2015 bottle courtesy of Zid. Thanks Chris!

It pours a ruddy brownish red with an inch of off white foam and sticky lacing.

Lots of brown sugar like sweetness in the nose with aromas of really dried fruit, light vanilla.

The taste isn't nearly as sweet. Brown sugar I taste but it's not overwhelming.
Dried fruit like figs, which I perceive to add a butterscotch flavour. I was going to say initially that there's some oxidation, which is quite possible, but I lean more towards the fig explanation. Oh and the alcohol is noticeable.

I get a full bodied mouthfeel.

Just now, I got some woody notes that I didn't get earlier. Warming up brings out more flavours..just like most beers on the planet. I should have pulled the bottle from the fridge sooner.

All in all, I dig this "reproduction" of an American classic. I have had bottles of the original before so it's a real treat to try it with just a couple of years on it. --- Beer merged from original tick of Ballantine Burton Ale on 13 Sep 2015 at 10:06 - Score: 7. Original review text: A blast from the past.

12 ounce bottle thanks to Steve. Pours a dark copper color with a medium white head. A big fruity toffee nose. The flavor is deep dusty malts, caramel, toffee, dark fruit. Very good. Excellent.

Bottle at Doug's Christmas party, thanks SteveO
Pours clear copper with a off-white head, light lacing. Caramel and dark fruit. Toffee, sweet malts and brown sugar
Good

From Oct 2006

Poured from 16oz can a straw gold with a lot of foam that settles down to a fine broken layer.

The smell is on the sweet malty side with just a bit of "lemon pledge" nose to offset it and that's ok with me.

The taste is sweetish malty up front with some graininess and just a wee bit of bitterness right before the finish that could easily get over looked and the finish itself? That's on the watery side and probably the weakest taste feature for this APA. I remember this brew from back in the 70's and 80's and it had a really nice hop bitterness bite to it that threw the flavours totally out of balance but that's what made it so darn tasty. I really miss that old formula but this one is pretty good as well. If I had it in my market, I'd visit it often.

12 ounce bottle. Deep honey gold color. Medium-sized frothy white head. Sweet malt nose hints at corn and white bread. Dry crackery malt flavor in middle. Thin watery finish has a wisp of peppery hops.

12 oz bottle from Don. Nose is toffee, citrus, oaky vanilla, and toasted wheat bread. Clear rusty red with a small beige head. Flavor is lightly sweet with contrasting very light bitterness, fruity with some toffee.

12oz bottle poured into a tiny Duvel goblet, perfect for barleywine and reinforcing my small glass hobby. I was very interested in this throwback beer, the lure of finding an actual original Ballantine has always been strong in my mind. This is a small consolation prize. Overall, its a decent barleywine, a little astringent, not thick, a little cherry, fortunately low hop. I’ve had better brewers than Cold Spring make worse barleywines. I actually got this in a bargain bin for a buck, wish I picked up more but wont pay the regular retail price.

Firesale for $2!!!!! Whoah, really? wow, well, here’s the rest...
This was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a mahogany color with a thin white foamy rimmed lacing after the head dissipated.
The smell had some sweet caramel, toffee, oak, vanilla, cherries and toast.
The taste was basically the same with a bit of a nice sticky caramel to oaky aftertaste. Semi-dry oaky finish.
On the palate, this one sat about light to medium on the body with a nice sticky, not cloying, feels really nice on my tongue.
Overall, damn nice English styled barleywine though it does miss the \"tobacco-esque\" portion in the aroma, its still extremely nice and I would love to have again, preferably fresh.