Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine

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

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: AUG 29, 2005 Vintage 2003 (pictured at left), but on draught. Surprising color, not knowing anything about this beer. Bright, lucid yellow-golden, with a slight hint of lightly hazy orange. Moderate, even, white head that sits atop obediently. Aroma has hints of peaches, unripe nectarines, perhaps some light fig notes (wouldnt be able to tell if I didnt see it on the description, though), with some flowery, herbal orange honey blossom-like notes. Tremendous dry fruit esters, with some restrained alcohol ntoes as well. Flavor starts out with a big honey and orange zing, very warming immediately, with the alcohol perceptible from the start. Light peach brandy notes, some rusty, earthy metallic notes as well. Dry fruits abound, with a dry malt base, not entirely unlike North Coast Old Stock. Very strong herbal qualities, with not much, if any, of the sweet, sugary notes I would expect from the dates. Finishes, alcoholic, heavily floral hops, some citrus and a bit of malt. I hope the 2002 750mL bottles are maltier than this. Medium-full to full body. 7/4/7/3/13
2004 bottle (green cap) Sampled at Moan and Dove on 8/19/2005. Light peach-apricot yellow color, medium-sized bubbles and a small covering of white head, not terribly well retained, with only a bit of lacing here and there. VERY clear. Aroma of light yellow fruits, pale malt sugariness and some dry, leafy hops. Flavor is lightly fruity, moderately bitter, lightly acidic and has a pretty good alcohol apparency. This year’s version isnt even as syrupy as the last, which in this case is a bad thing, IMHO, as this just seems like a sparkling beverage, light and unbalanced with alcohol. No substantial body on it, very short finish with peach skin, some oranges and sugar. Medium body, though pretty light relative to style. 7/3/6/3/11

36cl, Vintage 2011, as Dogfish Head Olde School, American brew, thx to AdamJackson!, complex brew, sweet/alcoholic and slightly woody/spicy, heavy, yet balanced, hazy, small head, very good brew, WOW!

(From notes) On draft in a chalice at the Hungry Monk.  Pours a light amber with almost no head. Fruity aroma with a hint of apple cider. It has a ripe apricot/apple taste with a very boozy front giving way to a spicy raisin finish. The high ABV is very apparent with a heavy alcohol taste throughout. A decent Barlywine now, but could really benefit from a few years of aging. 

2009 vintage Pours a reddish copper color with no head but great lacing. Aroma of sweet malts and slight alcohol. Taste follows the nose, no alcohol burn, raisins and figs, cherries also present. Slightly chewy but goes down smooth. Not mind blowing but it’s still a really good barley wine!

(draught) clear amber, nice color, no head. Nose of alcohol, sweet caramel, esters, rum raisins. Taste of warming alcohol, toasty, a bit woody but dominated by alcohol.

Pours dark, rich amber from 12 oz. 2011 bottle. Thin, khaki head dissipates in middle, leaving a ring around the snifter. Smell is toffee, jammy orange, vanilla, alcohol. Taste is in my face; immediate booze from 15% backed by caramel, cereal, vanilla, brown sugar. Quite a tasty brew. Wonderful full body to complement the big flavor profile. Would like a few more 2011s (or older) to see how age treats them.

The pour is a slightly cloudy amber color with a finger of off-white head. Pretty brutal aroma. A bit of rubber cement and rubbing alcohol. There’s a little bit of candied citrus in there and some caramel. The flavor isn’t quite as brutal as the aroma...at first anyway. Lots of booze, some rubbing alcohol, and more booze. Caramel and citrus flavors are also present, but they give way to the less desirable ones as it warms.

Clear amber with a small pale head. Aroma is toffee, honey, orange peel. Slightly slick mouthfeel and sweet on the palate, with noticeable carbonation. Taste is caramel, apple juice. Quite intensely sweet.

Poured into snifter a hazy orange-brown coloring with a small head and some slight lacing to the glass. Excellent aroma, a real pleasure to smell. Taste was excellent. Very sweet and malty with definate flavors of fruit (dates, raisens, figs). A little bit of alcohol burn on the palate but for the most part, very well balanced. At 15% ABV, I think I will stick to consuming one bottle at a time!

Pours a murky orange brown color with minimal tan head. that quickly dissipates to a small film. Smells is very alcoholic with notes of sweet spicy fruits. Taste is sweet malts, raisins, toffee, and alcohol. Texture is syrupy. After taste is hot and sweet. This is a little too much alcohol and sweetness for my taste. There are some complex flavors in this, but they can be hard to distinguish underneath the heat of alcohol.

Tge nose has hints of raisin, fig, molases. Has raisin, date, a little oak. Has a hiof sweetness with enough bitterness to balance it. A very complex beer