Arcadia Cereal Killer Barleywine

Brewed by Arcadia Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Battle Creek, Michigan USA

Serve in Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

22 ounce bottle from Bello Vino in Ann Arbor, MI (December 2006), sampled below cellar temperature on Christmas Day from a Corsendonk glass. Murky amber-bronze with just a bit of a tan ring and flecks of retained foam, no lacing....plum and raisin, light alcohol, toasty/seared malts in the nose, faint woody hops, acceptable but no excitement to be found....rather sugary throughout, a bit underfermented and worty, somewhat lactic and sour at the middle, edging towards a bitter, lightly mineralic and woody finish....brown sugar/molasses flavors aren’t bad and some nice herbal (mint, tarragon) notes show up in the nose with some warmth, but this is really not well-balanced, seems rather off and is just not a fun experience. Oh well, I didn’t really expect much....

Pours a syrupy cloudy brown. Aroma is honey and grape mixed with earthy grains. Taste is very sweet up front followed by a stingy spiciness mixed with alcohol burn. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

12 ounce bottle from Tooch. Thanks! Poured from a bottle into a mini snifter. Appearance is a dark copper, nearing a reddish hue. Minimal white foam head. Aroma is reminiscent of hand sanitizer and cinnamon. Taste is mostly burn and grainy alcohol with a finish that reaminds me a lot of fireball candy.

Murky dark brown pour with almost no head. Great caramel malt aroma along with some grassy hops. Starts off with a great sweet caramel malt taste, nice bitterness and hoppiness, but then hot alcohol in the finish. Way too much alcohol taste. Would be great otherwise. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle pours cloudy medium brown with minimal head. Taste sweet caramel malts, some dark fruits and bread. Aroma similar to taste. Palate full without being sticky or syrupy, had a nice bite and alcohol burn. Finish mild hops, brief. Alcohol apparent.

I liked this one, sweet but not cloying, a very solid barleywine.

First taste presented an unexpected sourness - not sure how common that is with this one. Burned orange zest. Slight firey sugar cane sweetness. Medium body. Dark sanguine color with little head. Muddled flavor but a distinct sharp bite.

Bottle, poured a thick and cloudy brownish color, light head. Aroma is oak, caramel, cherry, raisin. Med-light sweetness, Med-light bitterness. Medium heavy body, sort of thicker texture, soft carbonation. Bitter finish. Alcohol bite. Interesting barley wine. Big malty start with some sweetness, followed by hop bitter finish.

Smells fruity, like cherries, but definitely bready as well. A little alcohol. Looks dark red, maybe closer to an red/brown, as well as hazy. Starts off with some fruitiness, like cherries, moves toward the malts and raisin flavors, and finishes VERY strong with alcohol. At 10% I was expecting big, but this could be overwhelming. The palate is great, silky and heavy. Overall, I have 3 left to drink, I will be aging one for a few years but the rest will be enjoyed.

Cask at Map Room in Chicago. Medium dark brown pour in the glass. You. An still see through it. Foamy but thin off white head that is short lived. Faint port wine nose. Taste is ruby port with hops. I’m not sure I’ve tasted anything like this before. Interesting. Slightly slippery in the mouth. Would like to age some for 9-12 months and see how it changes.

Bottle. Dirty orange pour with a minimal white head. Nice aroma of caramel malts and rich fruit. Nice slick palate. Taste is dark fruit, bread, and caramel. Really nice brew.

Sample at Ale Wine & Spirits in Powell on 02/16/2012. This brew pours a hazy brown color with a medium beige head that recedes slowly. Partial rings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of roasted nuts, grassy hops and caramel. Full-bodied and smooth with flavors of doughy malt, caramel, hops and nuts. The finish is roasty with a lingering burnt malt aftertaste. Above average overall.