Our Finest Regards
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States 🇺🇸
Barley Wine - Barley Special Out of Production|
Score
7.50
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From Pretty Things to you this winter season: "Our Finest Regards". Two years into our project and we’re grateful and amazed that so many people love and support great beer these days. The fact that we’re still here is a credit to you all.
But for the question of primary importance: What is the beer?
Well, it’s our Pretty Things barleywine. Inspired by malted barley, a tribute to the barleycorn. Yes, it’s simple, but that’s what barleywines are all about. Ever since brewing in England, Dann has dreamed of making a barley-focused beer using the malts of Yorkshire (and never hesitates to plug his favorite: Thomas Fawcett & Sons).
Give barley a chance and this mysterious little grain can do grand things!
To get the density of sugars needed for this sort of beer, we employed "double mashing". The brewhouse that we work on can only get to maybe 18 plato for a single running of wort: but we wanted 27 plato! So we combined two brews by running wort into the kettle and then using it to mash in the second batch. We don’t take credit for this idea. We’re certain it has been done many, many times before. But it wasn’t until Will Meyers (the great Cantabridgian Cervecero) brought this method to our attention that we realized we could brew a barleywine of proper gravity... (he never told us that he hadn’t actually performed this sort of brewing before!). Anyway, it works!!
We fermented with a blend of English and Belgian yeast strains that seemed to work quite well together fermenting down to 4 plato in short order (that’s 13.5% abv if you’re counting). Expect an aroma of juicy sultanas, malted milk balls, and alcohol deliciousness. It’s got a medium body and is a little more spritsy than we’re sure the Brits would like. Serve over 50 degrees fahrenheit in a stemmed glass.
But for the question of primary importance: What is the beer?
Well, it’s our Pretty Things barleywine. Inspired by malted barley, a tribute to the barleycorn. Yes, it’s simple, but that’s what barleywines are all about. Ever since brewing in England, Dann has dreamed of making a barley-focused beer using the malts of Yorkshire (and never hesitates to plug his favorite: Thomas Fawcett & Sons).
Give barley a chance and this mysterious little grain can do grand things!
To get the density of sugars needed for this sort of beer, we employed "double mashing". The brewhouse that we work on can only get to maybe 18 plato for a single running of wort: but we wanted 27 plato! So we combined two brews by running wort into the kettle and then using it to mash in the second batch. We don’t take credit for this idea. We’re certain it has been done many, many times before. But it wasn’t until Will Meyers (the great Cantabridgian Cervecero) brought this method to our attention that we realized we could brew a barleywine of proper gravity... (he never told us that he hadn’t actually performed this sort of brewing before!). Anyway, it works!!
We fermented with a blend of English and Belgian yeast strains that seemed to work quite well together fermenting down to 4 plato in short order (that’s 13.5% abv if you’re counting). Expect an aroma of juicy sultanas, malted milk balls, and alcohol deliciousness. It’s got a medium body and is a little more spritsy than we’re sure the Brits would like. Serve over 50 degrees fahrenheit in a stemmed glass.
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7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
5th May 2013
Cloudy amber - brown beer. Little pale tan head. Palate is slightly soft with fine carbonation. Mild creamy malt with an unsweet toffee streak. Touch of dried fruits and a whisper of bubblegum ester. Finishes dry. Not bad. Hides the abv well!
Cloudy amber - brown beer. Little pale tan head. Palate is slightly soft with fine carbonation. Mild creamy malt with an unsweet toffee streak. Touch of dried fruits and a whisper of bubblegum ester. Finishes dry. Not bad. Hides the abv well!
