 tbookman (618), Ephrata, Pennsylvania, USA
Jul 26, 2007
2004 sample - potent aroma with big malts, port, brown sugar and roasted coffee. Flavor is also huge but remarkably smooth - rich dark malts, licorice, roasted coffee beans, alcohol, wow. I’m sure this will get even better with some age.
polomagnifico (389), Saginaw, Michigan, USA
Jul 26, 2008 bottle 2005 vintage. Aroma of caramel, honey, brown sugar, dark dried fruit, vino, wood, and dust. Orange and tan hue with an off-white foamy head that almost completely diminished and left virtually no lace. Lot’s of large particles. Flavor is very syrupy sweet with honey, raisin, caramel, alcohol, vanilla, and brown sugar. Palate is very full bodied and syrupy flat. Way to thick and unbalanced when served cold. Good smell and taste but needs to open up a bit before being enjoyed. At cellar temp this becomes quite a nice barley wine. I thought it was to thick but after it warmed up it was ok, but that’s when the aroma and flavor really kicked in. Top notch.
Derek881 (295), Frederick, Maryland, USA
Jul 19, 2008 I had this beer served in a snifter glass at Max’s Taphouse in Baltimore. I tried to find the best side of it, but in the end, it just isn’t a style that I like. The aroma was heavy with syrup, raisin, prune scents, and a bit of chocolate and toffee. It had a pristine black color, with almost a wine-like appearance, and almost no white head. The taste was very sweet, super-concentrated, and heavily raisin-dominated with a syrupy molasses character. It was wet with almost no carbonation, and almost seemed liquerish in nature. I did not enjoy this beer very much.
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 (356), 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 (1386), 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.
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