Full Sail Old Boardhead Barleywine

Brewed by Full Sail Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Hood River, Oregon USA

22 oz bomber. Pours a clear amber with lazy bubbles and a big head. Aroma of carmel malts, vanilla. Nice citrus flavor with a sweet malty backbone. Medium mouthfeel and sticky. Nice hop afterburn and alcohol warmth. This beer reminded me more of a IIPA than a barely wine. I think it is slightly overrated, but still a decent beer.

2006 Vintage. 22 ounce bottle purchased at Nugget on Mace in Davis, CA. Caramel, fruity, berry-like aroma present with some definite ethanol presence. Light herbal hops are in there, but this aroma isn’t overly tempting. Very attractive transparent amber body with some garnet hues present. Medium off-yellowish head present with average lacing. Well, this is probably the thinnest-bodied barleywine I have ever tasted. Herbal, grainy, dry malt flavors to start, which turns very boozy and ethanolic in the middle. Very bitter hoppiness in the finish. This beer is way unbalanced. The light body combined with the horrific ethanol presence and high hop levels just don’t work for this.

[156-20061221] 650mL (2005). Medium boozy, light hoppy aroma. Deep orange body with a quick white head. Taste has very bitter beginning with some hints of hoppy roughness. Medium-full body, astringency probably from hops. Very rough aftertaste begs for small quantities.

Bomber of 2006 edition. Slightly chill-hazed leathery brown, small amounts of varied-density head. Moderate caramel/crystal malt aroma shored up with fairly light, mostly herbaceous hop notes. Very slight citrus. I was expecting quite a lot of sweetness, but the body is actually only moderately sweet. Seems pretty estery with some moderate huskiness and moderate acidity. Quite strong bitterness to complement the conspicuous lack of hop aroma. An odd fusion of English barleywine aroma and American barleywine bitterness levels. Doesn’t do it for me.

22oz Bottle 2005 Pours out a nice and clean dark copper. Topped with a fair off white head. A very nice and sweet nose of caramel and some malt. the tAST IS Pretty sweet as well I can pick up on the 9% aswell. Pretyy good overall.

Bottle via trade with kenb, thanks. Pouras a ruby highlighted amber color with a medium sized tan colored head. Aroma is huge blast of caramel, malt, spicy hops. Flavor is sweet caramel, tons of malt, hints of alcohol, floral hops, spicy hops, vanilla, brown sugar. Palate is full bodied, mildly carbonated, sweet, sticky, lingering hoppy bitter finish. Grreat!

2002, 22oz, this is between 4-5 years old now. big thanks to Ken (indiana red) for this aged BW. pours a glowing red orange with the thinest of white heads. nose has that aged beer thing going on, no trace of hops, mild oxidation, caramel, orange, but very muted and dull. taste has nice toasted sweet malts, caramel, fruits, loads of tobacco, very subtle chocolate finish this beer out. alcohol is noticible in the finish but it’s pretty well hidden. mouthfeel is a tad thin and fizzy. very tasty with tobacco notes dominating this aged brew.

Pours a dark amber with a light, quickly diminishing white head. Very floral smell. Sweet fruit and malts are there as well. Quite hoppy in the taste belnded well with the malts, kind of creating a caramle flavor in the finish. Somewhat mellow which I think was perfect for this beer and what it encompasses. Nicely done.