Green Flash Barleywine

This one hurt. There was no balance: huge hops, huge alcohol taste, not that sweet for a barley wine, though. It’s not just that this was closer to a DIPA, it didn’t make a good DIPA either.

On tap at Green Flash Brewery. Pours a dark orange/light brown color with a huge white head. Fruity aroma and has a taste like apricots. I enjoyed this beer, one of the better brews from Green Flash.

This is red brown, but not deep, with a thick, long-lasting head, good lacing. The aroma is malty , fruity, with a definite, strong citrus hoppy element. It tastes of a rich maltiness typical of the style, but this is subdued in comparison to others & there’s a definite strong hoppy bitterness. Up front is hoppy bitterness, but not overpowering, a strong toffee (not caramel) malt element, then a gin-like quality (good for me, since I love gin), with a bitter, strong citrusy hop finish. It is good, but it first took a while to grow on me, which it ultimately did. The palate is somewhat thin for a barleywine, lively, and bitter. This is very good - after all, I absolutely love barleywine - but a little too hoppy & bitter for me & too light on the malt,making it kind an IPA-barleywine cross. However, it has good, solid flavour, definite complexity, and it’s interesting. It’s not my favourite barleywine, but I definitely like it.

Like a mellow version of that most arrogant of heavily-hopped flagship American micro beers, i.e., less grapefruity-astringent and more smooth and mellow on the flavor as well as finish. Just a slight shade darker and it would be a dead ringer appearance-wise.

Bomber. The label says "vintage" then a notch underneath it with no date or any discernable timeline. Interesting. The pour is a thick, opaque brown with a sparse khaki head. The nose is deeply floral with a blast of pine, grapefruit, orange. . .then there’s the solid malts. The sweeter scents are very evident in the way of caramel, tobacco, banana. Mm. Mouthfeel is semi-dense. I get a sharp, clean blast of lemon, pine, and grapefruit with a thick, sweet, roasted caramel underneath. Yes my friends, this is an American IPA. Honestly, I was hoping for something more extreme, but this will do the trick. It’s a huge beer with intricate workings between the stinging hops and dense malts, but everything works out quite well.

Had at the Nashville Tasting; thanks to whoever brought it. Clear ruby amber in the glass with a big creamy and filmy head. Flowery hops in the aroma, some dark grain, and a slightly toasty quality to the malts. Oily and vinous in the mouth, I have in my notes the words "creamy butter" underlined, which is a nice overlay to the integrated juicy hops fruit in the middle. Dry bitter hoppy finish. The oily coating in the feel goes well with the driness at the end. Seems like a more lively version of a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot.

Deep red-brown and coffee head; thick, layers of malt taste but a helluva hop sting; very good, but be ready for a real mix of opposite sensations. [Tasted next to Moylans Old Blarney Barley Wine] The Moylans has more hop flavor; the Green Flash has much more hop sting but not as much hop flavor.

Best thing about this one is the aroma. which was a big wet hop orgy with some tobacco notes. Pour was chesnut with a small tan head and decent lace. Flavor is not as impressive, muted with hops up front with the alcohol, a bit messy. Still nice, although I don’t think I would age it too long.