Barley Days Wind & Sail Dark Ale

Brewed by Barley Days Brewery
Style: Brown Ale
Picton, Canada

Chesnut colour; oily body; sweet, honeyish notes dominate - a fairly mild ale, but with a bit of alcholic zip (which at 4.5% points to the mildness of the other components). A bit of coffee at the end.

Deep brown pour. The nose is fairly caramelly with a touch of plumminess. A bit of light sweet raisin. A bit of light spice over a sweet maltiness. Fairly sweet but it is well balanced by the spice and some nice earthy hops. Pepper and a kiss of light plumminess.

Dark reddish brown ale with a thin lacing off white head. To style in aroma, with nice butterscotch and caramel malt. In mouth, a decent caramel malt, with nutty notes, decent English hops, and buttery mouthfeel. A good renewal for this brewery. On tap at KBC, Sep. 30, 2006.

Uninviting aroma features leatherette and shoe polish. Clear amber coloured body with a low, off white head that recedes to ring. Taste follows the flavour along with graininess and some wierd oxidized cardboard character. Medium body with low carbonation. Bottle sampled at the MontreAlers Jan. 2006 meeting.

Bottle (750ml). Shared with blankboy, GregClow and tupalev - courtesy of GregClow via derweg. Poured cloudy mahogany with a small white head. Aroma vegetal, dungy - funky stale roast malt - unpleasant. Taste is sour, sharply smokey ... we strongly suspected yet another infected Glenora bottle. Overall still borderline drinkable, particularly compared to their premium lager heine-juice.

Dark, little head, fizzy detracting carbonation. SIgnfiicant roast and different malts, and lots of dark malt, yet not too sweet. No noticeable hops. Drinkable, passable,on the thin side, a glass is too much. I understand this brewery has got their infected batches under control now so rating trend will be up.chocolate malt story, with little hop. Light mouthfeel. (update 2008 August). Nothing special, but drinkable. Doug, the brewmaster, and the new owners have gotten he infection under control and they are running a reasonable operation.

On Tap at C’est What
Pours woody brown, low carbonation with small of white head.
Sweet toffee malt, slightly toasty darker accents, fruity finish.
Medium light bodied, harsh short burst of carbonation. Off fruity character in the middle. Short, thin finish with slightly medicinal overtones.

August 2007. TFOB. Amber brown body with a small off white head. Sweet lightly fruity aroma with a tangy malt character and light caramel. Similar tang to the flavour with light bitterness and understated malt. Very light hints at caramel melt. Average palate. Meh. 6/3/6/3/12 - 3.0 <P>May 2006. Draft @ C’est What FOSB. Dark amber brown body , small white head. Light fruity caramel malt, muted buttery undertones. Lightly earthy, caramel malt flavour. Average palate could be a bit more full for my liking but is adequate. Decent. 7/3/6/3/14 - 3.3