Benelux Barley Wine

Brewed by Benelux Brasserie Artisanale
Style: Barley Wine
Montreal, Canada

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: DEC 29, 2010 A reddish amber ale with a thin white head. In aroma, light vinous malt with dark fruits notes, British hops, treacle. In mouth, a classy barley wine with floral hops, warming alcohol and citrus pulp. rich and smooth. On tap at brewpub, Dec. 5 2009, No Habs no. 7-3-8-3-14.

A reddish copper ale with a thick frothy moka head. In aroma, loads of citrus, treacle, vinous notes, raisins, quite superb. In mouth, a nice barley wine, smooth, with pinhey hops, grapefruits, viscous oily malts, more like a DIPA, but good. On tap at brewpub, Nov. 5 2010 8-4-8-4-15

On tap at the Brew Pub. Amber pour with an averaged sized off white head. Caramel, nuts, with some dark fruits. Some toffee and citrus with some warming alcohol in the finish.

UPDATED: MAY 2, 2010 My Bottom Line:
This talkative Barley Wine sports plenty of citrusy hops and their resins thriving within candied fruit and caramelized cereals for a beautifully balanced sipping experience.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A slice of foam sits atop the cloudy dark red.
-The nose presents candied fruit and leafy hops (English varieties), but does not completely predict the plethora of flavors which exists in the flavor profile. Time will surely help there.
-The resinous bitterness is delightful and never overdone (which often happens in NAmerican versions of the style).
-The candied fruitiness is proficient, ranging from fieldberries of all sorts to orange peel.
-Alcohol is well hidden considering this beer’s gravity.
-A 2-year-old bottled version revealed more depth from the caramelized cereals and an expected drop in hoppy aromatics. A marvelous sipper for malt lovers.

On tap at the brewpub.

Draught. Mondiale 2009 - day 2 - at Benelux brewpub. Somewhat cloudy deep amber pour, average creamy beige head. A decent barlewine aroma - caramel malt, mid-level booziness (not quite to 10.5%, but strong), with floral/resin bitterness and a nice treefruit character. More alcohol on the tongue, with brown sugar thinking about shifting to light molasses in the flavour joining the roast caramel and stronger citrus/resin bitterness - perhaps not well-blended, but in decent balance. Average body, smooth almost creamy mouthfeel, with a moderately boozy, somewhat long raggedly bitter finish. Decent, it shows promise, I would love to try cellaring it for a year if bottled.

UPDATED: JAN 27, 2009 In short: A very hoppy and very caramelized big beer. A Barley Wine that almost feels like an ultra-decadent Double IPA. Kick-ass.
How: Tap at brewpub. First batch ever (winter 2008/2009). Drank fresh during the first few weeks of its release.
The look: Cloudy orange-brown body topped by a small white ring of foam
In long: Nose is very resinous, yoohoo, that’s gonna be a hoppy barley wine. Big big big caramelized malt base, never reaching toffee or other sweet flavours, this is only caramel but intensely caramel. A ton of hops bring a strong citrusy flavour backed up by hops resin. Some dried fruits round up the flavour spectrum. This is (at least fresh) a Barley Wine for the fresh Bigfoot lover more than let’s say the Angel’s Share lover. I had it ultra-fresh so it will probably change a lot but I think this is the type of Barley-Wine-Almost-Triple-IPA that I prefer fresh. Yet another kick-ass brew from Benelux, the latest member of the Montreal conspiracy group to ruin my professional and love life. Someone in town wants my job or girlfriend. Poor dude, if he only knew.

Draught at Benelux, Montréal, QC. Pours a deep amber with an average size creamy off-white head. Good lacing. Aroma of alcohol and caramel malt along with some fruit, resiny hops and brown sugar. Flavour, like the aroma, of caramel malt and alcohol along with some resiny hops and fruit. Nice bitter fish. Alcohol’s there for sure but for a 10.5% beer it’s relatively smooth. Medium bodied. Pretty good.

Tap at brewpub. Pours a deep copper light amber slight haze and a thinning head. Aroma is fruity esters, apple, pear, peach and yellow raisin with an ok sharp caramel malt presence, light bready toast, brown sugar and some alcohol. Flavor is a bit sharp with more alcohol- hoppy though citrus, and pine with lots more fruity esters. Seemed a bit out of control on the esters and the alcohol kicks in bigtime especially as it warms and is overall fairly prickly and sharp- not well balanced or melded.

En fût. Verre de 12 oz. à la brasserie. Arôme: Odeur d’houblons résineux avec une pointe citronnée. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée foncée complètement voilée. Présence d’un moyen col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’houblons avec une pointe de caramel et d’alcool. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement sirupeuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Présence d’amertume d’houblons en arrière goût. (Rating #2188)

Draft: Poured a light copper color ale with a small foamy head. Aroma of medium caramelized sugar is OK though not as complex as I would have hoped. Taste is dominated by some caramelized sugar with limited number of other characteristics (no notes of dry fruits or toffee were noticeable). Body is definitely a bit light for style with no apparent alcohol. Lacking complexity and not the best from this brewer.

Pours a cloudy caramel color with a thin white head. Interesting aroma of hops and caramel. Good flavor of hops and caramel with bitterness in the end. The body is light to medium with a liquorous texture and moderate carbonation. This is not a great barley wine, but it’s still quite enjoyable.