Legend Barleywine (through 2008)

Formerly brewed at Legend Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Richmond, Virginia USA

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: FEB 11, 2005 RERATE: 2005 release, I’m putting this up as my new numbers. Dark mahagony, small head fades completely. Sweet caramel and toffee aromas with full alcohol blast (11.8% this year). Big malt flavors in the mouth, loads of caramel and toffee. Hops provide balancing bitterness, but do not enter into the profile as much as last year. Alcohol burn is there. Would be interesting to age. Again, I would say just shy of hitting a home run. OLD RATE: 2004 release. Reddish orange, nice head. Big grapefruit aroma initially, gives way to sweet malts. Not as big in the flavor as it was in the nose. Hoppy, medium malt backbone, a touch acidic. Good, felt like they were just shy of really hitting a home run here. A8,A4, F7,P3, O16

UPDATED: JAN 12, 2008 2003 Vintage Pours a deep ruby brown with a small tan head. Nose is hoppily citrus with some lighter malt notes. The tongue is met with w sweeter than expected liquid along with a smaller hop base. Definite alcohol notes with this one. Very slight burn during the finish, but with a somewhat smooth body. This, to me, tastes like an already aged and mellower barleywine (despite it being "aged 7 months at the brewery"). Very good stuff!

2005 Vintage Pours deep copper with a tall foamy tan head. Nose is sweet malts, thick caramel, light toffee, brown sugar, wafts of alcohol, and light hops. Taste is sweet and syrupy with big alcohol, caramel and hints of dark chocolate. Lighter fruit notes in the background, especially cherries and maybe melon. The hops are there but aren’t upfront enough to balance this out properly. The body is thick and chewy with moderate alcohol warmth.Stickiness comes through a lot as well. Finish is light hops, caramel, maple syrup, and fruit. Way different than before and more an old ale than barleywine to me.

2007 Vintage Pours a deep copper with a small foamy white head. Nose is sweet and malty with lots of caramel, brown sugar, and dark fruit. Taste is pretty much spot on the same but a bit sweeter. LOTS of caramel and brown sugar, rich sweet malts, cake notes, and only soft alcohol despite the 12.5% ABV. Body is sticky and creamy with some syrupy notes in spots. Only light warmth throughout this. Finishes just as sweet. Not much in the way of citrusy hops in this version. I think it might have benefited from some piney or citrusy notes. Still good though!

Late 2007 Vintage Bottle. Label states 2007 but the previous 2007 was 12.5% and this is now 11.5%. Added the early and late 2007 notes to the description. Copper pour with a small but sturdy tan head. Nose is very malty and chock full of caramel. There is also some dark fruit notes to this. Taste is again malty and very caramelly with some toasted notes and more dark fruit. Gets a bit sweet here in spots but not too candy-like. Not too much alcohol in this one despite the 11.5% ABV. Body is chewy but only medium overall. The carbonation seems irrelevant at times. Ends with more sweet malts, caramel, soft chocolate, lighter dark fruits, some hints of candy and some toastiness. Not a lots of hops or floral notes to this at all. More an English style barleywine to me.

The brewer was describing how thick the mash is on this one while boiling it and he actually uttered the line, “It’s like stirring semen”. This is not an image I need when preparing to sample a new beer. Anyways, smells like grapefruit and is sweet, tastes largely the same, has a definite herbal character. Rather hoppy.

On tap RDF: Proving that barleywines can have nothing in common, this one was a opaque brown with a very fruity nose. Flavor was herbal and sweet, with a grapefruit and alcohol kick.

UPDATED: FEB 16, 2005 2/16/2005 2005 Vintage WIth the recent drastic improvements in Legend’s offerings it is with great expectations that I come to this beer. Deep dark ruby body, topped by a lasting dense tan head. Lace is outstanding. The aroma is intersting, none of the buttery watermelon that I have come to expect from this brewer. Instead it is nutty, strong alcohol, light butterscotch, and light roasted malt. The flavor is big on roasted malt, nutty, dried orange peel, hops are muted though it is rather bitter. Caramel and butterscotch shine through and amazingly the alcohol that was so string in the aroma is quite mellow. Big full soft palate, alcohol warmth. I am not at all sure about this one. As it warms I am getting some odd cherry and medicinal qualities. Damn, what a bummer.

1/16/2004 7/3/8/3/14-3.5 2003 VintageHazy amber with a small light tan head. Aromas are caramel, wood, sweetness, and grapefruit. The flavors are better than the aromas, sweet-oaky-grapefruit. Sticky chewybody with a dry almost wood-aged finish.

UPDATED: JAN 20, 2007 (1/13/07, draft) Beige head atop clear red-black body. Aroma is moderately sweet, cherry, caramel, some alcohol, raisin. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, cherry, alcohol, some earthy. Full body with some stickiness. (6/3/4/3/9)

(1/15/04) Opaque brown with beige head. Aroma is sweet, malty, grapefruit. Taste is very sweet, cherry, some sourness, some herbal, and some grapefruit. Medium-full body. (7/4/7/3/14)

UPDATED: MAR 6, 2005 Had this in 2001 and found it a little ’rough around the edges’... here’s a rerate (bottle, 2005): Deep-copper hue. Rich texture with a nice carbonation level. Wonderful notes of dark fruit -- prune, plum and raisin. Enough to overpower the slight oxidation. Brown sugar, toast, wood, chocolate and caramel as well. Flowery, full hop flavors and aromas. Hidden alcohol, but warming. Nicely balanced. Tasty barleywine.

2001: A great, hoppy little barleywine. Deep brown color with minimal head. Great fresh, floral hop aroma and plenty of hop flavors to boot. Comparatively slight bitterness. Definitely full bodied with roasty malt character.