Bomber from The Davis Beer Shoppe in Davis, CA. Pours very dark brown with a 2 finger creamy beige/tan head. Aroma is mostly brown sugar. Full bodied. Flavor is treacle with suggestions of chocolate. Or coffee. Or something. There’s no direct heat, but my nose knows there’s alcohol here. Nice in that it’s not the sickly brown sugar many barleywines seem to be. It’s not dry, but it’s not excessively sweet, and it’s just lightly astringent. With a little time it develops cherry pit flavor. Thinking this is good stuff.

On tap. Pours with a lightly murky, deep brown hued body with a receding tan hued head. Any attempt at lace is batted down by alcohol legs. Aromas are of bourbon, molasses, marzipan, brown sugar, vanillin, barrel, dates, oak, leather and mild oxidation. The bourbon character is a bit on the brash side of things (bourbon quality wise). Kola and kirsch. Flavors are of leather, brown sugar, toffee, chewy, caramel, bitter. Lots of oak tannin and vanilla. Medium alcohol warmth, low carbonation with lots of bitter tannins in the finish.