Raconteur BA 3yr
Wild Beer Co in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England 🏴
Barley Wine - Barley Regular Out of Production|
Score
6.89
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Barleywine + Somerset Cider Brandy + 3 years in barrel
3 years soaked in our Marc de Bourgogne barrel
First Brewed as part of the 2013 Barrel Trinity this is the raconteur that didn’t see the light of day and has been biding it’s time in barrel for over 3 years maturing in complexity and elegance. Raconteur suitably means ‘the story teller’ and with its extended time in exile it has developed to become one serious barrel-aged barley-wine!
First time round the beer was based around a beautiful Marc de Bourgogne barrel which was 25 years in the soaking. This blend has seen a mixture of Burgundy Wine barrels and Somerset Cider Brandy barrels with the latter being the focus of the blend. 3 years in our barrels have provided an decadent oaky texture whilst also enhancing all of the toffee and caramel malt favours. The Cider Brandy barrels lend hints of brandy heat with smooth, rounded apple notes.
3 years soaked in our Marc de Bourgogne barrel
First Brewed as part of the 2013 Barrel Trinity this is the raconteur that didn’t see the light of day and has been biding it’s time in barrel for over 3 years maturing in complexity and elegance. Raconteur suitably means ‘the story teller’ and with its extended time in exile it has developed to become one serious barrel-aged barley-wine!
First time round the beer was based around a beautiful Marc de Bourgogne barrel which was 25 years in the soaking. This blend has seen a mixture of Burgundy Wine barrels and Somerset Cider Brandy barrels with the latter being the focus of the blend. 3 years in our barrels have provided an decadent oaky texture whilst also enhancing all of the toffee and caramel malt favours. The Cider Brandy barrels lend hints of brandy heat with smooth, rounded apple notes.
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7.5/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Panda at home, thanks to Kenneth, 13/06/2026.
Deep mahogany brown topped with a thin beige cap that races to the edge.
Nose is big barrels, acetic tones, light acidic nostril tickle, sharp fruit tang.
Taste comprises soured stewed fruits, vinous twang, tobacco, red berry skins, acidic spike.
Medium bodied with bite, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a balanced puckering edge.
Tidy enough sour ... perhaps has age has caused this one to settle down and become more drinkable.
Deep mahogany brown topped with a thin beige cap that races to the edge.
Nose is big barrels, acetic tones, light acidic nostril tickle, sharp fruit tang.
Taste comprises soured stewed fruits, vinous twang, tobacco, red berry skins, acidic spike.
Medium bodied with bite, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a balanced puckering edge.
Tidy enough sour ... perhaps has age has caused this one to settle down and become more drinkable.
Tried
on 13 Jun 2026
at 16:21
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle shared at Chris and Ruth Pre-GBBF 2017 tasting - London. Cheers! Pours mostly clear amber with a creamy, white head. The aroma holds caramel, apples, dried berries. Medium sweet flavour with some booze, wood, apples. Medium to full bodied with fine carbonation. Lightly warming finish, more stewed apples, toasted caramel. OK stuff.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Apr 2021
at 21:10
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
330ml bottle, from the stash. Pours murky ruby chestnut with a small tan head. Aroma: musty tart apple, sour fruits, caramel, cider brandy barrel, complex. Taste: moderate sweet, dried fruits, sour apples, oak, light vinous. Medium body with light carbonation. All rather muddled in flavour now, the cider brandy barrel masks the barleywine characteristics. Interesting, complex but ultimately not great.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Dec 2020
at 11:00
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle. Slightly unclear deep golden body with a small off-white head. Strong aroma of malt, caramel, dry fruit, wood and dry fruit some warming alcohol. Taste is sweet malt, dry fruit, wood, vinegar, vinous alcohol and some sour fruit. Fine body and same aftertaste ending quite dry. Nice, but the aroma was the best part and promised more than it ended up.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Feb 2020
at 20:19
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6
330ml bottle bought at Independent Spirit in Bath. Clear copper-red coloured body. Filmy layer, fragile lacing. Ripe lemony smell, woody. Mixed, bit strange, taste of lemon, cider, and wood on a mid-tart backbone. Vinous impression. Alcohol warmth to a tart and sweet ending. Far from great, but quite alright. (Shared with djoeye and Finn, session in Tromsø 10.04.2018).
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Apr 2018
at 18:41
7.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle 330ml. @ [ chriso & Boudicca's pre- GBBF Shindig 2017 ] - Chris and Ruth's House, London. [ As Wild Beer Raconteur BA 3yr ].Clear medium amber colour with a small, fizzy, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, dried fruit, caramel, apple, wood. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and light to moderate acidic with a long duration, apple, tart, dried fruit, wood, oak, grapes - red grapes. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft, finish feel is light alcoholic. [20170805] 8-3-7-3-15
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Apr 2018
at 16:02
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle share at Chriso's Pre-GBBF Shindig. 05/08/2017. Many thanks! A clear ruby reddy amber coloured pour with a small fine head. Aroma is sweet apple, woody caramel, musty sour. Flavour is composed of musty sour apple, vanilly, tangy apple, bark, light oxidised. Palate is semi sweet and sour, tangy, aity massaging carbonation. Good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Dec 2017
at 18:55
5.3/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 4
Texture 6
Overall 5
bottle at home .. dark brown . thin tan lacing ... big funk .. soft acetic bur at back of nose ...woody nose...very woody .. tart funk ... some acetic balsamic tones .. but musty like.. some red wine ... im sure its for some people.. but no not for me I swear i can feel the bugs crawling round my mouth
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Sep 2017
at 12:45