Ølfabrikken Barleywine

(bottle, thanks Marsiblursi!) Pours reddish brown with just a scant off-white head. Aroma is very sweet with scents of brown sugar, prunes, strawberry jam, and some light oxidation. The taste is simple, but difficult to describe. There’s plenty of caramel and brown sugar, but there’s a slight tangy taste mid-palate (which might be the pineapple OSLO detected). The flavor is well integrated and is very pleasant to taste. These sweet flavors yield to a lightly bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium. This is one of the better barleywines I’ve had.

Poured from a 25 cl bottle, best before 02-10-12, thanks to Andy and Alister. A red rocky glow. Toffee, some greenness, candy corn, and light alcohol in the nose. Acetone lightly. Papery and somewhat flat, but with density. Vinous touch of strawberry and a dust of cotton candy. Substantial and well composed, if a bit uninspiring; the combinations of bitterness and sweetness seem somewhat typical, and it doesn’t get too deep into malt character.

But the flavor brings it strong. Gorgeously textured malt balanced with the most delicate feathery touch of herbal bitterness and a swath of caramel dipped cobbler fruits. It’s dessert-like and warm, but not overly sweet, and the balance is superb; the ample bitterness of pine wood and herbs expanding itself in a powdery blanket over the rich earth of toffee, wildflower honey, and brown sugar. It might be a touch less English than I would like, but the defining malt character is really appropriately standout.

Full palate is velvety but plucky with carbonation. Finishes with a rich and resigned maple-honey sweetness that’s quite lasting, but forgiving. Everything is in its right place, mostly, in this very sophisticated example; and it certainly seems ripe for improvement over the next two to three years.

[Bottle, thanks for sending this over, Marsiblursi!] Pours reddish-amber with a small off-white head. Aroma is big on fruit, but balanced with a good deal of hops, a decent amount of yeast, and some maltiness in the background. The taste is slightly bitter up front, but then it really mellows out and becomes quite sweet and fruity (I couldn’t place it exactly in the taste or aroma, but at times it seemed like pineapple). The malt is blended in nicely, as it shows up primarily towards the finish. Good thick mouthfeel with a long finish. A very nice barley wine that I can hopefully try again some time.

25cl bottle dated 021012. Spicy and malty aroma. Brown sugar. Candied fruits. Incredibly unique for a barley wine. Toasted and spiced caramel malt. Some fruity liqueur-like qualities to the aroma as well. Pours a dense, thick charred caramel. Nearly lifeless looking with no head and virtually no hint of carbonation. Flavor is sweet and malty, but done quite well. Much more well balanced that some it’s stateside counterparts. More depth and complexity as well. Candied fruits. Slightly nutty. Malt forward but with a very nice amount of balancing and far from overpowering citrusy hops. Perhaps showing a bit of age, but gracefully so. Almond and cashews dipped in caramel with a side of raspberry liqueur. Thick bodied with bright carbonation. Syrupy, not cloying and surprisingly delicate on the tongue. Alcohol is hidden very well and shows itself on the finish. Well done. Thanks Al and Andy!

It’s very beautiful, red mahogany and the head is huge, nice, dense and creamy. The aroma has sweetness and notes of roasted malt, raisins, dark fruits and lots of fruity hops. The flavour has sweetness, notes of roasted malt, raisin, dark fruits, candy sugar, caramel and loads of fruity hops, that gives a citrussy, crisp, light bitterness. It’s delightful and it hides the alcohol very well.