Barley Johns Barrel-Aged Rosies Ale (Batch 2)

Brewed by Barley Johns Brew Pub
Style: Barley Wine
New Brighton, Minnesota USA

#500 live from RBSG 2007 Excellent drink, bourbon abounds. Delicious drink, very satisfying. I would have paid the $75 a growler if I thought I could keep it to myself. Like a raisin, fig sherry and toasted marshmellows with a nice bourbon finish. I need a nice leather couch, a scholar, the smell of a pipe and a book on revolutions to go with--oh wait I have all that too ;0).

Growler: Dark brown in color with almost no head. The nose explodes with vanilla bean, bourbon and dark fruit. When warmed it also shows off some alcohol but given the level of power it almost seems expected. In the mouth it is full-bodied with lots of concentration and power. It remains balance but is a powerhouse of a beer with flavors that follow the nose. It is extremely rich ans oily in the mouth while coating every nook and cranny.

Hande bottle courtesy of RobertsReality from a couple months back. Wasn’t expecting much, but Holy SHIT!. Pours a thick, opaque, nearly black reddish brown color with a small head that immediately dissapates. The aroma is rich and intoxicating with notes of raisins, cake batter, vanilla, cherry, and tobacco. The flavor is incredibly rich with notes of maple and brown sugar, chocolate covered cherries, charred oak, and cognac. Its fabulously complex... truly a tasting odyssey. The 14% alcohol is well hidden, but it certainly sneaks up on you quickly. It has a luxuriously long finish that develops even after you’ve swallowed. Can’t say enough good things about this beer. Overall, best barleywine I have ever had.

Handbottle from Footbalm; Nose of Oaky alcoho, plums and raisins, Hazy dark brown with very little head; Flavor of chocolate, sweet plums, and berry pie; Tastes great!

Approximately 5 or 6 oz. pour, on tap at the brewpub. I tried this during the pub crawl at the RateBeer Summer Gathering 2007 in the Twin Cities, MN on Friday, June 22, 2007. The cost for a single small serving was $9(!), but it was worth it. Very interesting, very good, yeasty and floral aroma reminiscent of that of fine spirits, especially grappa, but also bourbon or rye whiskey. Cherry and grape scents. Pours a highly sparking yet hazy brown with very little head and a ton of bubbles. The color is an odd, yellowish-brown shade. Extremely sugary sweet flavor. Cherry and honey tastes. Yum! This tastes like the liquid form of a great fruit cake (which can be a very good dessert despite its bad reputation). Alcohol well masked. Reminiscent of a dessert wine or even a liqueur. Full-bodied. Very satisfying. <P>I normally am not a huge fan of sweet beers, and this may be the sweetest beer that I have ever had. You might think that would mean that I wouldn’t like this one, but you would be very wrong. In fact, I have to say that Barley John’s Barrel-Aged Rosie’s Ale (Batch 2) is the best tasting beer that I have ever had! It’s like it is so far removed from my hypothetical ideal beer that it has looped back around. It tastes absolutely nothing like what I would say my ideal beer would taste like, but it’s hard for me to imagine my ideal beer tasting much better. In other words, it is good enough to overcome my hops and meanness bias. It’s like a movie that is so sugar-sweet but so well made that it is able to melt the heart of even the fan of the grittiest fare. Or an adorable puppy that even the coolest and toughest guy can’t help but smile at when he sees it. It may sound like it would be hokey, but, in the moment, you can’t help but fall for it. This is a unique beer that, all things considered, really is like nothing I’ve ever had before in any type of beverage. It blew me away. Consider this a rave.

Huge thanks to grimreeser for this 22oz handbottle. Shared with others at the Alesmith BA release. Popped cap of handbottle, which still had a psst of carbonation. Decent carbonation on the pour, with some small head. Dark amber color. Thick body, Great aroma even after popping the cap. Lots of caramel, figs, brown sugar. Very sweet and thus hid the alcohol well. Super delicious. Curious to try side by side with Angel’s Share, as both are similarly very delicious.

Name: Rosies Ale
Date: 06/23/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Vintage: 2007

opaque brown, wispy beige head, sweet brown sugar and bourbon aroma with lots of fruity ripe fig character, big body, rich chocolate flavor, lots of bourbon but not so much to keep other flavors from emerging, vanilla sweetness bring out the chocolate, a touch of gritty raw brown sugar sweetness, a strong dark ripe fruit character balances and blends with everything else, light bitterness from the oak wonderful array of complex flavors banance and compliment each other

Aroma: 9/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 9/10; Palate: 9/10; Overall: 19/20
Rating: 4.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***4

RBSG 2007. Pours to a dark red/brown body with a thin white head. Ultra slow carbonation. The flavor is perfect. Rich barleywine malts complimented by lots of sweet bourbon. Woodford Reserve like. Words can hardly describe it. Perhaps tons of tobacco and vanilla? The aroma is tobacco, sweet vanilla, bourbon, barley. Sweet full palate. Even at 14% it’s not overly fusel. Boozy, yes, but blended so marvelously. Besides, I like booze.