Ballast Point Three Sheets Barley Wine

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
San Diego, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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Draft at BOP - early Dec 05 tasting. 1 year old vintage. Cherry-wood brown and somewhat hazy. Very rich toffee carmel malt aromas and some citrusy hop notes and some fruits. Rich carmel malt flavors, sweet toffee, more fruits - specifically notes of raisins, and a touch of of citrus hops. Touch earthy.

Auburn caramel color, medium sized foamy off white head. Sweet malt intermingles with heavy pine and citrus hop aroma. Heavy malt presence followed by resinous and piney hop characters. Finish has some woody flavors and a slight medicinal quality. Mouthfeel is fairly chewy, but uncommonly smooth for the style.

On tap at Ballast Point in SD, CA--Deep ruby amber body with a thick off-white head. Hoppy, malty sweet boozy nose. Slight bublegum and candy nose, too. Fruity, chewy, mildly cloying mouthfeel. Sharp bitter boozy finish. Quite good.

You should have seen me the night I drank a whole growler of this stuff. I could have used a skid lid for my dome that night. Anyway, this is exceptional barley wine that actually tastes better if you don’t age it. I don’t like my barley wine too sweet and if you get this stuff when it’s new, you get barley wine backed with a superb hop backbone. They don’t fill the growler with this anymore, which will ultimately play a big part in saving my life.

NorCal tasting Feb 07 - This was a very tasty barleywine and something I can work with after a couple disasters from Ballast Point. A sweet, sweet nose with caramel being the biggest aroma. Underneath the carmael was a little brown sugar, some earth and even a little hops. Appearance was beautifully clear, with a maple syrup/deep dark golden color with a minimal head. Mouthfeel was a little on the thin side, but nothing major. Flavors were caramel, toffee, dark fruits. Everything was really nicely balanced.

This is an American-style barleywine?! No no no.... Hot nose. Kinda faint, but nice bite of malts, slight hops and vanilla. Dark appearance, almost black. Taste is kinda hot, but a lot of sweetness - malt, vanilla, wood. Everything I love about a barleywine. A touch too hot for me, and a bit thin, but otherwise this is great stuff from Ballast Point. More West Coast English-style barleywines please!

UPDATED: FEB 14, 2010 On tap at Toronado for Barleywine fest 2009, then again in 2010. Reddish-brown color with a small off-white head. Aroma of caramel malt, dark fruits, brandy, and some hops. Flavor is lots of caramel malt with toffee notes, somewhat fruity, with some port-like and vinous flavors and noticeable alcohol. Full mouthfeel, fairly low carbonation, and just mild booziness. A very good barleywine overall.

Tap @ Toronado 2005 barley wine festival. Dark cherry color with a big foamy tan head. Smooth with plenty of cherry in the flavor. Finishes dry.

Draft... RBSG ‘08... 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.

@ the homebrew store - This version was 9%. Deep coppery orange, creamy off white head. Nose held rich notes of sweet caramel, pine, and earth, with touches of brown sugar within. Well balanced flavors of all the above from start to finish. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, bittersweet finish. Good stuff...