Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine

Brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Milton, Delaware USA

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: DEC 23, 2009 Orange pour, cloudy. Minimal head. Overall it’s really just a lot of sweet, more than anything. Just like most DFH. Skip it.

UPDATED: MAR 31, 2008 On tap @ Dogfish brewpub in Rehoboth, DE. Maybe it’s just me, and it very well could be because I don’t know s**t about Barleywines, but this stuff was not good at all. Tasted like a shot of vodka. I know it’s 15% but I thought I was drinking 80 proof. First and foremost was the alcohol taste and smell....and then there was not much else. Maybe I wrecked my pallate from several previous Randalized 90 minutes. Sad to say that i’m not at all impressed with this one.

Serving: Draft. It pours a clear amber color with virtually no head. The nose is rather powerful with notes of figs, alcohol, muted hop notes, and honey. The taste is overly hot and sweet. Lots of booze in this one. I agree with the rater that noted it was similar to a brandy, and a cheap one that. The palate is rich leading to a lengthy, cloyingly sweet finish. A bunch of sweetness and booze a good beer does not make.

UPDATED: MAY 14, 2005 Figured I’d try it since it was only $4 and is equivelent to drinking three beers... Poured a thick looking golden yellow clear color with very very very minimal head that dissapears before you get back to your table. Kinda resembles a glass of honey. Aroma is very sweet and syrupy with some fruit notes and even a little hops. Taste is very weird sweet fruit with some definite alcohol flavor. It does mask the 15% rather well, but you can still tell its there. Overall, I thought it was just too much for me. I would have enjoyed a slightly milder, less sweet version, but I am still glad I tried it.

Yet another too big Dogfish Head barley wine. I really don’t understand how people enjoy this style. Aroma and taste were identical. Vicks Vapo-Rub, heavy oily malt and a strong burning aftertaste. Pour was a cloudy brown with no head. Very little carbonation. I know it’s 15% but it tastes like 20%. As I keep saying I guess I am drinking BWs too fresh and maybe need to age them.

UPDATED: DEC 5, 2007 2006 bottle enjoyed in 2007...appears to be an amber color...tiny bubbles gather on the surface, a very pretty beer..:)...honey and alcohol aromas...syrupy body with high alcohol flavor and a dry finish..!!!!-pure alcohol-!!!!...I love this brewery, but sadly I don’t enjoy this product...perhaps it’s the style of beer, I will investigate this further

Bottle. I didn’t enjoy this beer much at all. This bw is to intensely hoppy. I like more of an english style BW but the hop profile is to big for my liking. eh.

2005 Bottle: Pours a tawny amber with loads of miniscule bubbles exploding from the bottom of my Duvel tulip. The nice frothy head quickly settles into a everlasting ring around the glass. I was really expecting nothing but ether and hops in the nose, but was surprised to find neither. The subdued aroma is slightly oxidized, with smallish notes of prune juice, caramel and peach. Rather borish for such a big beer and the body doesn’t compensate for the lackluster nose either. The body lacks carbonation, creating a sluggish, sweet drink that is heavy on the caramel malts and not much more. Maybe some sugary plums as well. This is almost wort-like in sweetness, yet not viscous. What a weird experience as it finishes sweet with no hint of the high ABV. Either my bottle isn’t up to snuff, or this beer automatically gets higher marks for being DFH and 15% ABV.

What a disapointment! This has nothing I expect in a barleywine except big alcohol. Pale gold color, subdude nose, and very light flavor. One of the worst Dogfish beers ive had. Come on Sam you can do better than this.

A little pale colored for a barley wine. Nose reminded me of Robitussin. First taste sweet and cloying - much alcohol. Bitter cough syrup finish. Tasted in a session with Old Crustacean and Old Numbskull: both good. Olde School was an amateur attempt. Not pleasant.