 HogTownHarry (3175), Toronto (Harbourfront), Ontario, Canada
Dec 6, 2007
Bottle (750ml). At BeerBistro - shared with blankboy. Batch 1. Rating #2700. Poured murky dark reddish-brown, with a smallish mottled tan creamy/bubbly head. The aroma is wonderful - smooth and complex and certainly no complaints at all, apart from it being a tad too restrained - I got, variously, well-rounded funky yeast, smooth, lightly chocolatey caramel malt, soft, rich spice, with raisins and citrus zest, and an overall blanketing of downy-soft oak/vanilla tannins. The taste - wow. Just wow. Barleywine is now done for me, I don’t expect to taste better, ever - smooth, roast caramel malt, quite sweet with dusty rosehip highlights and mocha, the alcohol reminded me of armanac, and there is even a whisper of floral hops lingering in there, as well as raisins and ... look, it’s just F’in good, okay? thick, soft, lightly sugary mouthfeel, a joy on the palate - nice sludge at the bottom too (yumm), and it got increasingly warming - drink this with a friend, but not hot, not boozy. Splended, sophisticated, wonderful - I don’t know how long this was cellared, but with THIS age on it, this is an amazing experience - I described it after the fact as "like being beaten to death with a solid gold bar wrapped in chinchilla."
pivnizub (3770), Porúří, Germany
Aug 13, 2008 Bottle (RBESG 08); Dark amber with a tanned head; vanilla, wood and leather, also traces of port-wine; full bodied, full bitter flavour; dry, warming finish with chocolate and alcohol. Fine night-cap...........
nhorween (502), New York, New York, USA
Aug 12, 2008 2nd release. thanks cmubeerman. Dark pour with mahogany edges and a tan head. Aroma of caramel, alcohol, raisins, bourbon, and vanilla. There’s lots going on here. Oatmeal, cookies, with a bitter almond finish. Light toasty chocolate throughout. Light smoke and burnt sugar.
DSG (835), Yuvalim, Israel
Aug 9, 2008 (6/29/08) Bottle sample at RBESG08 grand tasting in Plzen. Dark brown with a beige head. Aroma is quite malty with lots of flowery, slightly citric tones and light roastiness. Malty caramelly flavor with light roasted notes, hints of coffee and bitter hoppiness in the finish as well as notes of alcohol. Medium to full-bodied.
ajm (304), USA
Aug 7, 2008 12.7% bottling from Sam at SouthBay!My rating has gone down .3 since I’ve had more time to think about this. Pours a very heavy and intimidating dark brown - liquid woodchips. Heady aroma of wood, chocolate and a very slight coconut balance. The palatte and flavor are very heavy, but I think my tasting partner bullseyed it when he said that it smells slightly better than it tastes: the heaviness of the flavor gives the beer such concentrated direction as to almost be... light in depth. Scotch, wood granules, massive roast and charcoal are what you feel and taste, but as much as this ’liquid oak’ is impressive, there’s simply no room left for the beer, and this is why it couldn’t hit higher scores for me. I told nbutler11 that I don’t think I will ever be in the ’mood’ to drink this beer as I don’t see myself spiralling into depression in the near future (though the thought of having to finish even a 375 of this myself brings me close).
nbutler11 (108), Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Aug 6, 2008 Hark! Thanks to ajm for allowing me share what the angels left behind. Poured a dark molasses from the bottle with a creamy brown head of foam. Smells exactly like walking into a log cabin, with notes of powdered cocoa, and alcohol. Loaded with balanced flavors of caramel, cocoa, and butter. Amazingly complex and labored over.
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