Heads Up Bourbon Barley Wine

Maple syrup, marzipan and alcohol blend nicely in the nose. Clear brown body is topped by a shy, tan, fully diminishing head. Sherry, bubblegum, maple syrup, marzipan and bourbon flavours don’t marry all that well. Alcohol is strong in the aftertaste. Overly sweet and bourbon lingers. Medium body with fair to moderate carbonation. If the carbonation lasted longer it would likely taste and look better. Bottle sampled at Oakes’ Xmas tasting 2007.

(Bottle) Sampled at Oakes 2007 Christmas party. Deep ginger brown colour with dissipating white head. Great raisin and fig malt. Flavour of strong honey with undertones of alcoholic gueuze. Tangy finish.

Flat medium brown shade color, extremely fragrant with sweet smells permeating of bourbon and sugars. A bit dissapointing at first sip but rounds out nicely. Low suds which allows for the true flavor to be tasted.

Pours really cloudy, hazy, with smelly yeast and alcohol. Molasses, super sugary too like flan. Thin mouthfeel. Reminds me a lot of maple syrup turned into alcohol. Reminiscent of sweet alcohols like brandy or sherry. Not all that much carbonation.

Re-rate showed a beauty Buffalo Trace-ish nose. Flavour was more balanced...still very sweet but less maple and more vanilla and rich malt character. Slight score upgrade.

Dull brown colour. Nice legs. Pear, brown sugar, nuts on the nose. Flavour takes a left turn and goes totally maple...just massively so. Chewy malts back this up. So much maple they could sell this at the souvenir shop at Pearson Int’l.