 mgermani (553), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
May 6, 2008
2006 Vintage, Courtesy SoLan
I wasn’t sure if I should enter this review, as it seems I might have a bad bottle, but as other people have noticed a lack of a head abd carbonation.
Pours a murky brown with no head at all, and lots of sediment whirling about on the bottom, surprising since it gave a good hiss upon popping the cap. Port-like aroma, raisins and whole wheat bread, delicious! Taste is overwhelmingly sweet, molasses, port, warming alcohol finish. Not much in the way of hops, yet I find myself more forgiving as it warms, despite my initial disappointment at it not being carbonated. Speaking of which, nice chewy body but nearly nothing in the way of carbonation - just residual Carbon Dioxide from fermentation. I’m sure this is very heaven itself when it’s on its game, but this bottle may have lost carbonation during shipping (nobody’s fault, it just happens sometimes) or was just not sealed properly at the brewery. I am going to actively seek another vintage and will re-rate. Many, many thanks to SoLan for the trade.
Crafty07 (331), Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Jul 8, 2008 Dark and thick pour with no head, this powerful complex barleywine is the Napolean Brandy of beer and is no doubt appreaciated for its tremendous longevity.
I sampled the 1998 vintage and it’s great that I sample a 10 year old beer.
But at over 8 dollars a bottle, this is brandy-like that I just can’t appreaciate.
The powerful overly ripe fruitiness and unmistakable alcohol note.
I don’t drink Napoleaon Brandy..and I couldnt’ finish this barley wine.
Maybe I’ll try another 10 years from now.
cbeers21 (348), Miami, Florida, USA
Jul 7, 2008 2005 vintage. Hazy ruby/copper with no head, but a retentino ring around the glass. Very tasty. Malty, syrupy sugary sweetness, dried fruits, chocolate, figs, plums, apricots note the taste and aroma and there is a warming, oaky cherry vanilla flavor, with raisin and prune. Very sublime character and a complex and evolving flavor profile. Thick brew, almost brothy with a tooth coating tastiness. Alcohol is extremely well concealed and only noticed in a medicinal warming quality. Complex and full of characer this is one tasty brew. I have a few more and hope to see how they evolve.
patrick767 (1377), fort wayne, Indiana, USA
Jul 5, 2008 1998 bottle - The biggest concern with a bottle this old (9 1/2 years) is, did it hold up? Can it take so many years and does it seem like it could go even longer? I’m happy to say that the answer is a resounding yes. It pours dark brown with a thin, tan head. The aroma is primarily of sweet caramel malt with notes of dark fruit. The flavor is a powerful blend of big, sweet malt that’s intense without being too syrupy sweet, and some very tasty dark fruit and caramel notes. It’s full bodied, smooth, and mellow, truly a beer that ages well for a very long time. It deserves the attention showered on Thomas Hardy ales.
badbeer (390), Iowa, USA
Jul 5, 2008 Old review from 2006.
1998 Vintage.
Poured a nice brown/red color with a white head that left some lacing. Smell was heavenly, super sweet, slightly burnt caramel, raison, cherry, plum, hard to fully describe. Taste was almost as good as the smell, but was a bit overly sweet, not as balanced as the nose was, became a bit cloying even. Sticky on the tongue, low carbonation, full bodied. A sipper for sure, damn glad I got to try this, hopefully some of the other vintages are even better. This one was holding up like a champ, even after 8 years.
cellar (125), Dublin, Ireland
Jul 3, 2008 Thx for a grand tasting, Chris_o :) Courtesy of Reak and Mes. Dark amber, notes of malt, toffee, portwine, sherry, sweet. Long aftertaste. Very good development. Great beer.
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