madmitch76 (40452) reviewed Barley Wine from Michigan Brewing Company 5 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
13th September 2020
Almost certainly the most obscure beer I will drink this year. Part of a trade that was completed some years back, more than five for sure. A brewery sealed bottle, perhaps the only one that got to the UK. Okay, feckin rare then, does it taste any good? A clear amber beer, with a short lived bubbly pale tan head. Smooth palate, slightly soft, still has decent fine carbonation. The bottle opened with a hearty pfffft. Light smooth palate. Smooth light malts, light caramel and cream. Bouncy dried fruits and a little citric peel. Very mild spice on the finish. It's 11 years old and is certainly mellow but showing no signs of oxidisation. Still, if you have one of these, I would not leave it beyond the end of next year. Light and drinkable and well matuted.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Refrigerated brown bomber from FlandersNed, over four years old, poured into a weizen glass. Clear copper with medium white head. Aroma is esters, medium body, pretty well carbonated. Taste is hibiscus, some berries, and esters. The grapefruit seems to be gone and I expected cardboard, so this was a pleasant surprise.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 5.5
Bottle shared at London tasting, October 2016. Black beer, charred wood, ashes. Bourbon character is moderate in the aroma and the flavor, but I do not think it helps the beer and it probably would have been better without it. Good palate anyway. Some vanila, and oak dryness.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
Bottle split at Islo tasting, thanks to Kenny, 04/10/16. Light black with a moderate tan head. Nose is sweet malts, treacle toffe, candied orange peel, faint hop notes, fruit cake. Taste comprises light oxidised strokes, chocolate, spoce, toffee, chaarr, sweet malts, very subtle barrel tones. Medium + body, fine carbonation, semi drying close. Decent enough for the age but I think the barrel affect and flavours in general are well on the wain!
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7
2009 Bottle, big thanks to Kenny. It pours darkest brown with a small tan head. The aroma is rich roasted malt, vanilla, toffee, rocky road, banana bread and some booze. The taste is smooth, rich, unctuous, boozy, wood, earth, varnish, quite oily, leather, charred notes and some vanilla with a very dry finish. Full body and low carbonation. Carbonation lets this one down a bit. Decent anyhow.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6.5
4th October 2016
Craft Islington Gathering. Opaque dark brown beer, a few pale tan bubbles. Smooth palate, semi dry, almost no carbonation. Decent dark chocolate and spicy licorice from the dark malts. Fruity bourbon. Bitterish dry finish. Licorice linger. Nice flavours from the old Impy but unfortunately the carbonation has gone.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Bottle shared at the CBC Islington for the jk tasting. Many thanks to Kenny for this one. A viscous sticky dark brown coloured pour with no head. Aroma is sweet, vanilla, woody, cherry bakewell, . Flavour is composed of sweet woody, vanilla Brown sugars, cherry bakewell. Palate is medium sweet sticky moderate carbonation. . Lovely.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle shared at the JK Tasting - Craft Beer Co., Islington. Many thanks to Kenny for this geriatric bottle. Pours black-brown with a bubbly, tan head. The nose has good roast, charred wood, chocolate. Medium sweet flavour, fairly dry, with more scorched wood, earth. Full bodied with fine carbonation. Warming finish with more ashy notes, light vanilla, alcohol, woody dryness, cocoa. Great stuff overall. Has aged well.
Hibba (858) reviewed High Seas from Michigan Brewing Company 11 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4.5
-12 oz. bottle
-cloudy light copper w/ a fluffy light beige head
-light hoppy aroma and taste
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-a little malt backbone, but not enough to make this a great IPA
-its a watered down orange driven IPA that finishes without a fight
-perhaps a bad bottle?
-rating from 2-9-2010