8

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

Whisky-barrel aged barleywine by the Hop Hooligans in Romania, a brewery which has astounded me with high-level craft beers more than one time in the past years, at Blackout Brewing, another Romanian craft brewer with a firm reputation - this cannot go wrong. Medium thick, tiny-bubbled, cream white head quickly opening under influence of the alcohol but retaining as a thinnish ring around the edge; initially clear deep and pure warm amber with reddish shine and disparate sparkling, turning misty with sediment. Intense bouquet of candied orange, vanilla-exuding oak wood, Grand Marnier and indeed actual single malt Speyside whisky, Sultana raisins, marmalade, caramel candy, wet toast, almond, biscuit, fig liqueur, dry white pepper and something solventy (varnish). Clean, sweet onset, candied fig and yellow raisins, marmalade, orange zest, mildly carbonated with very oily and vinous yet smooth mouthfeel, a tad syrupy even but perfectly fit for the style. Biscuity, almondy, caramelly, smooth maltiness under liqueurish sweetness and warming, increasing Scotch whisky, together combining into an almost Drambuie-like effect, while vanilla from the oak wood (and the whisky itself) rises up retronasally. Candied sugariness, biscuit, oak wood and whisky all work together in creating a warming, soothing, liqueurish and only slightly solventy finish. As powerful and intense as it is elegant and streamlined: very ‘classic’ for a barrel aged English style barleywine, yet postmodern at the same time. The perfect nuances have been attained here.

8.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Keg at hop hooligans. Pours deep reddish amber, nose is caramel, vanilla, tangerine, coconut, taste is similar, sweet, chewy, delicious.

8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Dark amber brown color, with beige creamy cream.Aroma is chocolate, dark malt, light roasted notes, whiskey. Taste is very intense full of chocolate, caramel, dried fruit, nougat, whiskey. Alcohol is dangerously hidden. Nice and powerfull.

8

Warming