Swarm
Idle Hands Craft Ales in Malden, Massachusetts, United States 🇺🇸
Barley Wine - Barley Rotating|
Score
6.72
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Malt, honey and grapes combine to bring forth an interesting interaction of floral sweetness, doughy malt and a distinct vinous character with notes of lychee fruit, candied citrus and fresh-cut flowers.
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6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Draught at the brewery, 7/9/16.
Lightly-to-moderately hazy, bright, marigold yellow with a light copper tint. Off-white head is small and shows very low retention.
Honey, not surprisingly, rises up in the nose. There’s a good richness to it and both fermented and unfermented characteristics abound. Lightly floral, with soft pepper, "sweetness" and light to moderate minerality. The all pale malt behind it helps keep the focus on the honey, but there’s certainly light bread, hay, grain and vanilla to be found as well. Alcohol is concealed in the nose and there are no flaws noted.
Sweet in the mouth, with a warming phenolic/ester character that is joined by very soft alcohol. Lots of pepper, bread, floral character and a big sweetness from both honey and malt, with a lightly sticky texture from the honey. I love the honey texture and flavor and they’ve done a great job with how much residual sweetness is left behind from the honey. That being said, it’s still very much dominated by sweet flavors and could use some more dry and bitter notes to balance it. Carbonation is low and no flaws are noted.
Lightly-to-moderately hazy, bright, marigold yellow with a light copper tint. Off-white head is small and shows very low retention.
Honey, not surprisingly, rises up in the nose. There’s a good richness to it and both fermented and unfermented characteristics abound. Lightly floral, with soft pepper, "sweetness" and light to moderate minerality. The all pale malt behind it helps keep the focus on the honey, but there’s certainly light bread, hay, grain and vanilla to be found as well. Alcohol is concealed in the nose and there are no flaws noted.
Sweet in the mouth, with a warming phenolic/ester character that is joined by very soft alcohol. Lots of pepper, bread, floral character and a big sweetness from both honey and malt, with a lightly sticky texture from the honey. I love the honey texture and flavor and they’ve done a great job with how much residual sweetness is left behind from the honey. That being said, it’s still very much dominated by sweet flavors and could use some more dry and bitter notes to balance it. Carbonation is low and no flaws are noted.
Tried
on 21 Jul 2016
at 15:54