4.3 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20An amber orange hue with a cloudy appearance of dust seen through out the glass. Small layer of sand colored head but it breaks up pretty quick leaving the beer naked. I could smell the aroma from a good distance away as soon as i opened it. It has that strong floral hop and grapefruit essence to it, which i love . Flavor is a bit enticing and carries a sweet malt tone added with the same hop profile I detected in the aroma. I’m not exactly sure what year this is from 2003 or mid 2004? though, I feel a fresh bottle of this from the current year would blow me away with flavor, and thats exactly how i prefer my barleywines. I admit age does beers like this justice but then again it alters other benefits in exchange. I didn’t notice as much characterisitcs as i had expected such as a sticky palate texture or extreme bitterness. It’s just not the same as what i could imagine it tasting new from a fresh batch. All in all, this is a damn good beer and must be experienced by anyone who loves good beer.
4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Pours amber with off white head. Smell of citrus, toffee. Taste is a mixutre of citirs and vanilla/toffee malt with a nice hop tough. Very true to form and all around solid.
4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 15/20
Red brown. Aroma is hops. Taste is fantastic for this American style barleywine - caramel butterscotch. Lovely. Palat is a clean finish without the classic stickiness. My favourite hoppy barleywine.
4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
750 ml bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but was purchased in late 2011. Pours hazy deep ruby red color with a small dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lasts. Light soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big caramel, raisin, apple, orange zest, floral, brown sugar, pine, molasses, toast, orange rind, brown bread, and floral earthiness. Damn nice aromas good balance and complexity of dark malt and fruity/earthy hop notes; with good strength. Taste of big caramel, toffee, orange zest, apple, toast, floral, pine, orange rind, brown sugar, brown bread, chocolate, light roast, and floral earthiness. Fair amount of floral/pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toffee, orange zest, orange rind, light fruits, toast, light chocolate, brown bread, brown sugar, floral, pine, light roast, and floral earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic balance and complexity of deep malt and hop flavors; with a nice bitterness/sweetness balance, and hardly any cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and very full bodied with a creamy, slick, and fairly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic well aged barleywine. Fantastic complexity and balance of deep malt and hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Solid ass barleywine. Hits all the right now. Hard candy spicy notes. Teue to the style and awesome.
4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 18/20
Cloudy caramel brown pour with a 2 finger, creamy khaki head that has great retention. Aroma is hug on toffee and caramel, sharp fruity esters and citrus hops, beyond that some nice toasty notes, bready yeast, molasses, licorice, fig, dark fruit and light sweet woody notes. Flavor is full of toffee, and toast up front, then some caramel/burnt sugar come in, then, nice raisiny dark fruit, earthy and citrusy hops, tree fruit, bread pudding and sweet, oily citrus notes to the finish. Creamy to oily feel on entry, chewy and creamy after that until the somewhat dry, ever so slightly astringent finish. Really good stuff, very smooth and inviting for such a full flavored, strong and young Barley Wine, the trade off is that it might not be as complex and interesting as some of it’s contemporaries. That’s not to say it’s one dimensional, by any means, and it is quite delicious, it just lacks a little depth, though it makes up for it by just being really tasty.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Tulip pour. Pours reddish and carbonated. Little head that dissipates rapidly. Dry taste. Carbonated mouthfeel. Overrated in my opinion
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Pours a nice copper with a substantial frothy head. Lot of hops on the nose, nice rich caramel malts. Well balanced between the bitter and sweet. Very well done barley wine, on the hoppy side of barley wines, but not over the top.
3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
light hoppy malty aroma,orange, clear, off white foam, light sweetness, medium bitterness, soft carbonation, nice hoppy finish.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle 0.75l at Gallows Bird, Espoo. Helsinki. Colour is clear dark orange with small white head. Aromas and flavours: Fruits, raisins, hops and malts. Fabulous.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottled sample via and shared with oakbluff. Murky amber in colour with medium carbonation. Aromas are of cereal grains, caramel, and light hops. Flavors are of pale malt, bright herbal hops, mild caramel, toast, and booze. Not overly heavy, and super drinkable. Quite surprizing that the hops taste as fresh as they do inspite of the bottle being at least a couple of years old. Quite good overall.
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