3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Bottle from Holiday Wine Cellar: Created a thick fluffy topping of head while the liquid was a shade of mahogany. In the aroma, there is a subtle scent of caramelized malts but a heavy presence of alcohol that made me cough after taking a whiff. The flavor is harsh with an overbearing dosage of warm alcohol while also having a background taste of black licorice or cigar tobacco. Not my cup of tea when it comes to a barley wine style.
4.1 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
650 mL bottle in trade from VerticalBaconStrips. Different label than the one pictured. Beautifully balanced aroma and flavour, with tonnes of sweet caramel and bitter hops. Best beer I’ve tried in a while. Thanks, Jeff.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bomber from where? I put the initials BC on the label. ? Pour is very ruddy, approaching ruby. Head is creamy beige. Aroma is mixed hop over sweet malt; evergreen seems predominant. Full bodied. Starts sweet, goes hoppy, goes earthy, goes sweet, ends a bit bitter. Heat not a problem in the mouth, burns a little in the gullet. This is a delite.
4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
On tap at Bailey’s Taproom in Portland, OR. Colour... somewhat cloudy gold with a thick off-white head. Nose... redolent of newly sprung hop cones! Palate... quite hoppy indeed with waves of sugary sweetness, pit fruits, lemon custard, lychee and Turkish Delight. This is a dandy, and I rather think of it as an VERY impy IPA rather than a barley wine. But, it’d be cool to cellar a few and see how they develop!
4.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Pours dark brown with a thin head. It smells amazing. very strong floral and hopy. This is a hell of a brew. Very full thick mouth feel. very hopy with a huge malty profile. you can taste the booze but it is well balanced by the strong malt profile. this is a fantastic beer. I plan to buy a couple for the cellar. great brew sure to only get better.
3.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 12/20
Quite a strong hops aroma, you can tell there is some heavy malt to back it all up but the hops really dominate at first. Pretty nice head on pour, fades out pretty quick to just the ring and the hazing on the surface. This is definitely hoppy, there is some heavy malts in the flavour too but it would need some age I think for it to really shine.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
22oz Bomber 2010 Vintage. Coppery red color with a lingering collar of foam. Nose definitely shows traces of the heavy hopping, but there is a strong malt presence in the aroma as well. The aroma hops appear to be going a little stale with heavy bubblegum, a touch of citrus and some toasted malt notes in the background. Strong bitterness to the flavor that is a bit grassy tasting and possibly the only big knock on this brew. Otherwise the flavor has some woodiness with hints of caramel, subtle dark fruit, toasted malt and a bit of whiskey. The carbonation is persistent and the mouthfeel is dry and medium light. The finish is bright with a little booze, wood and a lingering hoppiness. Solid, but not a mindblower.
3.9 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 18/20
Very heavy initial hops flavor that mellows into a grassiness that persists as an aftertaste. There is a mild sweetness and floral nature, but it is overpowered by piney, bitter and grassy hops (in that order). Mouthfeel is pleasantly fizzy and leaves a slight greasiness/oiliness after drinking. It’s full of a lot of character in a style that I love but often find disappointingly static. Make sure you don’t miss this one.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
22 oz bottled Nov 2010. Deep reddish brown with a thick, creamy light beige head. Aroma of caramel, citrus, alcohol, pine and some toffee. The flavor is sweet, rich malt upfront which slowly fades to a strong bitterness, also a medium alcohol presence. Full body with average to low carbonation and a long bitter finish. Drinkability is a bit low. This is a big malt/hop bomb, reminds me a lot of Double Bastard, except that it costs a lot more.
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
A: The beer pours a clear amber color with a very minimal head forming.
S: The beer smells almost oxidized, maybe it’s the old hop smell? In any case, lots of sugar, particularly brown sugar and caramel. Some candied, yet still bitter, orange peel, and a definite alcohol aroma.
T: An assortment of citrus flavors from the hops. There’s a lot of bitter and resinous hop character as well. Bread and toffee seem to be the bulk of the malt flavor, but there’s a bit of a chalkiness.
M: Medium in terms of the body with a low to medium level of carbonation.
D: I think this was another pretty "meh" beer from this brewery. I haven’t had much luck with their beers as of yet.
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