Green Flash Barleywine

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

2008 vintage 22 oz. bottle served in trappist glass- poured turbid darken amber with red tints, light carbonation, 4mm off white head bubbled away a little too quickly, small groups of foam for lacing. Aroma of a caramel malt and citrus hops. Hits the mouth with a high-medium body, sweetness can be found in the background of a well concealed hopbomb that goes from the start to almost the finish, ends bitterly. Not sure what to make of this one... just seems out of balance to me.

A lot of candied caramel in this. Definitely seems like a 3 hour boil. Not too much hops coming through. The candied notes aren’t too sweet or cloying.

Golden amber body with a nice sized head that leaves pretty solid lacing. Citrus hops galore in the aroma, sweet malts form the backbone of it. The flavor is just a bit too strong in terms of alcohol. Finishes with plenty of a hop bitter in the throat and a lingering caramel malt note.

Bomber shared by theisti. Pours a clear reddish brown caramel with a thin khaki head and spotty lace. The nose is a bright, hoppy, doughy blend with a solid malty backbone. Medium-bodied and slick with a bitter, woody finish. Bright, "green" hops over doughy sweet malt. I like it. It may not be a top-tier barley wine but it’s a nice drinker. Thanks for sharing this with us, Tim.

A really neat barley wine with a sound hoppy nose. The flavour is dominated by caramel, thats deep and mellow. The hops show through and impart the beer with notes of tropical fruit and grass. Ends quite bitter and balanced.

22 oz bottle courtesy of Thaichile. Pour is clearish cordovan with a 1/2 inch off white head. Aroma of rounded citrus and pine hops. Some malty sweetness underneath the initial hop bitterness. Taste of sharp maltiness, roast and pine orange hoppiness. Some weird residual chemical going on. Palate and aftertaste are hang around a bit too long. Hmm, not real big on this. Its drinkable, and nice enough, just didn’t fully come together to me.

A Mes rate: bottle thanks to our Magic.
Very cloudy orange brown with a thin white head that can be added to with a swill whenever you like. Wheaty crackers, some soy and lots of rich, thick and full malt. Big hops that fade into the background a little to quickly. I can’t believe I’m saying this but it’s possibly a little too bitter. Rather dull and a bit of a let down in all honesty.

This Barley Wine is unique. It pours a clear red color at first and towards the end turns a murky reddish brown. The aroma from the caramel-colored head comes waves of toffee, with subtle notes of citrus hops. Very subtle. I can smell the alcohol too much. The flavor is just like it smells.... lots and lots of toffee...never had that in a Barley Wine.. it’s nice. But the alcohol bite is too much. Iv’e had BWs higher in alcohol than this, but way more smooth. This is not that smooth. One to sip indeed. As the beer warms a little, the notes of citrus hops come out a little more, wouldv’e like more hops though. Ok lacing from a head that is fleeting. The three hour boil definentely intensified the malts but I don’t know about the hops. As it warms, the hops come threw a lttle more. Also I get notes of darker colored fruits like, prunes or figs and or raisins.... wow I can also smell bannana nuanses too. A nice lingering bitterness. Not a bad American Barley Wine. Thanks Green Flash. The Lord bless the hop harvest!