Legend Barleywine (through 2008)

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

Serve in Snifter

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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.

Draft. Nice looking burgundy-brown. Not much foam, yet ring of light orange head remains throughout. Nothing especially distinctive about the flavoring but I detect some sort of plum or raisiny flavor. Well balanced in that high alcohol content is unnoticeable. Hops presence is obvious. Not overly carbonated which is a very good thing. Personal Note: I was on Vicodin and drank two of these things and I was flying high!

Late Vintage 2007- makes sense since this was very new, and pretty hot. Big Thanks to Golubj for sharing this at Captain Lawrence tonight. Sorry there werent more people to partake. Pours a very bright clear amber with a fizzy head, but diminishes to almost no head. Aroma is hot with alcohol- a bit green with some acetaldehyde, thcik sweet candied / stewed malts- caramel, sharp sweetness, almost fruity. Flavor is a bit dirty, some yeast character, lots of fruity esters, caramel malts, sharp toffee and sugary sweet all around. As it warms more alcohol and a bit of fusels come through. Probably needs at least a year to age. Cool find though- I didnt know Legend even had a BW!

Bottle 2006... Hazy, orange ale with a small, creamy, khaki head. Good retention. The perfumey nose offers additional notes of caramel, light smoke and wet leather. Rich, malty-medicinal flavor of caramel and cough syrup with lots of alcohol and hop bitterness. Full-bodied and sticky with medium carbonation. Finishes sweet, then heavily bitter and "red hot" with alcohol. Wow, this is a powerful brew... almost too much so. Set one of these aside for a year or two and let’s see what happens.

Bottle 65 cl. Courtesy of fiver29. Pours a hazy amber with a creamy, beige and lacing head. Strange aroma of bonbons, tea and tobacco. Solid body, oxidized, overripe fruit and caramel. Some vitamin C also. Slightly bitter but quite some alcohol. A strange Barley Wine - almost more British in style. 220909

LCRBM2. Dark copper colour with beige head. Nice toffeeish beer. Great hop on the end. Orange/tangerine fruit. Good choc/coffee too. Spicey hot alcohol on end. Not as bad as I thought it might be.

Bottle 22fl.oz.
Unclear medium to dark amber orange color with a average, frothy to creamy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate to light light heavy malty, caramel, tobaco, light moderate hoppy, overriped fruit, vitamin tablets. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20090922]

reddish brown with mild white head. medium-low carbonation. sweet malty nose. flavor of crystal malt with mild hop bitterness, finishes overly sweet due to some unfermentable sugars that results in a cloying beer as drinking continues. the alcohol is well hidden and likely the most impressive aspect of this beer. not great

(Sample Date: 11/19/2008 Source:Legend Brewery) Resampled 01/21/2009. Caramelized sugars and malts dominate aroma. Dark amber golden with small fine off white head. Hints of dark fruits in the flavor. Rich deep caramelized malt sweetness, big alcohol warming with fairly high bitterness. Full body and mouthfeel. Finish dries quickly and is a touch hot.

courtesy of jdubfl.2008 bottle pours amber, no head. Aroma and taste, sweet sugary caramel, some dark fruits with lingering palate that remains very sugary, notes of bitter fruits in the finish.