Alliance - Madeira Reserve 2007
Thornbridge Brewery in Bakewell, Derbyshire, England 🏴
Barley Wine - Barley Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.59
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During 2007, an alliance based on friendship and love of great beer between Thornbridge’s Head Brewer Stefano Cossi and Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver led to the brewing of this refined strong ale which has been matured for over 18 months before being bottled. The collection includes the unoaked Alliance Strong Ale and two finished exclusively in fortified wine casks: Spanish oak Pedro Ximenez Sherry (PX) and American oak Madeira. We hope you enjoy this unique tasting experience.
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8.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9.5
Bottle at both The Rake brewery tasting and then again at The Grove in Huddersfield shared with Haddonsman. The coconut I taste in this makes me like the PX version better for me, but this is still exceptional. This is a classy barley wine which always puts me in a happy place. Not too sweet but has that intensity that I like from something like a fortified wine. Still it is full bodied and a great beer. Love it to bits.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Jul 2009
at 18:55
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity malty oaky madeira aroma. Sweetish malty caramel flavor with oaky madeira hints. Has a sweetish malty warming oaky finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Jul 2009
at 08:49
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle at home ... with Wetherel ... copper big bubbly head... yeasty fruity nose ... rich toffee ... some plum and raisins ... lots of orange peel ... little spice... ok but dont seem quit right ... Tk 2 ... Bottle at home with TimE ... copper ... sweet pine toffee hop ... juicy ... sweet toffee ... malts ...lots of plums and other sweet dark fruits ... nice ... but is it worth the extra wonga ... im not quite convinced... bottle at home ... drunk nov 2014 ... dark malts ... thin tan lacing ... soft sweet malts ... juicy roast ... soft berries fruit nose ... soft blackcurrant .. soft sweet madeirs ... soft fruits ... soft fruit ... nice soft and rich fryuity 3.9
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Jul 2009
at 12:35
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle that I picked up at Stirchley Wines, B’ham, Apr 09 shared with dad 16-05-09 Much like the unoaked Alliance this pours a deep amber, but edging towards copper in colour with off white head, this also has a slight haze but I’m quite sure that this is the result of a slightly careless pour by yours truly. I’m not sure that I’ve ever had Madeira but I would imagine that the wafts from this being slightly exotic and fortified winelike are what I’m getting. There is a good oakiness as well on the nose. Taste is oaky, creamy vanilla, Loz detected a figginess in the mouth, this was softer and a little more refined than the standard version. There was still a nice warming and boozy wooziness when drinking this beer and it was significantly better than the standard version but still no world beater. A7 A4 F8 P4 Ov15 3.8
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 May 2009
at 04:18
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle, Carringtons, Chorlton. I think this has to be my favourite of all the Alliance series. Poured a bronze colour with a multitude of swirling bubbles and a good lookin’ plump off white head. The Madeira sherry casks definitely show up in the aroma which had a smokiness that somehow reminded me of fireworks (cherry bombs?!). Also, notes of golden syrup and fruit. Slides down very smoothly, maybe even slightly creamy. Complex flavour that has much to recommend it and deserves to be lingered over. A fruitiness there which is hard to pin down, maybe raspberry/summer fruits. The ever present woody aspect mingles expertly with well balanced yeast, malt and hop. Didn’t want this one to end, and hope to exercise enough self restraint to hold onto a bottle for a couple of years.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Apr 2009
at 06:16