Brimstone Big Ale

Formerly brewed at Wild Goose LLC (Flying Dog)
Style: Barley Wine
Frederick, Maryland USA

Serve in Snifter

Cloudy Caramel with Sandy Skin. Prunes, Rich Malt Aroma. Nice Warming...Heavy Prunes and Rich Malts..Nice Simple and Enjoyable Barley Wine!

UPDATED: SEP 26, 2009 Original Rating, May 31, 2005. Murky brown color with no head. Malty aroma. Strong malt base with a sugar hit. Something almost like celery in the finish. A bit strange to say the least. A touch sour and tart. Not the best barley wine around. 6/3/4/2/9 Re-rating, Skyview Tasting 2.5, Vintage October 1999. Dark orange color with no head. Aroma of sweet caramels and light orange. Very pruney taste. Sweet malt, a little oxidized and some sherry notes. Really improved.

UPDATED: SEP 16, 2005 I picked up this bottle about a year ago and have no idea as to it’s age. A thick wax cracks away easily enough to get at the cap. Aroma is burnt apricot that was acrid. Taste is nasty, tart sour that obviously turned. Label says this stuff will continue to get bettter for up to 10 years. Unless this beer is over ten years old, I highly doubt that. Total drainpour.

(October 1999 vintage). Rich amber brown, no head. Complex lacing across top of the brew sip after sip. Golden raisin flavor, sour cherries, moroccan leather. I cannot explain this fully. Party in my mouth. California raisins are invited, as are caramel chews, an old book cover, some dust, and a dried tangerine rind. No alcohol taste present whatsoever, despite the 13-plus percentage. Unbelievable.

I’ve cut away the red-wax covering, and un-capped the bottle and the distinct sweetness of the perfect barleywine aroma wafts out. I can’t wait to taste! So, I pour...nice, deep, opaque, amber hue, with a decent helping of creamy, bubbly froth above...so far, looks good, like a barleywine should! Aroma: rich, dark, deeply fruity, grapes and cherries, leather, WOW!, this is a complex, heady thing, vast and mysterious, everything a decent barleywine should aspire to, sweet, tasty, delicious, dark and full of so, so much! Little hops felt here, but abundant in maltiness, feeling a touch sharp, but not too much, uttely integrated, very, very...Wow! Ooops, I said it again... This is a wonderful brew, fruity, never too alcoholic, well-masked by the fullness of flavor, totally tasty...a very happy nightcap. Wish I had more on hand, that’s for sure!

'99 vintage,Nice orange color,small white head that faded quickly leaving little behind.Malty fruity aroma with a slight caramel and maybe something a little sourish.Damn this stuff is bad.Malty taste caramel and something that kind of feels like acid on the tongue.The alcohol is evident throughout the tasting.This is definately not a good barley,the flavor and hops and alcohol are so far out of balance,that i don't think any age would make this any better.It was worth a try but never again.

UPDATED: MAY 7, 2004 (Bottle) Wasnt me, Beer God, I think it was from Jeff666s stock? I can agree with most everything listed but can add more adjectives: gross, aweful, barf-like, rude, unpleasent. The nose caused my stomach to turn. The taste caused my legs to give out. I really don't know how to rate this? Is this Canadian swill?

Thanks to CapFlu/argo0 for this! No idea of the vintage. Thick clouded brown body. The nose is atrocious! It smelled so bad, that I actually like it! There's a band-aid, medicinal aroma with rotted malt that seems to be dominant. I was warned before I had this though. The taste is not as medicinal but it's still there. Some light malt sweetness and stale fruit. There's a corroded flavor to it. It's probably bad, which is why no one else drank it but I actually liked it like this because it was different. Wish I had a fresh bottle, but oh well!