4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20Received this in White Whale IV BIF from mikeyv35. Served in a Michigan Brewer’s Guild tulip.
A - Pours with surprising carbonation. A finger-plus of tan foam settles to a thick ring and partial cap, but minimal lace. Transparent dark brown body with some transparency when held at the right angle. Swishing the glass totally reactivates the foam.
S - Butterscotch, coconut, and oak - definitely a lot of barrel present here. Base beer provides brown sugar, molasses, and light oxidation notes. Gets increasingly woody as it warms up. Still pretty potent and defined after 6 years.
T - Taste is a little sweeter, with less overt oak character. Port-like oxidation, brown sugar, raisins, molasses, and butterscotch. Not much whiskey or overt alcohol - I’m guessing these have mellowed out over the years.
M - Carbonation is much too high - somewhat harsh and spritzy. It actually takes a while to settle down enough so that one can objectively evaluate the taste properly. Medium body seems a touch thin for 11%. Some tannic oak in the finish, but minimal alcohol warmth.
D - Had the unfortunate position of being consumed concurrently with M. Still it was quite tasty for a 6-year old barrel-aged barley wine. Once the bubbles dissipate a bit it’s a nice treat that any lover of the style should get to experience. Seems to be aging gracefully if cellared properly, although it’s not going to be better with additional age methinks.
4.2 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
750 shared by Irishboy - thanks for this and so many others! Pours dirty dark brown with no head. Aroma is prune backed by brown sugar. Med body. Flavor is dark fruit, brown sugar, bourbon, oak, and it’snot at all sticky sweet. Arguably a bit oxidized. Or not. Develops pluminess in the finish.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle shared at RBWG
Appearance: Dark brown with a medium sized tan head and good lacing
Vanilla, bourbon and brown sugar
Still a nice BW, still sweet.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle shared at RBWG in the Hotel Lobby. Very sweet, Oak, Raisins and a little hint of metallic oxidation. This is quite great for a 7+ year old brew.
4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
Bottle at RBWG 2013, huge thanks to Matt! Pours hazy brown with a small, beige foam head. Rich malty aroma, oxidized malts, caramel and toffee, brown sugar. Big sweet flavor, deep brown sugar and toffee, raisins, some light earthy bitterness. Full bodied with fine carbonation. Rich, sweet finish, lots of dark sugar, raisins, brown sugar, dark fruits, some honey. Has aged very well. Loads of depth.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
3rd January 2011
2005 bottle. Cloudy red - brown beer. Small frothy cream - tan head. Some oxidised malt on the nose. Softish palate, slightly dry. Creamy malt, smooth. Not unpleasant sherry like oxidisation. Milk chocolate. Soft vanilla. Prune fruits in the undertone. Semi soft finish. Clearly an aged beer, but a very good one!
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle shared at Kramer’s Campground Brewdown 2012. Not sure who brought this one, but thank you! Always excited to try a heavyweight brew. Pours a dark amber red body with nice off white lacing. Aroma is vanilla malts, caramel, dark fruits, light booze and bourbon. Mouthfeel is softly carbonated and medium with notes of vanilla, bourbon, light oak, fruit - both dark fruit and berries, caramel, sweet chocolate and warming alcohol in the finish.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Thanks to ygtbsm94 for this one!!! 2005 vintage. Deep burgundy pour. Nose and flavor bring huge cran-grape juice, caramel and molasses sticky sweetness, touches of tannic, vinous notes at the finish. Definite oxidation, but it works all right.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Pours a caramel color with a tan head. Aroma is caramel, candied sugar, vanilla (quite HOTD-esque). Sweet but not cloying and a tad bit oxidized. Medium bodied with a sticky texture. Smooth finish. This bottle held up quite well. Super excited to try it!
3.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Many thanks to BA ClockworkOrange for contributing this to a tasting held at my place. 2005 offering via 750ml bottle. Pours a clear mahogany with dark ruby clarity through the body. Slim head of tiny bubbles holds around the outside of the glass. Aroma is sweet with notes of cherry, molasses, caramel, toffee, and just all around burnt sugars. A bit of fruity to floral hop/alcohol notes. Minor tinges of alcohol that transcends into the flavor. Rich with almost a mild salt addition. A touch of oxidation but overall quite a savory brew that is excessively drinkable with a full body and low level of carbonation. I am glad to finally be able to try this brew which I really enjoyed. However, I can’t help but wonder what this brew was like fresh some 7 years ago. Cheers and thanks Jason!
2.3 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 9/20
translucent amber, mod bubbled cream head than lasts, soft consistent layer. Nose is toffee and cherry sourness, light brown sugar, off soy and plastic notes. Flavor is ultra cherry sweetness and sugary maple syrup. Way too sweet, not overly oxidized but straightforward at this point.
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