Pours is a clear gold with thin white head. Mostly sweet caramel malt, with notes of fruit, oak, vanilla, and earthy hops. Pretty good, but not one of my favorites.

On tap at Stone. Smells sharp and spicy. Tastes hot of alcohol, like it needs to settle down a bit. Bubblegum? Spicy and bitter, like aspirin a bit, but still really good.

Cask at Hamiltons SD. Odd color, but very complex nose with a wild over rip muddled fruit but comes together for a nice finish. Barley wines can be a bit much for me sometimes, this held it together. Cask conditioning may have helped add some texture. Cask froth stuck around. Just lots going on and this brew stands out, something I like to see.

Tap at the brewery. Beautiful dark brown/red color, very little head. Nice aroma, slightly sweet, caramel, dark fruit. Awesome beer, very easy going down with a nice hop bite to it. This is the kind of barleywines I like.

Draft... <b>RBSG ‘08</b>... Looks like caramel in a glass with a small, creamy, lightly tanned head. Terrific retention. Plush, lightly acidic, caramelly aroma. Full-bodied with a velvety mouthfeel and subdued carbonation. Bows toward the bitter side of balance... citrus and earthy hops are layered upon a caramel malt backbone. Lengthy, caramel and grapefruit rind finish.