Hales Rudyards Rare Barleywine

Brewed by Hales Ales
Style: Barley Wine
Seattle, Washington USA

Serve in Snifter

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Many vintages have been sampled. A tasty beverage, and a great BW for something year round. Aged and mellow it’s quite nice as well.

Rudyard’s Rare Barleywine Style Ale--Special Limited Edition Release. December 2000--Signed 12 oz. Bottle. 9.20% ABV. 63 IBU’s. (4.25 / 5.0) Mild lace head. Hazy mild sediment dark brown color. Spicy malty mellow hop front. Smooth rich mellow sweet toasted caramel fruit ester body. Tangy malty clean mild hot EtOH hop citrus end. Good. Sampled 3/31/2005. December 2001 12 oz. Bottle. 9.20% ABV. 63 IBU’s. (4.25 / 5.0) Purchased 12/19/2001. Mild head. Slightly bottle conditioned hazy brown red color. Malty smooth floral hop front. Smooth mellow malty toasted toffee caramel sweet fruit body. Malty smooth mild hot EtOH hop end. Sampled 4/4/2005. 2002 12 oz. Bottle. 9.20% ABV. 63 IBU’s. (4.0 / 5.0) Mild lacy head. Hazy dark brown red color. Smoky mild toasted malt floral hop front. Clean smooth mellow sweet toasted smoky toffee mild fruit body. Cloying creamy crusty mild EtOH hop end. Mellow. Sampled 4/2/2005. 2004 Signed 12 oz. Bottle. 9.20% ABV. 63 IBU’s. (4.25 / 5.0) Mild lacy head. Hazy bottle conditioned dark opaque red brown color. Floral toasted fruit mild hop front. Rich Smooth complex mild creamy sweet toasted toffee ester fruit malty body. Spicy mellow hop nutmeg malt spice end. Sampled 12/25/2004. December 2005 12 oz. Bottle Release. 9.20% ABV. 63 IBU’s. (4.25 / 5.0) Mild lace head. Clear rich dark amber color. Rich malty floral hop front. Creamy rich malty toasted mild sweet hot caramel toffee body. Tangy mild hot hop EtOH end. Rich & hoppy.Imperial Red Ale. Not too malty. Sampled 2/14/2006. December 2006 12 oz. Bottle Release. 9.20% ABV. 63 IBU’s. (3.75 / 5.0) No sediment. Thin mild lace head. Cloudy opaque dark amber brown color. Mild toasted fruit hop front. Tangy creamy sweet tart toasted citrus caramel body. Tangy EtOH mild hop end. Mellow sweet Barley Wine. Sampled 5/22/2007. December 2007 12 oz. Bottle Release. 9.20% ABV. 63 IBU’s. (4.0 / 5.0) Thin lacy off white tan head. Sediment hint. Clear dark bronze red color. Smoky toasted fig toffee plum hop front. Smooth hint of creamy mellow sweet rich toffee cheery raisin body. Mild hop roasted crusty toffee malt spice end. Smoky hints. Nicer than I remember. Sampled 8/4/2008. 3 @ $2.29 Each.

2007 bottle from Scrizzz. Consumed 4/14/2010 Thanks, Clint! Aroma is dates, brown sugar, oxidation, sweet caramel/honey.There is also a slight medicinal aroma to the beer, and possibly some fruit. Nice. Pours a dense, deep brown with little/no head. Taste is initially very similar to the aromatics. Sweet, brown sugar, oxidation, and a medicinal honey/caramel, but the back end is loaded with toasted biscuit, and bitter, earthy hops. The hops are almost a distraction as they are strictly bittering, and add no aromatic qualities- at least to my perception. Finishes sweet, but also bitter and slightly toasted. Decent.

Dark, thin head. Really interesting, intriguing aroma. Flavor is more ordinary, malty with bitterness. A bit of a mixed bag.

Bottle shared by Dogbrick. Cloudy brown pour with a medium tan head. Caramel malt flavor with hops and some grainy sweetness. Grainy malt flavor with caramel character before a semi-bitter finish.

Pours a dark brown color that has an amber hue. Medium light beige head that burns away steadily. Rings of lacing on the glass. Hoppy aroma with some caramel and malt notes. Medium body with a moderately bitter hops character that has caramel malt and notes of fruit behind it. The finish is rather hoppy for an English-style Barley Wine and leaves a toasted malt aftertaste. Decent overall.

12 oz. bottle, 2010 @ Hale’s Ales. Man, I don’t know why I keep falling for these guys. Every beer I’ve ever tried from them has tasted bland and watered down. This "barleywine" is no exception. Tastes slightly maltier than their other ales, which is the only thing that distinguishes it from the rest of their line-up. I wish Hale’s was better because it’s four blocks from my house, but I guess it just isn’t.

12 oz bottle- 2007 vintage. Pours a deep woody amber/brown with a medium head. Aroma is toffee, caramel malts, woody hints, with herbal and light vegetal hints, dried fruits raisin and dates. Flavor is earthy leather, rope and green apple skin, caramel malts, toast, and a strange peanut ashy dusty skin character, fruity apricots, apple, fig with a woody astringent finish- some interesting notes in here, but not great.

2006 12 oz bottle. This barley wine is one of my least favorites, even with age. The pour is murky brown (from yeast) and a small off white head. The nose is maple, licorice, some hops. The taste is pretty similar with a faded quality to each smell. Not really that good.

12 oz bottle, December 2003. Murky brown with a few bubbles. Nose is maple, licorice and molasses with hints of soy and cardboard. Medium light, minimal carb. Taste is faded caramel, apple and bitter grass. Finishes with stale spices and an acrid bite.