8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Brown. Lots of wood in the flavor and aroma. Vanilla, from oak I assume. Some whisky character, but it works well. A little sweet. Thanks to Skyview for sharing. 2009 edition. Bourbon and some spice. Low carbonation. Not nearly as good due to overwhelming bourbon. I won’t change my rating, but would rate this 6 3 6 3 13.
Tried
on 22 Mar 2009
at 14:35
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Sample at the Hopsnobbery Collective Barley Wine tasting on 03/14/2009: Thanks to Homerwantsbeer for sharing a bottle. This year’s version pours dark brown with a medium light tan head that recedes steadily. Thin rings of lacing slide down the glass slowly. Bready malt, dark fruit and caramel in the nose. Rich, syrupy body with flavors of toasted malt, caramel and moderately bitter hops. Warming alcohol is evident throughout. The finish is rich and fruity with malt and raisins left over. A solid Barley Wine overall.
Earlier Rating: 3/17/2009 Total Score: 4.2
Sample at the Hopsnobbery Collective Barley Wine tasting on 03/14/2009: Thanks to Homerwantsbeer for sharing a bottle. The beer pours a dark reddish-brown color with a medium thin beige head that diminishes slowly. Thin rings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of ripe fruit, dark malt and hops. Rich and syrupy body with flavors of roasted malt, caramel and dark fruit. Decent amount of hops in the background as well. The finish is full and malty with a lingering fruity aftertaste. Very good overall, and probably my favorite of the ’05-’07 vertical.
Earlier Rating: 3/17/2009 Total Score: 4
Sample at the Hopsnobbery Collective Barley Wine tasting on 03/14/2009: Thanks to Homerwantsbeer for sharing a bottle. IPA bottle with an address label over it. The beer is a dark brown color with a minimal off-white head that disappears fairly fast. Top ring of lacing with spots beneath. Aroma of dark malts and plum and sweet boozy notes. Rich and syrupy with flavors of rich malt, dark fruit and sweet brown sugar. Warming alcohol throughout. The finish is sweet caramel and brown sugar with a lingering roasted malt aftertaste. Enjoyable all around.
Earlier Rating: 3/17/2009 Total Score: 4.2
Sample at the Hopsnobbery Collective Barley Wine tasting on 03/14/2009: Thanks to Homerwantsbeer for sharing a bottle. The beer pours a dark reddish-brown color with a medium thin beige head that diminishes slowly. Thin rings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of ripe fruit, dark malt and hops. Rich and syrupy body with flavors of roasted malt, caramel and dark fruit. Decent amount of hops in the background as well. The finish is full and malty with a lingering fruity aftertaste. Very good overall, and probably my favorite of the ’05-’07 vertical.
Earlier Rating: 3/17/2009 Total Score: 4
Sample at the Hopsnobbery Collective Barley Wine tasting on 03/14/2009: Thanks to Homerwantsbeer for sharing a bottle. IPA bottle with an address label over it. The beer is a dark brown color with a minimal off-white head that disappears fairly fast. Top ring of lacing with spots beneath. Aroma of dark malts and plum and sweet boozy notes. Rich and syrupy with flavors of rich malt, dark fruit and sweet brown sugar. Warming alcohol throughout. The finish is sweet caramel and brown sugar with a lingering roasted malt aftertaste. Enjoyable all around.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Mar 2009
at 02:08
7.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
FRO Throwdown: Clear caramel color. Molasses soaked prunes. Madeira, oaky, sherry, oxidized a tad (good). Very sweet with a ton of caramel-sweets and chocolate, almost cloying but its not. Some maple syrup? 28th beer of the throwdown, and at this strength put me right over the edge!
Tried
on 16 Mar 2009
at 22:21
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
FRO Throwdown: Cloudy yellow, foamy head. Bready with cloves? Lemony, coriander, wheaty. Minty coriander flavors. Lightly spicy finish. A witbier labeled as saison or something?
Tried
on 16 Mar 2009
at 20:17
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle. 2005 Vintage. Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a small off-white head. Has a malty spicy dark fruit aroma with some yeasty hints. Fruity malty spicy caramel flavor with some hints of dark fruit with a slightly thin mouthfeel. Has a spicy malty finish with some hints of caramel.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Mar 2009
at 04:42
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Pours a clear but dark ruby brown with a medium head, which never fully fades. Aroma is well attenuated with lots of earthiness and wet leafiness, very moor-ish. Lightly sweet and soil-y. Taste is similar with a bit of a candied sweetness coming through with plenty of dark, earthy maltiness and again that soul-like flavor. Just a bit of alcohol present throughout. I really liked this and need to drink it again.
22oz bottle, Gordon’s Finest thistle glass.
22oz bottle, Gordon’s Finest thistle glass.
Tried
from Can
on 27 Feb 2009
at 12:33
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Bottle courtesy hopscotch. Reddish copper color. Heavily caramelized melanoidin malt nose. Maybe there’s a hint of spicy hop. Flavor is nicely caramelized sweet malt dominated.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Feb 2009
at 23:09
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
750 ml corked and caged bottle ordered over the web directly from the brewery. 2008 Vintage. Pour is initially clear golden with tons of cascading (reverse cascading I suppose) carbonation bubbles building up a 2 inch white head that falls pretty quick. The final pour was hazed. Aroma of herbal floral sweet hay and yeastiness. Some notes of honey and apricot. Taste is the honey sharp sweetness, herbal, grassy hay and clove spice yeastiness. Complex taste, decent melding of flavors. The aftertaste has a lot of clove to it. Palate is medium, mouth coating and a bit less thirst quenching than other Saisons I have enjoyed. The honey cloys a bit towards the end. Overall, a nice Saison.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Feb 2009
at 09:07
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
750 ml corked and caged bottle ordered over the web directly from the brewery. 2008 Vintage. Opens with a loud pop. Pour is hazed orange, copper and beige. Fine carbonation bubbles steadily rise up to a billowing 4 inch whitish-tan head. Head is quite lasting. Decent lacing. Aroma earthy peaty caramel maltiness. Some floral vanilla in there too, very soft and pleasant nose. Taste is the caramel maltiness of the nose initially, then some nice grassy hay floral graininess. Finish has some slight citrus bitterness and yeasty spiciness. Palate is medium, nice big body though still manages to be crisp and drinkable. This was a nice beer. Thanks for doing web sales, Pelican!
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Feb 2009
at 09:05
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 7
Thanks to Skyview for sharing this one. Malt aroma and flavor. Bourbon in there as well, and too much of it in my opinion. Sweet, sugary flavor, with some wood as well. Too much bourbon overall.
Earlier Rating: 8/31/2007 Total Score: 4.1
Dark brown color. A very well hopped barleywine, but there is also sweet malt for balance. The alcohol is well hidden adn it is not appear to be as strong as it really is. Well balanced with the malt and hops.
Earlier Rating: 8/31/2007 Total Score: 4.1
Dark brown color. A very well hopped barleywine, but there is also sweet malt for balance. The alcohol is well hidden adn it is not appear to be as strong as it really is. Well balanced with the malt and hops.
Tried
on 15 Feb 2009
at 14:43