Adnams Tally-Ho Reserve

Brewed by Adnams
Style: Barley Wine
Southwold, England

Serve in Snifter

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New Beer Distributors, NY 33cl ($4): Pours mahogany with a beige head. Aroma is dark fruit akin to a dark BSA, coupled with leather. Taste is malty, but not the body is not that heavy. This seems to be lacking in a complexity, and I would go so far as to say that it ain’t even as heavy as it should be. That being said, it is remarkably drinkable for the high alcohol percentage.

Pours cola brown with a minimal light tan head. Aroma is fruity with heavy plum. There is something port-like about the aroma. Taste is very much like the aroma. Plum up front, going into a mild malt, and finally something equivalent to old leather. Not like any barley wines I’ve had.

Bottle into pint glass, super dark red pour, with kachki head, nice bitter grape some mocha, sour notes, for being 9% its very easy drinking

2012 vintage: Glassy deep red color; a still liquid, with not a lot of head. Aroma is sugary sweet, with heavy toffee, sweet raisin and a sour cherry. Very "English," with a touch of brown sugar. The flavor is extremely sweet, almost saccharine, with stone fruits that are reminiscent of an Abbey Ale (but with none of the Belgian funk). Has an astringent, metallic finish (like licking a battery) that unusually offsets the sweetness. Although the feel is a little slick/oily on the outside, it has a rather chunky, grainy interior. The finish is sour cherry too. It gives a heckuva nice buzz right off the bat too. It’s a little young right now, but I’ll bet it ages really nicely. Closer to a winter ale than a barleywine proper.

33cl bottle. Small off-white head atop crystal clear dark brown body. Aroma is moderately sweet, oatmeal raisin cookie, some overripe banana, sherry/alcohol. Taste is moderately sweet, raisin, banana, some sherry, caramel, light wood. Medium-full body, low carbonation, somewhat sticky. Ok, but too boozy for me.

Bottle from Whole Foods in Louisville - Pours amber with a thin quickly receding tan head. Full to heavy bodied with soft carbonation. Notes of thick chewy malt, leather, alcohol, wine, oak, pepper. Very nice, not overly sweet, restrained hop notes. A nice sipper.

Bottle. Deep brown body with with a little bit of garnet at the edges. There is a thin light tan head on top that kept around for a while. Sweet caramel nose with a hint of wood. Milk chocolate and booze also make a brief appearance. The mouthfeel is a little bit chalky with notes of cheap milk chocolate. Warming booze and tobacco come through in the finish. This ends like trying to eat old library book paper. Forgettable.

Pours deep mahogany into a tulip. White head quickly recedes to slick surface. Pit fruit and molasses aromas. Hot pit fruit and molasses front to back with a lasting bitter earth finish.

Bottle. Pours clear tawny with a medium, frothy and bubbly off-white head, medium retention with light lacing. Aroma is cooked banana and pear esters, cookie and bread malt with light alcohol notes. Flavor is malt dominant with dark fruity, light hops and bitterness with a sweet finish. Full body and light carbonation.

Bottle. Pours dark brown with thin, creamy off-white head; short retention and minimal lacing. Aroma is bread and cereal malts, light spicy hops, figs, fresh dough, dates, and light spice. Flavor is sweet, bready malts forward with supporting dark fruit esters, light spicy hops, light booze, and faint caramel; dry, lightly sweet finish. Medium body and low carbonation.