Live Oak Old Tree Hugger

Brewed by Live Oak Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Austin, Texas USA

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: MAR 3, 2011 On tap at the Whip-In in Austin. Not sure exactly how old this one is, but it’s likely 2-3 years. Quite cloudy in the glass, a medium brown-orange in color with a small light tan head. The nose brings caramel, chocolate, old dried spices, cinnamon, and brown sugar. The flavor’s pretty much what you would expect from an aged barleywine: rich caramel malt, a little burnt sugar, still a little bit of hop bitterness with some citrus rind tone. A bit spicy, too. Pretty much a perfect example of an old barleywine, by my book - big, malty, and exceptionally aged. Just plain delicious. I could drink more than a few of these if they weren’t $9 for 8oz...

I had the winter 2010/2011 batch recently and it was splendid. Just as big a beer, but it was wonderfully smooth. The new batch is still 13%, but you’d think it’s 7! Great fruity tones and a nice little bit of hops. An excellent barleywine!

On tap at Strangeways. Murky brown pour with a lasting cream head. Aroma is candied fruits, caramel, molasses, and some alcohol. Taste is caramel, raisins and dates, some vanilla and wood. Alcohol is not too noticeable in the taste but warms on the way down. Very good.

On tap at Strangeways. Pours with a hazed deep bronze body with a massive tan head that leaves great lace. Aromas are of burnt caramel, canned pineapple, creme brulee, caramel, flan, medium esters, lots of booze. Some fusel alcohols. Flavors are quite bitter, some faded hop character, burn caramel, alcohol, toffee, flan, raisins. Really deep caramel and caramelization notes. BIG. Deeply warming, medium to creamy carbonation....REALLY BIG.

Clear caramel color with no head. Big pit fruit, toffee, boozy aromas. Heavy syrupy mouthfeel. Sharp pit fruit, caramel sweet flavors, big boozy hoppy bitter finish--not bad

Lightly hazed amber pour with creamy off white head and lace. Deep dried fruit aroma. Dates, prunes, a hard resiny bitter, and sweet malt. Medium/full bodied with good carbonation. very nice.

On tap during RBWG 2012
Pours a clear dark mahogany with a small off-white head and some lacing. Aroma and taste of sweet caramel, brown sugar and dark fruit. Decent, sweet and the alcohols are well hidden.

2/24/12. On tap during RBWG. Nice deep ruby pour with basically no head. Nice aroma with dark, caramelized sugars, dark fruits, and a touch of roast. Sweet, sugary flavor with touches of molasses, oxidation, brown sugar, dark fruits, etc. Not too bad!

Tap at Anvil.
Pours a velvety mahogany with silky amber highlights and a thick, off-white head. Aroma is wort and harvested malt pellets with a light touch of plum and raisin. Flavor is raisiny velvet cake served on a toasted biscuit. Alcohol is well hidden. Gooey, runny, and slick on the tongue. Not bad; a little rough now but some aging would do it wonders.

On tap Anvil. Pours a clear amber with a brown hue and a tan head that dissipates to the edges and laces. Aroma has lots of sweet grains and maple with a hint of hops. Flavor starts with sweet grains and light hops with a backing maple note.

Reddish amber in color with a light cream head. The smell is toasted malts, candy, caramel, figs, plums, and slight hops. The smell is molasses, marshmallow, hops, sweet, candy, caramel, and dried fruits.

GABF 2011. Clear dark orange amber, with a dissipating off white head. Smell is rich with dark fruit--plum, fig, raisin, and some boozy citrus. Flavor is complex with a bit of oak, a whole lotta dark fruit, some grapefruit, herbal and spicy hops, but also a while load of sweetness from a blast of malts, much toffee, a little booze and a good balancing bitterness that does pack a punch. Well rounded and smooth, delightful to drink.