Aroma: Oakey, Vanilla, Virgin Bourbon Appearance: Reddish/Brown Hue, Passes Mild Light, Off White Head Ring, Some Lacing Taste: Sweet Bourbon, Vanilla, Dates, Oakey, Mildly Boozy Mouthfeel: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Boozy, Mildly Sweet

Extremely oakey smell. Tastes of oak,vanilla and sweetness. Great barley wine.

Draught at the BrewPub: Aroma of malt, Bourbon, spicy oak, vanilla, caramel, and Jim Beam. Poured brown/deep amber in color with a small, tan head around the edges only. Hazy. Not sparkling. Flavor is heavily sweet. Tastes of malt, Bourbon, oak, vanilla, spicy wood, and a hint of alcohol. Medium to full body. Oily, dry texture. Average carbonation. Bourbon, oak, vanilla, spicy wood finish is heavily sweet. 11.5%ABV is completely hidden throughout.

Location: On tap at the Brew Pub, 8/12/09 (’08 Bourbon Barleywine)

Commercial Description (seems to differ slightly from this one): 2008 Bourbon Barleywine- This massive ale was brewed with 100% Maris Otter malt, the finest English brewing barley available, and then aged for over nine months in a Jim Beam barrel. 11+% ABV.

Aroma: Lots of bourbon, some dark fruits
Appearance: Clear dark amber color
Flavor: Malty fruits, oak, sugary, but really overwhelmed by the bourbon flavors
Palate: Pretty full body, quite a bit of an alcohol burn
Overall Impression: This beer was decent, but I thought it was a bit too heavy on the bourbon. Despite that, it is a pretty nice beer, but I prefer that the barrel aging be a bit more subtle than it is in this one.

UPDATED: AUG 4, 2009 On draft at Stewarts. 2006 version. Nice amber color. Aroma of bourbon and vanilla, neither of them over-whelming. Taste was a very smooth balanced barley wine. Sweet candied sugar, bourbon, (but not to much) vanilla, followed by a malt backbone. Good medium texture. Overall an excellent barleywine that I would go back just to get!*****UPDATE**** Just had a 2008 ediiton...I have been thinking about this beer so much since I had it, I had to come back to get another. Honestly I think this is the best barleywine I ever had or very close. In a blind tasting I think most would agee. AWESOME BEER!

Two year old 2006 version. Stewarts barrel aged beers tend to produce immensely strong bourbon flavors that tend to overwhelm most styles. This one worked better for me than most...still bourbon all over this one - aroma and flavor, yet the strength of the barleywine underneath made it tolerable. Little to no hop presence left in this one...some could have helped. Really sweet and difficult to drink, but still tasty.

Draft. Medium to deep brown pour wit ruby edges and minimal khaki head. Aroma is heavy dark fruit, brown sugar, oaky bourbon, and earthy, peat mossy malt. The flavor has a heavy oaky bourbony base, so this one may turn off those who don’t like the heavy sprity flavor for this style. For those who do, that oaky bourbon is matched by a bunch of fruit, hops, and malt, making it assertive, but fairly approachable for even the lightweight drinker.

KSBF07. Wow amazing need more of this one. Poured a dark brown with not much head. Aroma was of bourbon, vanilla and malts. Flavor was dead on oaky caramel bourbon vanilla man i need more of this one.

Ksbf 07. 2005 vintage. may be the same vintage as last years which was way more boozy and bourbony last year. Still tons of bourbon but enjoyable this time. Pours a hazy medium amber- orange with a thinning off white head. Aroma is bourbon and thick sweet caramel malts, some alcohol, and fruity esters- pear and apricot. Full caramel flavor, toasty malts, bourbon, wood , oak, and hints of vanilla with a subdued alcohol unlike last years. Nice improvement.

(KSq07, 2005 vintage, draft) Lightly hazed copper body with beige head. Aroma is sweet, vanilla/bourbon, caramel. Taste is sweet, bourbon/vanilla, caramel, some raisin, alcohol, light smoke. Smooth medium-full body.