Bristol Old No. 23 Barley Wine

Brewed by Bristol Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Colorado Springs, Colorado USA

Serve in Snifter

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Poured cloudy brown, the beer has a sweet aroma with caramel and boozey notes. The beer tastes sweet, boozey, complex malt and hop flavors. The palate has a light fizz and medium body. Overall a typical barleywine, not over the top but solid.

Bottle from Supermarket Liquors in Fort Collins, CO. Pours dark amber with a foamy 1 finger beige/tan head. Sort of a date aroma. Near full bodied with carbonation I am at a loss to describe. Flavor is dark brown fruit and dark brown malt. Finishes a bit more sweet than not. Goes down all too well.

2009 bottle. Dark brown color with off white moderate to low head. Nice caramel and malty aroma, vanilla. Moderate hop aroma. Very flavorful with nice sweet vanilla and caramel with balanced hops. Medium full body. A great barley wine!

Bottled. Pours a rich brown with frothy, but not too thick head. Abounding grape/raisin and bread pudding aromas here. First draw was silky smooth with just a hint of carbonation. Tastes of the same flavors and very sweet. Would be a good dessert beer. Quite the unique brew.

06’ Bottle from barleypops. Brilliant mahogany, ring of film for head. Oily, growing legs. Aroma dominated by alcohol, hints of fruit and caramel. Flavor on par, hot/warming, faint fruit and caramel. Mouthfeel, very oily, no carbonation.

2006 bottle. Deep amber-garnet pour. The nose is big and figgy with a little bit of rye-like breadiness. The flavour has a little bit of lightly herbal character. Rich mintiness and a touch of soft oxidation. Sherryish and a bit plummy. It’s aging quite elegantly.

arouma is doughy and yeasty. Brown pour. Pine and citrus hop profile, a bit creamy and boozey. Malt profile is sugary sweet and toffee. Pretty good.

English barleywine nose - raisins, dark fruit, plum, caramel, light fruity bitterness a little floral/perfumey. Auburn pour, light haze, no head. Raisins, caramel, dark fruity sweetness, toasted dark bread, light hops in finish as well as a little alcohol heat. Drinks pretty nicely. Lingering sugary sweetness and light dryness in the finish.

12oz, 2009 bottle. Pours a rich amber-ruby colored body with a thin, tan head that leaves a light to moderate, delicate lacing. Aroma is sweeter and richer caramels with cherry-dark fruits, brown sugar, and some pleasant piney, flowery hops. A light toasted toffee, earthy pepper, and just a touch of alcohol. Flavor is nice as well, but just a tad jumbled at times. Sweeter up front with caramels and toffee before some brown sugar and cherry-dark fruits come in. Some toast and a light chocolate that I didn’t pick up in the aroma come in with some earthy pepper before this finishes with a good amount of piney hops with a bit of a fresh herb taste, yet remains somewhat sticky from the malt sweetness. A noticable alcohol, but not distracting. Moderate bitterness with a slight resin and residual sweetness that slowly dries leaving a lengthy aftertaste. Full, creamy body with just a touch of carbonation. Overall, an alright barley wine. Lots of malt flavor with a good amount of hops to balance, but it seemed a bit messy. Despite that, I enjoyed it.

Deep rich mohogany. Malt, Cordials. Booze, Chocolate and some woody aspect. Head doesn’t last but lacing is nice. Taste is deep dark overripe fruits, chocolate, caramel, and christmas cherry cordials. Brandy-ish. Mouthfeel is perfect. Easily Bristol’s best beer.