Alaskan Barley Wine Ale (Big Nugget)

22 oz bottle via Liquid Sol. 2007 vintage. Pours a dark brown w ruby accents and a large beige head. Nose is toffee and candyish with some floral hops. It tastes just like it smells but is hoppier than expected. An explosion of toastiness and citrus and earthiness leaves me wanting more of it all in it’s aftermath. This is a perfectly balanced barleywine...sweet, then hoppy, then sweet, then hoppy...mmm.mm....delightful and complex. Body is full, carbonation is just right. I wish i had another bottle or two to age! More..more..more..why did i only buy 1 botte? ANd now they are sold out of course...FRAAAAAAAAKKKK!! World class stuff++.

Big thanks to Old Mr. Crow for this one. Pours turbid deep brownish ruby with 1-finger khaki head and nice concentric lace rings. For a beer this big, the lace stayed around for a while. The nose was fruity, with strawberry, blueberry, cherry, heavy malt, hops, and some perfumy florals. The palate was rich, hefty, complex, and not hot at all, with flavors of big fruit and berries, heavy caramelly malt, hops, and some late chocolate notes. Not only is this one of the best barleywines I have yet quaffed, but it is one of the best beers as well. An early contender for Doc Lock Beer of the Year status.

Amazing beer. Flavor was intense, and very shocked at how drinkable it is at this point. This is one I plan to hold onto for years to come but with it tasting as well as it did now I hope I dont run through them all early.

02.19.05 Red-brown-amethyst pour with creamy foam. Hugely balanced, this is a barleywine that all others may aspire to be. Great PNW hop profile is offset by plenty of biscuity, sticky, earthy, figgy malts. A real highlight of the trip, I just wish they hadn’t run out so quickly.

On tap at the 2003 Toronado Barleywine Festival: A very nice subtle smoke flavor. Solid malt backbone. Very subtle underlying hop flavor and bitterness. Quite light. Nice!!