Marin Old Dipsea Barleywine Style Ale

Brewed by Marin Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Larkspur, California USA

Bomber pours a nice amber hue with decent enough tan head that can throw up some spotty lacing from time to time. The aroma is full of figs, dates, prunes and cherries. It seems a bit bold and a bit too bright. The taste begins slick and sweet with malts and then quickly moving to fairly bold/bright notes of figs and cherries. Toward midway it picks up some raisins and another mild wave of smooth maltiness to go along with some sort of candi sugar that gives it just a bit of a beet sensation. The sweet malts attempt to pull the flavor together but they doesn’t really make it. I think a year or couple of years of age will even this out and create a pleasing blended complex flavor.

Bomber. Pours a mostly clear deep amber with a thin head. A roma is toffee, slight paper oxidation and some sherry- toasted malts seem a bit faded, lots of toffee and brown sugar- ok fruitiness. More brown sugar thin sweetness- some more oxidation light green hoppy bitterness and some salty bring in the end. I think we figured this bottle was fairly old so the oxidation is expected.

Just found this at Whole Foods Pasadena,CA. Smelled like must and caramel. Had almost no head, had a toffee caramel flavor. Didn’t pack a boozey punch I expect from a West Coast BW. Really boring and almost not worth rating.

Bottle from Bottle Barn - hidden in a row of DoppelWeizen in the back cooler. Priced at $3.99 for 22 oz. Can’t find a date, but with that price it can’t be too young. Dark clear ruby color with a frothy 3-finger tan head. Aromas of dark fruit and caramel. Very smooth aroma. Medium plus body with creamy carbonation. Rather vinous -suggests dark sherry-, with raisins, dates, caramel and some decent hop. It’s so rich there’s almost a coffee note. The heat is not present until way into the finish, and even then it’s not bothersome. Despite the sweetness in the finish it has an astringent effect on the membranes. Like there’s oak. Really good dark ale. Too bad N. CA is having a warm dry January, but I’ll suffer with this winter warmer. Gladly. Gratefully.

Clear burgundy with medium beige head. Sweet aroma with roasted malt, caramel and plums. Sweet aroma with notes of roasted malt, dates, plums and caramel. Full bodied. Warming alcohol towards the finish.

22oz bottle. Dark brown color, very little head. Sell of raisins and other dark dry fruits. Very smooth, some dark malts and fruit, carmely as well, very nice.

Poured from tap at Marin Brew Breast Fest an inky reddish-brown with the smallest of off-white heads. The aroma hit me with lots of subdued fruit sort of a plum wine with vinegar and soy sauce. The flavor was soy saucy with red jammy wine, plums, figs, dark chocolate. Mild bitter finish ending quickly. Easy to sip, I enjoyed this one. I’d get it again.

Bomber from the PP Bottle Shop, my stomping grounds. Extremely reddish, deep amber hue to the color. A frothy beige head is produced on the pour, but settles quickly to microbubbles and white lace. Sweet and fruity aroma of raisins and plum, with lighter tones of cinnamon, coconut and nutmeg. Nothing stands out in the flavor, just a straight blend of pleasant caramel malts, a touch of pine wood and more cinnamon in the finish. Maybe some candy sugar flavors as well. Good resiny bitterness, but fades rather quickly. Lacks complexity, but still a nice sipper.