Butte Creek Train Wreck

Brewed by Butte Creek Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Ukiah, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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Date: 04/01/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Brewfest, Classic City

clear dark chocolate, scant head, light phonelic aroma, hot caramel malt flavor, strange hop balance, lots of sweetness in the finish, needs a better choice in hops,

Aroma: 4/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4
-------- /> I would like to rerate this beer.

UPDATED: FEB 27, 2009 Bright amber colour. Toasty, peachy, orangey nose. Lots of different malt elements, going nowhere fast. Funny brew to describe, it’s all of everything, some of nothing but ultimately I kind of like it.

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a small off-white head. Has a malty dark fruit and hoppy bitter aroma. Sweetish malty hoppy bitter flavor with some hints of dark fruit and caramel. Has a dry malty hoppy bitter finish with a long bitter aftertaste.

Aroma starts with malt, quickly followed by pine hop. Translucent color of ripe apricot flesh, and an off-white head that is vigorous. A bit of lacing. It starts warm and malty. Not overly carbonated. A light burning sensation at the back of the palate. A bit vinous in mid-quaff. The malt persists through the middle, the alcohol tends to demand attention, but the finish is relatively dry - it just takes a long time to get to that point. Finally a resiny bitterness remains. It’s likely to persevere for awhile.

22oz bottle shared courtesy of Josh. Poured a medium and clear amberish color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of dark fruits and caramel. Tastes of dark fruits, caramel, some grassiness, and toffee. Thinner body.

Deep ruddy amber beer. Slightly sweet rich toasted malt aroma. Chewy sweet, caramel and toast with a soft toffeeish character as well. Fairly dirty and rancid backnotes behind the otherwise solid malts. Well-named, really.

Pours a transparent copper orange with a thin, wispy-lacing white head. Aroma of sweet sugary caramel with a hint of grapefruity hops. First sip had some sweet malt to it, but a lot of citrusy bittering hops and a big, warming finish, but after a few sips, the beer started to meld together a little better. The sweetness came out to balance the bitterness and both worked to mask the alcohol. After my first sip I didn’t think I’d be finishing the 22oz bottle, but I’m more than half way there and showing no signs of stopping.

23rd June 2009
Hazy amber brown beer with an off white head. Semi dry and semi soft palate. An odd barleywine. Salty with bitter astringent citrus that doesn’t overwhelm. The mid is tasty with malt and fruit but the back end is all bitterness. Beer was best when pretty cold and the bitterness was supressed.

Bomber poured a clear reddish copper with a lasting light amber head. Aromas of light oxidation, carmel, brown sugar, dates, raisins and pepper. Palate was medium to full bodied and smooth. Flavors of carmel, toffee, raisin, spice and light brown sugar with a smooth lingering bittersweet finish.
Hides it’s alcohol well!

Bottle. Cloudy amber pour. Small head. Aroma has some sweetness with notes of honey balanced by some citrus hops. Flavor is well balanced. Sweet honey notes, apple juice, and hops come together very well. It was a tiny bit hot, but not enoug to stop me from really enjoying it.