8.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
January 2002 bottle. DAMN! This is almost 3 years old and I just got the bottle. I didnt even realize the date when I first looked at this bottle. Thought I was going to have to age this one for a while, so this is a very pleasant surprise. Thanks a ton Jay (springslicker) this is an awesome bonus!! Immediately upon opening, a burst of aroma rushes up to greet me! Wow, this is one intense aroma. Huge amounts of the good stuff; roasted barley, toffee, sweet candied fruits, an earthy, yet sweet, rich malt base that you can inhale deeply. This is what a good barleywine should smell like. No bitter hops, no citrus, awesome!!! Transluscent body, low filtration evident! Deep cherry red, auburn and dark orange with a small but firm, creamy off-white/beige head. Lacing as well. Oh wow. Flavor delivers!!! You’ve got a mix of dry, roastiness with plenty of English toffee. I think English toffee may be my favorite flavor in barleywines, and this has lots of it. It’s dry, grainy, slightly vinous, and just full of flavor. Light chocolate, raisins, figs, plums and a HUGE yeast apparency. Earthy, dusty yeastiness abounds. Reminds me much of Kuhnhenn’s Fourth Dementia Old ale. Hint of saltiness, some alcohol notes bounce around on the palate. The alcohol get a bit too pervasive on the finish, but that is one of the only complaints I have here. Dry, earthy, woody flavor. NO HOPS!!!!! Wow, I love it when you don’t even feel the hops. This is about as British as it gets for an American brewed barleywine. Fantastic stuff and perfectly aged. Mostly smooth body, with some traces of tingly carbonation. Medium-full body with slight thinning on the end (oxidation). Where has this beer been all of my life??? Next question, how do I get a case of this!!! Thanks so much Jay, this was phenomenal.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Dec 2004
at 12:56
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Clear deep amber color that muddied a bit because I poured too far. Small head with some fine lacing. Malt, yeast and apple pie. The flavor is sweet, but not near as deep nor complex as the aroma led me to hope for. Body a bit thin with a bit of hop dryness in the finish.
Tried
on 22 Nov 2004
at 20:26
5.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 6
Light yellow with a very small head. Thin and acidic. Needs more of everything, maybe this just isn’t my style.
Tried
on 17 Oct 2004
at 13:38
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
3 year old bottle given to me by the brewer. Deep chestnut brown with ruby highlights under a small, but for a Barleywine, good head. Rich complex aroma of caramel malt, dried fruits, and alcohol. Smooth, warming, sweet and fruity. Well balanced. Better than average commercial Barleywine.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Oct 2004
at 13:12
9/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 8
Copper brown ake with a foamy off-white head. Raisinous alcohol aroma with a bit of wet dog thrown in. Explosions of flavours in mouth, sweet demera sugars, alcohol, resinous hops and licorice. Complex bodied. Wow!
Tried
on 29 Aug 2004
at 19:01
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Pours with a clear copper body, lighter than any other altbier I’ve tried. Aroma is crackery and grassy. Flavor is dense but not very distinctive, with earthy/grassy hops mingling with caramely malt. Rather sweet, tangy malt finish. Not as much emphasis on toasty or burnt brown sugar flavors as the other altbiers I’ve sampled. Not subtle either.
Tried
on 02 May 2004
at 01:19
6.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Tried this out of a growler procured by TAR. Pours dark reddish brown with a thin light tan head. Very buttery aroma with some roasted malt. Flavor begins, like the aroma, with buttery notes with some smoke (but this aspect isn't too strong), roasted malt and tangy wood. This is a decent porter but not something I would spend time seeking.
Tried
from Growler
on 02 Feb 2004
at 21:55
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
(draught) Very clear gold to orange; slim rim for head. Some malt, some grassy hops, some cheese and a touch of coriandre in the nose. Taste comes in bitter with hops, roasted malts and lots of orangezest. Well-filled, plenty of malts for beefing it up. I have some trouble making out the style. But being hoppy, malty and well-balanced enough, why complain?
Tried
on 03 Oct 2003
at 05:59
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Another barleywine to insult or praise. Mostly praise, which is usually heaped on my barleywine experiences. A bready, caramely, fruity aroma emanates from the murky red-brown body. Flavor is of raisins, prunes, bread, caramel, prime rib, lobster, havarti,...(note to self: stop after caramel). Still, the body is a bit thin even though the flavor is strong, and the alcohol dominates the taste on the way down. With that in mind, this isn't one of my favorite barleywines, but it is still a tasty affair.
Tried
on 09 Aug 2003
at 00:14
6.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
A nice coffee-like, roasted aroma follows the pour of this dark-bodied porter. Flavor is of coffee and fresh roasted malts, with a lactic sour feel. Overall, a robust example of the style, but exactly like a decent homebrew made from malt extract.
Tried
on 11 Jul 2003
at 22:56