Pours with a deep amber-brown body topped by a medium thick head with good lace. Odd grainy malt aroma with a slight sweetness and hoppiness. The flavor isalso grainy (rye?) and malty with a good hoppy charater and a slight sweetness, odd flavor. Full bodied and surprisingly smooth with a slight warmth. Not what I would consider a great barleywine. It reminds me more of a watered down rye whiskey than beer.