2.9 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 11/20
Malty and rum-like aromas. Deep brown with a very small fading ring of head. Rich full malt with some bitter balance. Full bodied with a sweet warm finish.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 12/20
Serving: 12 oz. bottle from Total Wine Sterling. It pours a very deep ruby color with a lasting light tan head. The nose is heavy with notes of dried berries and alcohol. The flavor starts off with boozy stewed fruit notes and moves to a long pine resin finish. The alcohol is very obvious. Medium to full body with softer carbonation and a hot finish. Not very complex and a bit too hot with alcohol.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Pours a cloudy, unfiltered amber with a just slightly off white head that lasts a while. Aromas of sweet malts, citrus hops, bread. Taste is similar, with quite a hop bite to finish it off. Not overly sweet, although some alcohol warming is present. A average barleywine at a very decent price.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Bottle. Pours dark amber with a medium-sized, creamy, off-white head. Aroma is lots of caramel, some toffee, dark stone fruit, some citrus. Flavor is caramel and toffee; some vanilla, cherries, raisins; mild bitterness. A bit boozy, but less than I’d expect for 11%. Medium to heavy mouth feel.
3.3 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
12 ounce bottle. An imperial barley wine sounds like a handful, yet this one is more approachable than you’d think. That’s not to say it’s really enjoyable, though. Aroma is mild alcohol, ester and fruit. Appearance is copper with a moderate amount of foam. Taste is traditional barley wine, and it’s very drinkable given the 11% abv (I occasionally remind myself that back in the 1980s, that abv-to-drinkability ratio would be absurd for an American beer). Still, there’s nothing really special to note here other than the well-masked liquor, and consequently it’s not enough to give my recommendation.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Very nice beer but not a barley wine. Pours amber with a red tint. The aroma is very Malty with bread and grass. The flavor has lot of malt, caramel and bread. The finish is sweet and dry. Good but not for the style.
3.2 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
I’ve had better barleywines, but I’ve also had much worse. For the price, I think this is a solid offering that won’t disappoint. Improves noticeably as it warms, so if you are served a glass of it at ~40F, give it some time.
2.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 9/20
Strong aroma is fruity and syrupy, notes of caramel and cloves, a bit cloying. Pours a clear mahogany with a thick and rather fine-bubbled tan head. Flavor has a strong alcohol bite and a woody note, just a hint of fruit. Smooth texture has plenty of life, but finish is unpleasant. Well, a good effort.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Bottle from Total Wine, Henderson, NV
Dark color, amber- mahogany, hazy, with creamy persistent head. It has a nice aroma of malt, sweet, with some caramel. Full bodied, malty, sweet, with light toffee and fudge character; correct bitterness.
Straightforward, balanced, pleasant, not complex; the aroma is better than the final.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Nice aroma with fruit notes, taste has alcohol with a slight cherry taste complimented with the hops. The alcohol taste seems strong, but nice beer.
|
