Midnight Sun Arctic Devil Barley Wine

22oz bottle. What a great Barley Wine!! Pours a deep, cloudy, rusty brown with a small beige ring. Big nose of candied dark fruits, caramel, oak, vanilla and some bourbon. Flavor was much of the same with the main emphasis on sweet caramel and a touch of booze. My bottle says 10%, not 14.

Pours dark brown with minimal tan head. Caramel, dark fruits, oak and slight hop aromas. Similar flavors with a little vanilla thrown in the mix. The oak ageing really adds nicely to the strong barley wine. The alcohol is hardly noticeable. Medium body with minimal carbonation and a syrupy mouthfeel. The best barley wine I have had so far.

2007 bomber, aged over one year. A small, foamy, camel-hair colored head settles in to a swirly film. Minimal, random lace spots hover above the dense and cloudy, caramel-brown body. Rich, malty, and inviting, the nose shows like a virtual dessert liquor of the highest quality. Velvety caramel and perfectly toasted toffee intertwine with subtle cocoa, while very figs and dates lend fruity depth. Gobs of vanilla stem from the oak barrel, which shows a sort of sherry-like presence in this beer, quite vinous and fruity. Flavors again show a decadent caramel-toffee and brown sugar malt base, with hints of cocoa bitterness and silky smooth, oaky vanilla. Earthen hops lend balance, while fruity sherry and fresh walnuts add complementary depth. There might be some hints of maple in there as well. The mouthfeel is big and rich, well carbonated and semi-dry on the finish. Despite the whopping 14% ABV, it drinks like a dream. Most barleywines tend to fall towards the malty English style or the American hop-bomb style. This one not only bridges the gap between the two wonderfully, it also brings in some fruity Belgian influence and enhances the triumvirate blend with a near perfect degree of barrel influence. This stuff is genre-bending and mind-blowing. Easily one of the best barleywines I’ve ever tried. Fantastic!

bomber thanks to zinister. Shared at February Houston Tasting. Pours brown with a tan head which dissipated. Nose of sweet brown sugar and oak. Taste is of candied brown sugar, oak, roasty malt and some hops. Mouthfeel is chewy and some carbonation and hint of alcohol. I absolutely loved this! will have to get more.

On tap at the Toronado Barleywine fest on valentine’s day. Deep, dark brown pour with a small beige head. Roasty aroma of malt and some bourbon barrel funk. Nice balance between a roasted malt flavor, a bourbon and port burn and some hops in the background. Very tasty barleywine, too bad that at 15 bucks a bomber here in Eugene I’ll never bring myself to buy it.

On tap at Toronado for Barleywine fest ’09. Nice one. Dark brown color with a beige head. Aroma is sweet malt, roasted malt, bourbon, and barrel notes. Flavor is sweet malt, roastiness, bourbon, citrusy hops, alcohol, and port. Bitterness on the finish. Fairly full body and a little syrupy.

Pours dark brown with small off-white head. Very sweet nose with faint roast. Flavor is sweet, a ton of bourbon and wood. This thing taste like a whiskey with simple syrup. Body is thick with sweetness and yes, you can tell it has a lot of alcohol. Great BW, but you might want to share it.

Tasting at the Great Alaska Beer & Barleywine festival. Dark brown with a faint white head. Aroma of sweet fruity, caramel. Considering this beer is over 14% abv, it does not have an alcohol-dominated taste.