 nhorween (491), New York, New York, USA
Apr 17, 2008
Bottle, 2001. Murky hazelnut colored pour with a thin tan head that doesn’t last. Really sweet smelling - alcohol, vanilla, toffee, caramel. Aroma is way too sweet for me. Nothing in there of any balance, I can barely get hops. Flavor is hugely sweet also, but well developed. Very smooth finish and nice carbonation. Alcohol is well hidden. Honey and brown sugar all over the place. Toasty and warming in the belly. Given the character of this beer, I’d probably enjoy it if it was fresher. I’ve had my share of barely wines, but this one, at this age, for whatever reason, isn’t for me.
adrian910ss (1000), philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Aug 5, 2008 1999 edition bottle. Pours a semi clear mahogany copper with a small light tan head. Aroma of sweet syrup, caramel and toffee. Taste of syrupy caramel, toffee, maple and brown sugar.
MrBunn (813), Western, Pennsylvania, USA
Aug 5, 2008 1999 edition bottle. Color is a dingy brown with minimal head but some lively carbonation on the side of the glass. There is a promise of syrupy sweetness in the nose with some hint of wood and figs. Flavor is a pretty good mix of these with a sweeter and heavier texture than I expected... it is borderline cloying with its sweetness and maple and brown sugar flavors contribute to the overall picture. Alcohol is fairly detectable, too... I would wager you can do much better, much cheaper in your search for barley wines.
moelikebeer (106), New Brighton, Minnesota, USA
Aug 1, 2008 Bottle. 1998 vinage. Dark amber, brownish pour with next to no head. Aroma of sweet malt, dark fruit, toffee, caramel and port. Similar flavor with a touch of wood and a slight alcoholic bite in the finish. Sticky, viscous mouthfeel that coats the mouth. Sublime!!! On a separate occasion, I did a vertical tasting of about 6 different vintages of this stuff. In my book, ’98 and ’00 were hands down the cream of the crop.
Drink4Satan (459), Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
Jul 31, 2008 Pours a translucent murky orange with a dense, creamy, but thin tan head that fades to swirly film. The nose is ripe with immensely sweet fruity notes, port-like notes, toffee, vinous malts, alfalfa sprout and mild coffee. It is really potent. The flavour is initially candy sweet, with bitterness appearing with a slight delay in a floral bouquet of fragrant bitterness. The finish has a sort of port and fig complex, with herbal hops rounding out the overripe and sweet flavours. An extremely sweet caramel and toffee backbone presides throughout. The palate is smooth, mellow and silken with just the right amount of carbonation. The body is full and has a syrupy finish.
RollinHard (520), Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Jul 30, 2008 2007 bottle, figured it’s best for me to try this young first. Pours burnt orange with a moderate white head. Aroma is largely sweet, but there’s apricots, scotch-like malt, cheese, leaves, brown sugar and molasses. Much of the same qualities appear in the flavor, with the sweetness coming on first and strongest, also with a woody drying sensation. Finishes with a leafy and vanilla flavor, with a moderately bitter, dirtlike, and buttery aftertaste. Full bodied, sticky and viscous mouthfeel, not the most cloying beer out there though. I love sweet beers and this is a good one!
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