Tried
on 23 Jun 2013
at 10:02
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottled Nov. 2011 Aroma is fairly fruity and sweet with a medium low sherry character. Fruit is dominated by raisin with some prune, plums and a hint of banana chips. Light toasted bread note and medium low caramel aroma. Light toffee is also present but this beer is not very malt forward. Pours a somewhat murky brown with a good amount of amber and ruby highlights. Very faint, light tan head that quickly recedes to the edges. No lacing and medium low legs. Flavor is a bit more malt forward than the aroma. Some moderate toasted bread notes, faint roast, light chocolate, moderate caramel and toffee. There is a medium high bitterness that is fairly harsh and medium low alcohol spice to the finish. The fruit notes are medium low and are raisin and prune mostly. Finish is prune, chocolate and alcohol spice. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Medium astringency and moderate alcohol warmth. Overall not a great barleywine even with the age. The fruit does not meld well with the bitterness and astringency and leaves a really bad finish. The malt is not assertive enough to balance everything else going on in this beer. Edit - opened a 2011 bottl on 01/30/2019 and it is drinking really well. The fruit notes are present, but have subsided and are working nicely with the malt notes. Raising score from original 3.1.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Jun 2013
at 22:33
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Small yellow-beige head, not very persistent, over clear red-chestnut coloured beer. Rich cake nose with milk chocolate, bit of dried fruit; chocolate-covered fruit (prunes?). Bitter-hoppy, with a syrupy, cakey background. Hints at liqueur, and grapes or plums on spirit. Further hints at citruspeel, vinous character; Warming up, starts to acquire Belgian pralines properties, chocolatey, raisins. Feels a lot more carbonated than it looks. Viscous, well-bodied. Long bitter/ish aftertaste. Vinous BW. Nice!
Tried
on 25 May 2013
at 06:16
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Stark malziger Antrunk. Süß röstig, wenig alkoholisch. Intensiv, etwas Mohn, weich, dennoch sehr aromatisch. Noch etwas würziger werdend, süß malzig röstiges Finish. 11/12/11/12/12/12
Tried
on 22 May 2013
at 23:13
8/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle thanks to Joes @ QDT 13. Deep bordeaux red color, small to medium sized beige head. Smell malts, lightly alcohol, some sweetness and lightly dried fruits. Taste malts, some sweetness, warming alcohol, dried fruits. Rich taste, full body, medium carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Apr 2013
at 10:52
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle @ #Bexit tasting thx to joes. Copper colour with a small off white head. Smells sweet, malty, some hops. Tastes hoppy, sweet, quite heavy but nice. Great taste. Full body, soft carbo.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Apr 2013
at 10:52
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Pours a dark amber color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity malty spicy caramel aroma. Fruity malty caramel flavor with weak hoppy hints. Has a sweetish malty spicy caramel finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Apr 2013
at 08:07
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
22 fl oz @ Mikkeller & Friends. Pours hazy brown with a huge, creamy and light tan head. Aroma is roasted malty, toffee and caramelish. Smooth caramelish and toffee. Medium sweet. Toffee and light bitter into a roasted finish. Solid bitter far finish.
Tried
on 31 Mar 2013
at 08:56
7.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bomber courtesy of Marsiblursi. Pours dark reddish brown with a small creamy offwhite head that doesn’t leave much trace while dissipating. Smell is sweet and fruity with sweet dark bread, red apples, pears, alcohol, hazelnuts, prunes, raisins, figs, hay, lemon zest and hints of cereal. Taste is sweet and malty with sweet bread, overripe apples, pears, hay, figs, prunes, raisins, alcohol, caramel, toffee and alcohol. Mouthfeel is creamy, boozy and near full bodied. Finish is sweet and tiny bitter with caramel sweet dark bread, pears, overripe apples, lemon zest hay and moist wood. Too boozy, very estery yet quite tasty.
Tried
on 09 Oct 2012
at 15:08
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle from November 2011. Pours with a syrupy murky, deep brown hue with some red highlights, a tight tan head slowly fades above it. Some alcohol legs. Super boozy aroma. Figs, brown sugar, molasses, very sweet, brandy, chewy, caramel and light spice. Leather, malted milk, mild esters and milk chocolate. Intense. Flavors are intense, tobacco, caramel, chewy, dark fruits, dates, figs, brown sugar, malted milk and chocolate. Lots of alcohol. Huge beer, it feels every bit of 13%. Some strong esters and sharp alcohol. Mild banana notes. Rich malt complexity. Mild vanilla. A mild roast/earthy note becomes more apparent as it warms. Thick, syrupy and big. Medium alcohol with mild carbonation. Intense. Possibly a touch messy.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Feb 2012
at 17:49