(Tap) clear, bright orange amber colour with a small white head; aroma of tropical fruit, dried longan; balanced flavour with a long, light bitter finish

2010 Bottle. Pours dark amber orange with off white head. Nose/taste of orange pith, spicy rye, dark fruit, light candy sugar, caramelized oranges and candied resin. Full bodied. Gracefully aged.

From a bottle - Batch No. 66. Aroma has a nice, darker caramel character with quite a bit of toffee. Faint roast and chocolate notes. Moderate raisin, fig and prune with a bit of alcohol spice. Light, earthy hop notes. Medium light honey and oxidation notes. A faint, slightly off, seaweed note. Pours a somewhat cloudy copper color with some burnt amber and light brown hues. Somewhat small, daily thin tan head that recedes fairly quickly to a thin film that lingers, slightly thicker on the edges. Light lacing with medium sized legs. Flavor has a light tartness in it with a moderately strong, harsh metallic character. Moderate bitterness. Some cherry and faint berry fruit notes along with raisin and prune. Medium caramel and toffee notes along with faint roast and toasted bread. Metallic aftertaste with some caramel and toasted bread. Some alcohol spice in the finish as well. Mouthfeel is medium full bodied with medium carbonation. Medium low astringency and low alcohol warmth. Overall this really isn’t a good barleywine, but I am sure age had something to do with the acidity. The aroma is far better than flavor. I doubt the age really had anything to do with the harsh, metallic aftertaste.

On 06/18/2011. Somewhat hazy orange body with a medium frothy tan head. Sweet fruit and light caramel aroma. Sweet caramel fruit and light floral flavor. Medium body with moderate carbonation.

Sampled on draft at the House of 1000 beers this beer poured a caramel-brown color with a small foamy tan head that faded quickly and left minimal lacing. The aroma was sour with toasted caramel, fig and Worcestershire sauce. The flavor was sour toasted caramel, fig, apple, Worcestershire sauce and tobacco with an astringent and medicinal undertone. Medium length finish of caramel, apple and Worcestershire sauce. Medium body though a bit undercarbonated. Disappointing.

750 ml bottle–thanks to a generous trader-pours hazy copper with a tan head. Aroma is light/medium fruit, malty/wheat. Taste is light/medium fruit-pear, spice hops, rye/malty/wheat-caramel/toast. 3.4 OK, as it warms, [1st glass I let warm to maybe 40, 2nd glass to mid/upper 40s] nice softening and some more esters+flavors. 3.8

Bottle thanks to joeneugs. Pours a hazy orangish amber with a white head that lasts throughout the beer. Aroma ha a good amount of sweet fruit, with a bit of alcohol and backing rye. Flavor begins with sweet grains and fruit, but has a good amount of rye the comes out in the finish and a hint of hopiness.

Tropical aroma of kiwifruit, tangerine, and whole grapefruit. Quite a delicious aroma for an IPA or IIPA, but this is new to me in a barleywine. Call it a west coast barleywine. Cloudy copper, thin yellow head. Medium body, lightly spritzy, rather hot. Flavor is triple sec, whole grapefruit, whole overripe oranges. Finishes with just a bit of orange peel. Drinks more like an IIPA. Tropical hop profile doesn’t comport with how I’ve come to know barleywines, but I’m open to a redefinition. Pretty nice.

Hey the only problem with this beer and bottle is that the cork shot off with violence and broke a light fixture. At least the beer isn’t infected. So there’s that. Formerly corked and caged 750mL bottle pours clear copper with gold edges and tan head. The aroma has spicy hops, mild floral hop note and a decent enough pulse of pine hops too. Behind the hops is a modest level of malt sugary sweetness. The taste is similar with spicy hops, mango, passion fruit too and some floral hops all supported by sweeter notes of sugary malts and sweet apricot juice. Tastes pretty good.

Bottle. Rich amber beer with a huge dark cream colored head. Rich malt and caramel aroma with light dried fruit. Rich malt and caramel flavor with light earth and light fruitiness. Medium bodied. Rich malt and caramel lingers with light toffee and light fruit.