7.9

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

7th July 2022
A medium haze on this deep reddish amber beer, good pale tan head. Nose is very Marsala wine but nicely offset by a little vanilla and wood. Surprisingly airy palate, airy with a fine minerally crisp back end. Similarly surprisingly light malts, caramel and cream but not the thick heavy malt you might expect from a beer pushing 17%. The barrelling is the star of the show. Rich marsala wine mingles well with the malt base, sweetish and well stocked with sweet ripe fruits. Wood carries over from the nose and provides a light undertone of mild bitterness. Finishes airy and crisp. A surprise frankly! Been awhile since I've had a White Pony beer. Always liked there 'big is best' approach but there was many clunkers in their offerings. This one feels like an assured and well brewed barleywine that hides its big abv very well. Glad I bought the box set, looking forward to the ba bws in this series.