Green Flash Barleywine

Brewed by Green Flash Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Vista, California USA

2007 vintage - This one has a nice reddish color with a roasty, sweet, caramel/hop aroma. Lots of alcohol and sweetness with some hop remnants and sugar. Nice overall, but fairly average for the style.

aroma is strong boozy vinous note, similar to old white wine. also element of slightly rotten fruit and bitter fruit skins, grape and green apple. all combine to nearly offensive levels. this seems to be the ’orange juice/milk’ syndrome where heavily citrus hops do not exactly marry with toffee malts. flavor is extremely bitter beginning to end, with less malt character this would excel as an IIPA. flavor is of metallic with background of grapefruit. appearance is burnt amber. this would benefit from cellaring in theory, as the massive hops die down just a touch to create a better balance and marriage.

22oz - 2nd Anniversary - Aroma is strong alcohol, sweet caramel malts and some hops. Flavor is a little dusty with tons of caramel malt and resinous hops. Palate is sticky. Still tasty despite the 5 years in my cellar.

Bomber. Pours a dark brown with a nice, tan head. Nose is overripe fruit and brown sugar. Taste is of toffee and overripe fruit. Mouthfeel is bitter. Average barleywine.

22 oz bomber. This one struck me as being slightly too boozy upfront, but as I drink more it, I enjoyed the alcohol more and more. Definitely some heavy notes on the aroma, but not all that complex with some thick citrus fruits, melon, sweet caramels, and whisky grains.On the pour, a medium sized, standard cream colored head, fairly translucent body for the abv, and a bright crimson color. This is definitely not a smooth drinking beer by any means, but the alcoholic kick gives off a nice warming feeling on the way down. As expressed in the description, this one is definitely hop charged with a ton of thick fruity citrus bitter that combines with a wave a rich caramel and grain malts. This is really a solid choice for a cold winter’s night, but I do wish there was a bit more complexity going on besides just the straight kick in the face.

Bottle. Red dark amber colour with a beige head. Aroma is cacao, coffee, malt, hop, grapefruit. Flavour is sweet, malt, grapefruit, coffee, hop, caramel. Full bodied nice beer.

You’ve all beeen there...stalking a new beer store and grabbing a bomber off the shelf and saying to yourself...." I dont think I’ve rated this...... You’ve had a fair number of that breweries products but.....there’s just that shadow of a doubt. You end up saying WTF its only a couple of bucks , let’s roll. This particular day I was a bit lost in NJ and found a Buy-rite Liquors on the way to some friends house. Looky here! I said to myself......(insert above scenario) "10.9 %.... You must be mad..... sure feels that way now after consuming said bomber, but not whilst drinking said elixer. I am amazed at my typing skills since it feels like I have mittens on. Hoppy critter. Not a long body but a definitive finuish. Woogiee woogiee and yer mom!

Draft. Pours a dark ruby-orange hue, thin ring of tan head, fair clarity. Nose is big caramel, pine resin, citrus, and alcohol strength. Flavor is also big and malty, caramel, toffee, bread, resin and citrus hops for a slight balance, high alcohol heat in the middle persists through the finish. Full body, medium carbonation, thick chewy texture. A big and malty barleywine with considerable heat throughout, definitely geared toward sipping in small quantities.