Haymarket Malcontent Barley Wine

Brewed by Haymarket Pub & Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Chicago, Illinois USA

Serve in Snifter

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Small pour on tap at the brewpub (Chicago, IL). Pours a richer deep copper brown hue, gentle haze with some deeper darkness in the middle. Frothy tannish head atop dies to a loose film, laces ok. Some nice glowing deep copper edges are pretty. Aromas are sweet darker malts, carmelized and toffee elements shine with orange marmalade, a touch of toast and spice. Gentle dryness and kisses of gentle red fruit, sweetness, a bit sticky with touches of dry earthy and floral hops trying on the nose. Initial is medium bodied though the heavier end, getting a bit more full and sticky into the back. Firm toast and caramel, toffee and toast. Carmelization, gentle dark and red fruit elements up front. Sweeter front moves into a gentle spiced and touch more dry backend. Touches of orange and orange rind, gentle plum, some dryness from the hopping makes a gentle appearance a times, a bit floral and earthy, kiss of citrus and pine. Finish remains sweeter, a touch dry and toasty, biscuity. Less sweet than the front end. I feel like this beer itself was brewed to be put straight into barrels. It’s a bit sweet, a bit of residual sweeter front end seems like it could really do well in barrels to thin out a bit, take on good barrel flavor without being too thinned and overbarreled easily. But as it stands, the base is solid if a bit outside my personal wheelhouse.

Had on tap at Haymarket. Served in a 12 oz. goblet. A: Pours a dark ruby color with a light khaki head forming on the pour. The head has great retention and recedes slowly leaving behind some sticky sheets of lace. S: The nose isn’t as fragrant as I would like. There is some dark fruit and toffee sweetness, but I’m not picking up much of the hops. T: A ton of dark fruit, raisin and fig, with a nice toffee sweetness. Some brown sugar and a nice hop profile as well. The finish has notes of sweet caramel and a little burnt sugar bitterness. M: Medium bodied with a little stickiness to it, but I would have liked a little more heft to the body. That being said the carbonation was about a medium level and had a nice drinkability to it. O: This beer really reminded me of Bigfoot. Nice dark fruit flavors and toffee sweetness with just enough hops in the flavor to remind you it’s and American Barleywine. Serving type: on-tap

Tap at Haymarket in Chicago. Deep orange to amber pour with a nice frothy head. Big caramel nose with borderline BO elements. Smooth medium density palate, and slightly sweet on the taste.

Draft at hay, pours amber with white head. Aroma has loads of caramel, cat box, grapefruit. Flavors are really sweet plasticy caramel, grapefruit, pine juice, earthy notes, booze. Phew.