 truegen (137), Puyallup, Washington, USA
Nov 21, 2006
Bomber bottle. Huge citrus nose almost overpowers the hops. Grapefruit bite on the front of the tongue, then a lingering bubbly pine and fruit slide to the back. The body is really light for the style, and lacks a lot of carry-through to the back of the palate. That said, it is dangerously drinkable. I’m thinking about storing a bottle or two, but I’m not sure this will age well.
oberabcbbsok (679), Hoboken, Belgium
Aug 29, 2008 4th of 5 beers on bottle in a vertical tasting. Tasted 2007, 2006 and 2002 at the brewery. A full bodied and really getting better the older it gets.
A very nice beer indead
mekju_baksa (3), Houston, Texas, USA
does not count  Aug 28, 2008 Excellent late evening brew. Great with chicken dishes or sauteed vegetables as it’s slightly sweet (not bitter) and full of mellow hops. I had heard that Saint Arnold’s Divine Reserve #6 was modeled after this brew. Rumor or legend?
The_Epeeist (926), Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, USA
Aug 28, 2008 22 oz bottle. I usually like some age on my barleywines but decided to try this one fresh. Clear pink brown with some beige bubbles and a haze. Briefly foams up with a stiff pour. Nose is caramel and minty hops with a touch of orange. Medium body with a slight tingle. Taste is caramel apple and grass. Finishes with pithy bitterness and black pepper.
hop_lover (114), Corpus Christi, Texas, USA
Aug 27, 2008 First impression is that it pours a marvelous mahogony ... a hazy dark orangy hue. Beautiful! And the aroma... HOPS! Citrus hops if drunk at the right temperature (about 50 degrees) The hops won’t come out if it’s too cold. They don’t like the cold. And I smell... I smell.... plums! Plums it is. Wow. This is sensationaly smooth. No alcohol sting at all. That’s impressive in a Barleywine. The head is tan and it likes to linger despite it’s smallness. Caramel wofts well. Lovely lacing is left from the head. Taste is remenicence of a dark fruit I can’t put my finger on. Hmmmm. I want to say pinnapples. It leaves a heavenly bitterness that lingers well. The mouthfeel is outstanding. A great beer indeed. My second favorite Barleywine hands down (next to Saint Arnolds’ Divine #6) I love this great beer. Thanks again Avery! The Lord bless the hop harvest.
JCB (1001), Durham, North Carolina, USA
Aug 27, 2008 22oz from Whole Foods, Raleigh. Ruby colored pour, fairly thick head. Big citrus hops in the nose, promising a fairly aggressive West Coast barleywine. I tend to like this style, especially fresh, and Avery pulls it off. A bit less boozy than some of Avery’s bigger beers, which is nice because it allows the sweet malts to be better integrated. So there’s good depth in the flavor, along with a full mouthfeel and a long silky finish. A decent barleywine but not top shelf, I think.
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