4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20Solid, solid drink again here. 09 vintage from a flandersned. Smooth, complex, delicious, and all the alcohol has been absorbed and turned into delicious beery goodness. Definitely a sipping beer. Ruby red brown color with no head, not surprising considering the alcohol content here. Aroma is deep plum and syrupy sweetness. A little roasty malt working in the background. As I concentrate on the flavors and aromas this beer gets more intense and complex. Also as it warms more and different flavors come out. Sort of a smoky mustiness to the aroma now. The flavor is hot but deep and malty, sweet, and chocolaty. A little bit of soy sauce at first but that leads into a smooth, complex, woody, and roasted smooth malty drink. A little syrupy and sweet but if you sip it you get your moneys worth here. You can tell i like this beer.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle shared by someone during RBWG-JAX. Thanks! Dark amber brown pour with a small tan head. Rich BA aroma, fudge, coconut, etc. melds well with underlying dark fruits, molasses, brown sugar, etc. The flavor shows nice BA intermingling with tasty barleywine, maybe a hint of booze and oxidation. Still tasty!
4.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
2011. Body is dark brown/black, minimal beads of white head & lace. Boozy, complex aroma showcases the bourbon character amidst sweet malts. Alcoholic, yet age-y and fantastic.
Plenty of bourbon against the barleywine backbone. Tons going on here: caramel sweetness, bready, barrel character, boozy warmth. Arguably the best barleywine I've ever tasted; I actually prefer this over KH. Truly unfortunate that I don't have any more of these :(
2010 is more boozy and leathery, lacks the same magic found in the '11. Need more of the '11 ASAP!
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Pours still, tea brown....
Aroma is rich wood, and earth, molasses...
Flavour is thickly barley malt, chocolate....baked bread/cake....vanilla.
Very sweet and rich.
Bourbon and accompanying ABV are well masked....the chocolate mutes the bourbon down well..
Very smooth, very good.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle 2011 courtesy of FlandersNed. Bourbon, wood, and barley malt aroma. Murky chestnut with a minimal head. Syrupy sweet molasses and barley malt flavor - like a molasses cookie. Nice smooth bourbon flavor, without being hyper boozy and overpowering. Full sticky body.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle. Raisin, light chocolate barley malt, and bourbon aroma. Murky brown with no head. Very sweet molasses and barley malt flavor with hint of bourbon. Light bitter herbal finish. Smooth.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
2010 bottle - now this bad boy will chase those winter nights away! Dark amber pour, slightly hazy. Malt, toffee and caramel strongly in the nose and taste. The bourbon is strong in this one.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20
2010 bottle in a trade with deyholla. Poured 2/12/13. Deep amber brown pour, somewhat cloudy, and with no head whatsoever. Aroma of plums, vanilla, bourbon, oak, caramel, and toffee. Nice. Hot bourbon up front that smooths into a very sweet vanilla toffee on the back of the palate. Long lingering oaky vanilla. Medium to heavy on the palate. Alcohol warmth is there, but not overly boozy. Never had a fresh one so it could be the age. Unexpectedly smooth for 15.1%. A top barley wine for me.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
13th November 2011
Hazy brown beer with a short lived pale tan head. Smooth dry palate. Toasted coconut, bourbon and bitterish hops. Dry wood and booze. An undertone of vanilla oak. A bit clunky but quite enjoyable.
4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Bottle, amazing extra courtesy of bulldogp04, cheers Dean! Hazy tea pour with very scant head, tons fo buttery caramel in aroma, veru rich and inviting, flavor si same super rich, sweet, butterscoth acn caramel, a smooth flavorful elixer, 15% abv nearly indetectable, a truly amazing brew, so glad I got to try it!
4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
2010 and 2011 vintage. Murky reddish brown pour with no head. Nose of sweet malt and booze. Taste is sweet with tons of caramel, toffee, vanilla, wood, and booze. Thick mouthfeel that coats the palate. One of favorites in one of my favorite styles.
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