle bourbon, mellow oak, dried apples and fruity hints. Flavor shows me dried fruits, plums, warming alcohol, after the sip. Aged just log enough.

This is a big and complex barley wine. Flavorful bourbon without the burn. Can't tell what bourbon barrel this is but... absolutely delicious!

8.2

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

355ml bottle (thx, Chris S.!). Vintage 2015. Pours a murky amber with a tan head. Aroma is huse bourbon and fruity notes. Taste is similar with lots of chocolate, hoppy bitterness and boozy notes. Still quite boozy, but this booziness is quite pleasant and compensated by high palate. Great stuff!

7.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

12 oz bottle. Pours a clear red-hued amber with a yellowy off-white head. Molasses, bourbon, caramel aromas. Bourbon, caramel, molasses flavor, toasty malt. It’s definitely good.

8.5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter; 2017 vintage, bottled on 4/11/2017. Pours crystal clear deep reddish copper color with a 1 finger dense light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lasts. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, grapefruit, apricot, apple, orange peel, pine, caramel, maple, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, coconut, brown bread, and biscuit; with light notes of chocolate, coffee, smoke, charred wood, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, citrus/pine hops, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Mild increasing booze in the aromas as it warms, but never overwhelming. Taste of huge raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, grapefruit, apricot, apple, orange peel, pine, caramel, maple, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, coconut, brown bread, and biscuit; with light notes of chocolate, coffee, smoke, charred wood, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine/citrus peel bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruits, cherry, grapefruit, apricot, apple, orange peel, pine, caramel, maple, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, coconut, brown bread, biscuit, light chocolate/char, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, citrus/pine hops, and bourbon barrel flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance; with zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a smooth, creamy/bready/sticky/tannic, and slightly slick/silky/syrupy/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden; a small pleasant warmth, with very mild barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an incredible barrel aged American barleywine! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, citrus/pine hops, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV. Pretty much perfectly balanced between all flavors. Impressive malt complexity and great barrel presence; without being overly boozy, tannic, or drying. This improved on the hop presence as it warmed up, balancing itself with dark fruitiness. A highly enjoyable offering.

7.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Refrigerated 12 oz. brown bottle poured into a snifter. Slightly hazy Amber with small beige head. Aroma is caramel malt, medium body, medium/light carbonation,

7.3

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle, thanks to Misterburd. Pours murky chocolate brown with foamy light beige head, woodsy bourbon aroma, medium carbonation, slightly sweet bourbon taste with woodsy aroma, thin body, long lightly bitter bourbon finish. Quite potent and stinging..

7.8

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

12oz bottle pours out a cola color topped with a small head. Nose is big sweet malts rich toffee caramel some pit fruit bourbon barrel vanilla coconut. Taste is more of the heavy sweetness rich malts pit fruit toffee a nice bourbon barrel balance. Very nice.