7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
99 version:Hazy amber, lasting beige head.Great complex brandy malt nose. Good sweet chewy molasses flavor with medium alcohol heat
Tried
on 26 Oct 2003
at 18:52
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
1999 Vintage, drank 10/18/2003. One of the best looking barleys Ive ever seen (except that it’s filtered!). Definitely the best head. Creamy, lasting and a nice off white cream color. Aroma is great as well. Lots of cherries with some alcohol and dark malt notes. Very inviting. Amazing amount of sweet cherry malt up front, with good vinous hoppy flavors lingering in the back. Full body. After the huge cherry malt flavor, there is a nice balanced lightly acidic, dry hops flavor that begins to add needed balance. The finish has much lingering malt but has a nice soft mildly bitter hops flavor to balance things. I almost think this is too sweet. . .almost. Reminds me much of Bells Old Ale, but this has a truer more full flavor without the overly dry alcohol flavor. Granted, this has 4 years of cellaring. Hopefully Bells Old ale will be as good after 4 years. I had a hard time deciding if I should cellar this longer or drink it, was a bit worried it might still be too young ( if you try thomas hardys 97 after 6 years you will see what Im talking about, it still is young). It delivered though. I could barely taste any alcohol, that was impressive, the body just melded together, good carbonation as well, not syrupy, has a nice chewy malty mouthfeel. Lots of caramel malt towards the finish. Overall, a bit too sweet, but it is not cloying, just could use some more hops. I guess I demand alot from barleywines.
Tried
on 18 Oct 2003
at 19:00
8.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
(2002 Vintage) Amber, deep, clear. Virtually no head. Raisins, vinous, portwine, in the nose, as well as some rich rum-sugarcane destillate. Unbelievably rich malt-vinous taste, like a vintage wine where somehow the grain shines through. There's bitterish tinges framing a mostly sweet, vanilla, fresh oakwood barrel taste. Oily, slick mouthfeel, full in an outstanding measure. Long rich, sweet, but not cloying aftertaste, yielding raisins, prunes and other alcohol-drenched fruit. This brings out the best in British brewing. Better is hard to come by - anywhere. The epitomizing of Barley Wine, however amber.
Tried
from Can
on 11 Aug 2003
at 07:43
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
December 2001 Bottle (Sampled 5/1/03 - 4.0): Pours a dark copper color with a medium and dense beige head. Aroma is very sweet malt and caramel, and the alcohol is well masked. Full-bodied and chewy with flavors of caramel and rum, along with some malt. As with the aroma, you don't really get a sense of the alcohol level in the flavor. Finish is long and sweet (borderline cloying). $4 for a 9.6oz seems a little high but it was worth it.
1999 Bottle (Sampled 9/23/03 - 4.1): This vintage is a ruddy dark amber color with a medium beige head. Thin lacing. Aroma is very sweet, mostly caramel with some malt as well. The richness of body is similar to the 2001 vintage. Very rich and chewy. The flavor is very sweet caramel and malt along with some plum. Alcohol is well hidden. The finish is full and sweet. I am giving this vintage a slightly higher score.
1999 Bottle (Sampled 9/23/03 - 4.1): This vintage is a ruddy dark amber color with a medium beige head. Thin lacing. Aroma is very sweet, mostly caramel with some malt as well. The richness of body is similar to the 2001 vintage. Very rich and chewy. The flavor is very sweet caramel and malt along with some plum. Alcohol is well hidden. The finish is full and sweet. I am giving this vintage a slightly higher score.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 May 2003
at 06:10
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 7
Since I really love the harvest ale, I was expecting a great deal from this, and I have to say I am a bit disappointed. This beer is downright chunky. There are huge floaties; it looks like there are pebbles in here. The aroma is pretty good, with large doses of yeast, fruits and pastries. The flavor is decent as well, but not great. Peppery, spicy, some malty sweetness, some espresso as others pointed out. The finish, however, is astringent and bitter, overshadowing any goodness left behind by the flavor. No balance. I'd say it needs some aging, but I have no idea how old this bottle is.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Mar 2003
at 18:02
8.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9.5
2001 bottle. What an odd barley wine. Cloudy ruby appearance. Aroma like brown sugar and cookie dough, that makes you think back to your mother's kitchen at Christmas time when you were a child. The first sip is disturbingly sweet and syrupy. "Ick," you think. But then your tongue gets used to the idea. There is a tapestry of flavors in this beer that not many beers come close to. Carmelized brown sugar, molassas, plums, roasted oats, cherries, oak, maple syrup, and many other flavors I can't identify. This beer does the tango with your tongue and leaves if gasping in a puddle of its own sweat. The thick, sticky body of it coats your mouth and throat. I can compare it to Samichlaus and WWS, but as a barley wine. An outstanding and original beer experience.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Mar 2003
at 17:41
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Amber; very fruity (raspberry, blackberry); some hop, acidic notes in the finish.
Tried
on 19 Aug 2002
at 11:50
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Light amber; fruity, hoppy, slight berry note; sweet finish.................
Tried
on 19 Aug 2002
at 11:50
5.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5
Sampled cask conditioned in Manchester.
Dark amber. Nutty aroma. Dryish and light bodied. Honeyish finish.
Dark amber. Nutty aroma. Dryish and light bodied. Honeyish finish.
Tried
from Cask
on 19 Aug 2002
at 05:48
5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 6
Overall 5
Sampled cask conditioned in Manchester.
Pale amber. Lightly flowery aroma. Light bodied, bready with sweet finish.
Pale amber. Lightly flowery aroma. Light bodied, bready with sweet finish.
Tried
from Cask
on 19 Aug 2002
at 05:47