Green Flash Barleywine

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

Bottle (650ml). Shared with jerc, mabel, mds and tupalev - my bottle via trade with DarkElf - DarkElf+ Fest ’07!!. Deep clear amber, average off-white head. Toasty sweet malt aroma and alcohol aroma - simple and oh-so-nice - quite bitter. Average body, quite astringent and fairly boozy - solid BW.

On tap at Mad Mex Robinson: I see a commonality to the reviews of this beer from this location. I love barleywines, but this was simply the worst that I have ever had. The color was good, being a dark ruby colored brew, with a small off white head. The smell was something else. It didn’t smell bad, but it did smell like root beer. The taste was predominately of root beer. This was close to undrinkable. Yuk!

On tap at Mad Mex Robinson: There must have been something wrong with this keg. Single worst craft beer I had ever had. Pour was a dark brown with a thin white head. Taste was mildly hoppy and astringent. Aftertaste like mouthwash. The menu said 12oz glasses but they were giving everyone 16. I wonder if it was infected and they were trying to unload it? Awful.

Cloudy brown pour with a thin light brown head. Good aroma of hops and caramel malt. The flavor is solid with its sturdy caramel malt and resinous hops, it finishes with bitterness. The body is full with a liquorous texture and medium carbonation. Very well done and enjoyable.

Perfumey floral, aroma,all from esters, you can also detect a sugary sweetness in the nose, taste is a carmelly smooth sweetnesswith a big hop bitter finish almost excessive, wheat or rye slightly detectable, touch of toffee and hot alcohol. Taste was great,but the finish detracts.Thanks Kingpin

On tap at the Mad Mex. Smells like root beer and cotton candy. This is not yer typical barley wine aroma. The pour is light brown with a rootbeer head that matches the smell. Very strong alky flavor impact. You ceratinly know this is a barleywine when you taste it. The alky content is not hidden and you know this is above 10%. Very little carbonation, flat. Finish is back of your throat medicinal qualities with a bitterness that hangs on your uvula. Lingers and lasts for a while after you are finished drinken the last sip. Difficult. I am not a barleywine lover or expert but this is probably one of the better tasting ones I’ve had. IMHO much better than Laggy Brown Shugga and Bell’s Wheat Love.

Bottle. Burgundy red and brown colored body. Fresh hop and oak nose with some plum and port scents. Frothy and thick, spicy and peppery, flavors of dark fruit such as plums. Dose of yeast in the finish. Really reminds me of Bigfoot.

thin creamy light tan head, hazy dark scarlet-black body and lighter ruby at the edges. aroma is sweet vinuous malt, dried berry? vanilla, and sweet bourbon. flavor is vinuous malt, toffee too. gets a little hot, and carbonation perks up the heat a bit more. fruityness goes to bitter citrus. finish becomes hoppy and bitter.