Drakes Ryewine

Brewed by Drakes Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
San Leandro, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: MAR 29, 2009 On tap at the Hopyard, Pleasanton back in October. It poured a clear copper-ish red with a thin white head. It was served a bit on the cold side. The aroma is subdued – sleepy. I get sweet sugar malts, cherry hard candy, dark fruitiness that leans toward the light side and a note of alcohol. The alcohol nose is almost nothing considering the ABV. It comes off thick and viscous, how I prefer a barleywine, ushering in a brief muted wood note followed by sweet fruitiness like stewed cherries, plums and sweet dark grapes. A rye malt twang arrives about midway and plays beautifully against the fruity sweetness. Toward the finish a dryer red wine flavor wells up to aid the rye malts in fighting off the syrupy sweet fruitiness. Wow, awesome. The more I consume the more I like it.

One of the deceptively strong beers. Loads of grain taste. Minimal hop. Was expecting a bit more spice. Pours an orange-ish color.

On tap (I believe this to be the same recipe as the Rye Wine that is already in the database). Pours with a clear orange body with a lasting white head. Aromas are spicy, clove, caramel, alcohol, orange, sweet, and a bit bready. Flavors are alcohol, spicy, rye, orange, tea, rotten banana, vanilla, and light bubbles. Sticky, boozy, and sweet.

A: The beer pours an orange-amber color with a slightly off-white head to go with it. S: Lots of sweet caramel to start things off with plenty of toffee to go with it. There’s a mild citrus hop aroma as well as some brown sugar, toast, and bread. I don’t really get very much rye out of it, though. T: Sweet bread, caramel, toffee, and molasses. Maybe some brown sugar, too. There’s a definite booze quality to it, but it isn’t overwhelming. Some citrus and pine hops provide a bit of bitterness. Again, the rye is conspicuous in its absence. M: The body is medium to full with a moderate level of carbonation. D: A pretty solid barleywine. Especially considering it’s a Drake’s beer (the kings of good and abysmal).

Reviewed at the 2007 Strong Ale festival A- Hue is blazing orange, non-existent head and lacing S- Nose is syrupy sweetness, tones of honey, citrus, apples, rye malts, molasses, floral hops (honeysuckle) T- Initial taste is sweet wheat and rye malts, honey and dark fruit sweetness borders on cloying, finishes with sweet dryness and alcohol warming, well-balanced and complex M- Full-bodied, oily texture, low carbonation D- Delicious and easy to drink rye wine, sweet fruits are balanced by rye malts, I look forward to drinking this in larger quantities in the future

<i>Draught at the Freakin’ Frog, Las Vegas</i>
Muddy amber color. The aroma doesn’t develop much beyond some caramel and a faint sweetness and fruitness; and maybe some hop, if you are patient and wait. But the flavor is much more powerful, with a sweet but not cloying fruity caramel and malt, light toffee, light maple syrup, hidden but good hopping, and the alcohol and bitterness seem to match the malt. Strong body, and the alcohol perception is not in the mouth: you will feel it in the blood later. Interesting, very good, for a lover of sweet Barley Wines like me.

#400 On tap at the Freakin Frog in Las Vegas NV. Pours a hazy brown with little to no head. Aroma of brown sugar, rasins, hops, rye. Flavor is dark fruits, caramel, rye, spices, bread. Very thick and sweet and quite interesting. Not as boozy as I thought it would be with the HUGE ABV that this packs.

On tap at Freakin Frog in Las Vegas. Grassy aroma and a sweet, malty flavor with hints of caramel and raisins. Smooth, oily mouthfeel with very little carbonation. It drinks almost like syrup--thick and sweet. On the plus side, the massive alcohol doesn’t overpower at first taste. But it is exceedingly strong in the finish, completely overshadowing whatever else may be there. Just couldn’t get into this one.

Silky and creamy texture. Very rich malts (very grainy with sweet caramel). Pinch of white wine in the background. Big alcohol nips. Flowery-grassy, weedy, meadow-like aromas. Grassy bitterness.

On tap at the Freakin Frog. Poured a medium and cloudy brownish color wth a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of citrus, floral hops, rye, and earthy. Tastes of caramel, rye, floral, and citrus. Light to medium alcohol in the finish.On the sweeter side.

[Draft @ Freakin Frog] Poured a hazy lighter brown color with a thin film of off white head, that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of citrus fruits, floral hops, nuts, rye, and light oxidation. Taste of citrus, dark fruits, tobacco, light pine, toasty rye, nuts, and alcohol, with a huge mouthfeel.