Chessie 2022 Barleywine Aged In Tawny Port Barrels
Union Craft Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland, United States 🇺🇸
Barley Wine - Barley Winter Out of Production|
Score
6.42
|
|
The beast of a beer you hold in your hand has quietly slumbered in Portuguese Port, 5 year barrels for 15 months — slowly breathing in the vanilla and oak notes from the barrel staves and adding layers of complexity to this full-flavored barleywine-style ale. The Columbus and Centennial hops have blended with rich malt and oak barrel flavors to produce a beer that is meant to be savored with every sip.
It pours a reddish mahogany brown with a strip of light tan head. Sweet, luscious, & heady aromas of toffee, black cherry, golden raisin, & marzipan present, clinging tightly to a velvety base of dried fruit & vanilla bean. Heavy & full on the palate, finishing with a contrasting oak tannin & alcoholic warmth
It pours a reddish mahogany brown with a strip of light tan head. Sweet, luscious, & heady aromas of toffee, black cherry, golden raisin, & marzipan present, clinging tightly to a velvety base of dried fruit & vanilla bean. Heavy & full on the palate, finishing with a contrasting oak tannin & alcoholic warmth
Sign up to add a tick or review
5.6/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5
I know my history with this series and I have always found them too heavy on the booze in that barrel prior. However, when I saw this at my local place on discount for $5 A 375ml bottle I had to at least take a chance at this, new to me, barrel version. What I forgot is that even though I did not think that a tawny port barrel could be so strong and brutally overwhelming as a bourbon or ever wine, I don't like tawny port for all the reasons that I wouldn't like it in my beer. I am a fan of vintage port but tawny port is the opposite. Tawny port is meant to bring out aromas and flavors of age an oxidation. Well, these flavors make me run from a barleywine, nowadays. And somehow they still manage to make it such a strong aroma. Couldn't most of the bottle.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Feb 2025
at 06:21