Marin Old Dipsea Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine

Formerly brewed at Marin Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Larkspur, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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Shared by jhenry04, I think, at RBSG’09 Grand Tasting. Has a thick dark brown color. Aroma is molasses, alcoholic raisin, and well more alcohol from the barrel I guess. All the alcohol becomes a bit astringent but the big sweet things underneath it are cool. The flavor is bit different where the alcohol becomes that astringent cherry but the underneath big sweet malts come off as brown sugar. In the end its a BA barley wine, so it is what it is...........

UPDATED: DEC 20, 2009 Bottle shared at GT 09. Aroma is bourbon with heat, sweet wood, molasses, caramel and hop syrup. Flavor is very much the same, with alcohol sharpening everything. Well balanced indeed, but a touch hot at the moment - not that it should stop anyone from drinking it.

Light brown, no head. Aroma is vanilla, oak, bourbon, toffee, malt and alcohol. Taste is earthy, oaky, toffee, alcohol, nice hop/malt balance.

Huge thanks to pepsican, badbeer, and iowaherkeye. 20 year old fitzgerald barrels 110/180. Seemed simple at first but kept evolving. Nice hardwood character. Really alcoholic aroma, but not bad. Nice caramel, slightly chocolaty finish. Vanilla & hazelnut. Very complex.

20 year fitzi barrel, 110/180. Murky brown with a small tan head. Oak, raisin, plum, and tobacco. Flavor was loaded with caramel and toffee, some cherry, oak, chocolate, and a bit of plastic. Finished boozy, nice long rich finish. Decent carbonation. Thanks joey!

22 oz. bottle - 2009 Heaven Hill version, bottle #139/180; thanks riversideak for this rare treat; drank side by side with the Pelican Perfect Storm; pours muddy, dark brown with musky aromas of sweet bourbon, oak, brown sugar and a touch of ethanol; yummy going down with toffee, tobacco, vanilla; texture is thinned out from the wood and bourbon is more mild than the Perfect Storm; dry finish and drinks stronger than 9%; quite subtle overall and while rich, it is not too sweet; i don’t care much for the base beer, so this was a big improvement though not quite up to the Perfect Storm level for me

8 month Heaven Hill edition. Poured a brownish red color with an off-white head. The bourbon barrel dominates but not over powering. Vanilla and bourbon nose. Sweet malt flavor. Fruity taste with some bourbon mixed in. Nice warming sensation but no alcohol taste. medium-full bodied.

From a 22oz Bottle, 2009 Vintage. Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrel, #33/180. Generously shared by rallison. Mostly transparent, ruddy mahagony colored body with a thin layer of tight bubbled beige head. Intense bourbon aromas dripping of vanilla and pretzel dough barrel qualities. Moderately alcoholic, with notes of fig, fruitcake, brown sugar, and a light peppery spice, although more cardamom-like than black pepper. No hop aroma. Full bodied, soft-moderately carbonated mouthfeel with a rich, silky texure. Sweet flavors of maple syrup and pecan brittle explode over the palate, softened by some of the oaky vanilla. Suggestions of english toffee and butterscotch, although not at all in a d-kind of way. Light fruity characters also emerge, although they have more of a fruitcake, spiced bready quality. Finishes sweet, but not cloyingly so, with the silky barrel flavors slowly fading on the tongue. Easily one of the best bourbon barrel beers I’ve had in a really long time. Thanks for sharing, Ryan!

Bomber from Joey (iowaherkeye) with an orange sticker so it was the Heavens’ Hill barrel. Thanks a ton Joey! Awesome light bourbon nose, with some toffee, dark fruit, and more light bourbon. Clear dark brown with a very small beige head receding into a ring of bubbles. Flavor is very oaky vanilla, light bourbon, and dark fruitiness. Finish is very oaky vanilla woodiness and only a hint of alcohol.

(2009 bottle by way of irishboy)brown body with no head.the aroma is a lovely blend of vanilla,bourbon,candy sugar,and brown sugar.the flavor does much of the same.honestly im just blown away at how well the barrel aging did for this beer.its perfectly balanced,alcohol is well hidden,and the palate is out of this world.