 trevor211 (531), Seattle, Washington, USA
| 4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 16/20 |
Jul 18, 2009 Big thanks to MrChopin for this one. Pours a classic amber/copper with a small light-tan head. The aroma starts off on the malty side of things - caramel and cherimoya (for anyone who knows what that is) layer over the hops, which seep through into the aftertaste to create a dry, bitter finish. Just a little bit hot, though it doesn’t taste like alcohol - it’s just a warming effect. There are some spices in here, as well - very mild cloves, and some allspice. Very smooth flavor, with a nice toasty undertone. This is good stuff - definitely one of the better barley wines.
waolsen (1224), Littleton, Colorado, USA
| 4.1 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 5/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Jul 12, 2009 bottle. thanks tim. glowing amber pour with thin white lasting head. rich aroma of caramel, toffee, alcohol and dark fruits. rich and creamy. big rich caramel and sugar. well balanced. flavor lasts a long time after finish.
JaBier (1294), Capital City, Ohio, USA
| 3.9 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 5/5 | 15/20 |
Jul 7, 2009 Bottle sample at the Columbus Alefest on 6/27/09. Clear amber with a big tan head. Earthy and citrusy hop aroma with a lot of sweet malt. Spicy and citrusy hop flavor up front with a caramel malt background and a lasting bitter finish. Pretty good. Would like to try one that’s been sitting for a while.
Gypsy19 (664), California, USA
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 |
Jul 4, 2009 Bottle. 11% recent vintage. Pours dark orange/brown/red/amber. Almost opaque. A little chunkier than expected. Large tan head at first, slowly collapsing. Leaves a lot of filmy lacing. Aroma was very hoppy at first, almost DIPA-like, but then calmed me down with cinnamon, caramel, toffee, a little bit of household astringent, alcohol, cane sugar. Pleasant aroma ultimately. Flavor initially starts out smooth, then BOOM go the hops. Alcohol abruptly introduces itself at that point, and can be blunt, delivering a throat and esophagus burn after the 2nd sip. After that, it’s smooth again with a pleasant melange of dark fruits, peach, the hops come and go, and then finshes with a little tobacco tar. Flavor can also be a little chemical/astringent at times, but not so much to the point of displeasure. Mouthfeel is par for the style, could’ve been a little more alive in my opinion, but not bad. This is about what I expected, another high-quality dignified performance by Alesmith. Very balanced I might add as a footnote. Overall, very good plus.
paytoplay (135), , California, USA
| 4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 16/20 |
Jun 25, 2009 Have had bottles before, all great. This note is from draft at the brewery from a super fresh batch. Hop bomb! Wow. Totally not what I expected. The beer was so fresh it was extremely green pine hoppy. Very interesting. Guessing bottles were still fermenting and carbinating from this batch it was so new. Very refreshing and super easy to drink 10% beer. Fun to try but I prefer bottles of this and with a year or more of age they get better and better.
OSLO (830), Minnesota, USA
| 4.1 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Jun 14, 2009 [Bottle, thanks Guerde!] Pours hazy reddish-amber with a small off-white head. Aroma is vanilla, nuttiness, marshmallow, big strawberry jam out of the snifter, marshmallow, faint lemon and black pepper when warmer. Taste is pretty hot, with a good deal of caramel, some malt towards the end, and a bit of grapefruit rind bitterness. Very nice mouthfeel--creamy, thick, long finish. Overall a very good barley wine that is much better than the bourbon barrel version.
Guerde (712), Welcome, Minnesota, USA
| 4.1 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 16/20 |
Jun 14, 2009 (bottle from Sparky27) Pours a hazy amber with a thin white head that leaves good lacing. Aroma is just magnificent, and is everything I look for in a barleywine. Smells of strawberry jam, candied nuts, toffee,vanilla, raisin, and creme brulee as well. The smell constantly morphs between fruit, nuts, and vanilla. Taste is a good fusion of caramel, peanuts, a bit of bitter hops, and some toffee as well. There’s a bit of raisin here also. Undertones of other fruits are present, but it’s difficult to pinpoint these down. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is spot-on. In my opinion, this is worthy of being named as a classic in the barleywine style. Thanks Eric!
gorditoabd (174), San Diego, California, USA
| 4.3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 5/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 18/20 |
Jun 14, 2009 25.4 oz bottle. Pours a crazy-beautiful ruby-russet with ample foam. Aromas are hard to place, hops, honey, toastedness, and maybe some fruits, though, as usual, I can’t really tell, stupid nose! Flavors assault the mouth and tongue. Full fruitiness, maybe peaches and tart cherries? Pine and toasty flavor complement the sweet honey. This is really a wonderful brew. Sad to only have the one bottle. Mouthfeel is bubbly and thick, with an excellent lasting texture as it warmly glides down the gullet. Love it!
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