Green Flash Barleywine

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

Bottle, aged almost a year I guess. Pours dark cloudy apple cider-y brown with a tight manilla head. Even after a year, the PacNW hop character is still strong in the nose along with notes of toffee and dark fruits. Flavor starts with notes of rich caramel, woodiness, then a strong American hop presence of pine, citrus/grapefruit then raisins and slightly burnt toffee. Although very hoppy, it ends quite balanced. Pleasant level of malty sweetness. The body is full, robust and creamy with soft fine-beaded carbonation. Excellent American Barleywine - quite similar to SN Bigfoot.

Bottle. Nice head with good duration. Color is dark amber. Aroma and taste are rich with hops, candy sugar, fruits and malt.

Pours a deep red-brown color with a lasting dark head. Sweet malt, dark fruits and raisins in the aroma, along with a big grapefruit hop presence. Flavor is much the same, with neither the sweet toffee malt and bitter hop bite backing down to the other. Bitter hop and alcohol finish. For the price, a very good BW.

Winter Welcome Toronto. Highly hopped citrus notes, and the sweet malt are most alluring, clear garnet, small toffee head. Flavour of treacle-like malt, and zesty hops are a golden partnership. Full bodied, very well balanced, bitter with a strong tongue tingle. Great example.

22 oz Bottle. Bevmo. Deep dark redbrown in color. Thick cappucino foam for a head. Tan. Dissolved to a thick oil slick. I wasnt paying attention to what i was drinking, as I was playing on the computer. I stuck my nose into the snifter and snorted. Mmmmm, what a lovely smelling DIPA. Wait, this isnt a DIPA! Thick, sweet, Hoppy smelling, with loads of alcohol sharpness. Once I regained composure and really paid attention I could smell the deeper tones, caramel, prune, raisins and brown sugar. If you dont believe me, try it. Close your eyes, say DIPADIPADIPA and snort. Now, the flavor is thick and pungent. A serious mouthfull of heaviness. Hoppy sharpness on top in front, tangy bitter on top in the back, thick sweetness bottom back. This is fun following the flavors. Yummy.

A solid barleywine, though not exceptional. Great head and lacey, aroma of barleywine and hops. A sourish taste. Medium mouthfeel.Would gladly have after two or more years ageing.

20080329 Blind tasting notes and score from Cornboy 2nd annual Barleywine Extravaganza. Silky body with rich malts but abruptly turning hot and astringent. A bit on the bland side for a BW, dominant flavors are plummy sweet. Also tried at home on a number of occasions because I keep forgetting I dont like it much.

Bomber, shared with Derek. Pours light brown with cream-colored head. Aroma is intensely floral, with some earthy notes. Initial flavor is bold and hoppy, but not without an ample dosage of sweet malt. Mid-palate features accented dry chocolate, and some darker fruit. Finishes slightly hot, with some alcohol bitterness, as well as some hops. Overall, I felt this was a tasty brew that might have been hampered by too much of a good thing. There might have been too much tasty hops presence, too much sweet fruit, and too hot of a10% alcohol content.