Marin Old Dipsea Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine

Brewed by Marin Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Larkspur, California USA

Serve in Snifter

Pours dark ruby-brown-black with a thin tan head, fast to dissipate. Aroma is dark fruit, vanilla, caramel, bourbon, slightly acidic. Taste is dark fruit, vanilla, caramel, bourbon, and funk. The funkiness here is very nice and a credit to the quality of the beer. The mouthfeel is somewhat syrupy and nice. I liked it. Overall, a very nice barley wine. Very enjoyable. Would certainly get this again.

Bottle@Home, vintage 2009. Sweet, complex and very well balanced Barley Wine, slightly oxidized (in a good way). Barrel Ageing did have some effect but 10 months wasn’t noticeable.

2011 bottle tasted fresh. It pours very dark ruby brown with a thin ring of tan foam. The aroma is a nice balance of dark red fruit and bourbon. A little bit of acid maybe and strong alcohol esters as well. The flavor is ridiculously rich with lots of raisins, caramel, wood and bourbon. The barrel aging was executed really well here with the bourbon and wood flavors supporting the base beer without overwhelming it. The mouthfeel is very thick and slick with low carbonation. Not exactly flat, but close. It’s perhaps a bit hot at the moment. An enjoyable sipper.

2009. Holy crap, Sean, thanks for sharing this ancient Whale! Another beer I never thought I’d try. Cool, the aroma lays a little flat, but gives some fruity spice and a touch of that warming oaky Bourbon. Chewy, refined silky sugars hold up a graceful and mature rich malt base. Figs, plums, and candied apples. Based on memory, this tastes as good, if not better, as any other Bourbon barrel Barleywines I’ve had. Noticeable warmth brings up the finish and helps me remember the joys of autumn. Little oxidation, has held up well. Married, smooth, with a nice balance of noticeable Bourbon barrel and the good, complex malts. A special treat.

Bottle shared at a recent BA/RB tasting... [2009 Vintage] Poured dark orange with a thin head. Slightly oxidized. Bourbon whiskey tones with oak, heat, and strong sweetness. Still some hop bitterness which balanced everything fairly well. Toasted grains and very much sugar forward.

2009 Bomber shared with friends. Deep brown pour with little head. Huge oak, vanilla, bourbon and citrus all poking through in the aroma. Great flavor blend. Sweet malt, caramel, vanilla, citrus hops and bourbon in the taste. A tad sweet, but very smooth and not boozy. Very nice.

Deep amber brown pour with a thin tan head. The aroma is rich and chewy. Sweet and a little bit earthy as well. Lots of rich Belgian-type malt character. Fairly rich sweet caramel malt and a bit of fruitiness as well. Lightly tart with a touch of sweet oak rounding the hops out a bit. Pretty tasty stuff.

Bottle at Max and Jess’s place. Pours a hazed orange amber. Light booze, malt and oxidization on the nose. Super sweet. Oxidized and toasty. A touch of alcohol, and sweet vanilla on the finish.