Pint can. Pineapple aroma with notes of mango, papaya, grapefruit, orange, grassy hops and pine resiny hops. Pours hazy golden colored with a large off white head that has excellent retention and lacing. Starts with juicy pineapple, mango, orange and grassy hop flavors. Finishes dry and fresh with papaya, grapefruit and pine resiny hop flavors. Excellent.

The 4000th brew by this celebrated Seattle brewery - which calls for a special one, as was the case with the 1000th, 2000th and 3000th brews as well. Cheers to Martijn for sharing this gem at Proevertjesdag. Tiny-bubbled, open yet stable, yellow-beige head on a clear deep bronze robe with copper-red glow, a tad darker than average for any kind of barleywine. Aroma of Belgian chocolates, vanilla and indeed the bourbon behind it, oak, candied fig, madera, white port, pear syrup, dates, yellow raisins, 'boerenjongens', marzipan, toffee, cognac. Densely candied onset, sweet candied figs and cherries, Sultana raisins soaked in white rum, soft carb with full yet vinous mouthfeel - a tad sticky from the sugars, but not overly so, maintaining a relatively high degree of 'drinkability'. Layers of toffee, hazelnut paste and slight (milk) chocolate fill the middle, warmed by fortified wine-like alcohol more than actual bourbon - madera and port, but then indeed the bourbon does seep through, in all its vanillin glory, reinforced by oak. The wood brings tannins too, but everything remains smooth, sweet, candied, vinous and fortified wine-like in a thicker, toffeeish way, with a long, warming finish in which almonds, raisins and dates feature again. Slight nutty accents too, and then something brandy-like... This is one of those intricate, multidimensional barleywines that keep on giving, a thing of beauty to be savoured gently on a gloomy evening; feels very American, but at the same time, given its sweetness and maltiness, it does live up to its 'English barleywine' ambitions too - in fact I already guessed that before I knew it was even the intention. A masterpiece for sure so the very high scores here are completely deserved.

Pint can, 2025 vintage. Hazelnut aroma with notes of chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla, bourbon and oak. Pours deep brown with a finger of creamy mocha brown head that has excellent retention and lacing. Starts with rich roasted malt, chocolate and hazelnutty flavors as well as having a rich, full body and silky smooth mouthfeel. Finishes quite smooth with vanilla, bourbon and oak flavors. A little unrefined but still quite delicious.