Bass No 1

5 liter party-keg at RBESG Grand Tasting, June 29, 2008
Marked 10.5% ABV
Clear dark reddish brown color, small tan head. Sweet, vinous, alcohol scent. Sweet, smoke, dry, vinous taste. Medium but dry mouthfeel, medium high bitterness.

(Hand bottle, courtesy of cgarvieuk) Pours a brown body with spare off-white bubbles atop. Complex aroma of apple, toffee, leather, husky, old musty books, caramel, raisins, tobacco, chocolate, and roastiness. Flavor of raisins, brown sugar, oak, alcohol, Peruvian coca leaves, and scotch with a dry, bitter finish. Thanks again Craig for sharing this rare treat!

Thanks again to Craig for the handbottle!! Poured deep plummy garnet with just a few loose bubbles of head. The aroma found rich vinous notes, tobacco, dark berries, and a touch of star anise.. dark and mysterious.. warmed up the nostrils as it approached room temperature. The flavor had more of the tobacco and dark vinous notes.. grassy hops and rather hot alcohol showed toward the back.. spicy, warm, and fruity finish. Heavier-bodied with no appreciable carbonation (wish it had just a smidgen).. viscous with spicy, greener bitterness.. very good stuff!

Handbottle shared by Jason. The beer pours to a brown body with no head. The aroma has some weedy herbal hops and sweet caramelized sugary malt. Weed/grassy hops and a long sweet lingering nougat. The palate has a deep malty caramelized sugar and long lasting medium-full body.

Many thanks to Jason and to cgarvieuk for sending this over the pond. No carbonation at this point. Hazy brown appearance. Some fusels on the palate. Rich and nicely caramelized. Well balanced. Still a bit green and could stand to sit for a good year. Very well crafted and an excellent example of an English Barley wine. However, considering that this was hand-bottled - it’s not at its optimum. Very grateful to have tried this, but would’ve loved to have tasted it as it was intended.

12oz handbottle from cgarvieuk via goldtwins: Pours a pretty dark copper mahogany for a barleywine with a thin ring of tan head. Aroma of sweet toasty caramel dark malts with a good earthy hop balance, sweet floral honey and a hint of smoky tobacco complexity. Body starts with a full viscous caramel sweetness along with some nice light fruity and raisin flavors before a drier, warming finish. A very nice barleywine that I’d love to have some more of.

Tasted at WeeHeavySDs. Another awesome rarity. This isn’t from a 100yr old bottle, but rather from a new batch. Still very historic, interesting, and a special treat to try. Nice malty aroma. Deep rich brown amber color. Low carbonation. Sweetish. Mellow. Some sting on the tongue from the alcohol.

12oz handbottle via trade with cgarvieuk. 9th beer of the tasting I hosted tonight, shared with bikesandbeer, wetherel and my girlfriend Cyn. Pours deep brown with no head. Superb nose, dark fruit and sweet nose. Taste is sweet and very nice, mellow nice mouth feel. This is really fantastic beer, and a beer that I’m so happy to have been able to try. Wow.