 shadey (1319), Rochester, New York, USA
Apr 3, 2008
Corked and caged bottle. 2007 bottling. Poured into a snifter. The color is an amber caramel with a head of swirling white cream. The aroma is really quite nice. This wonderful concoction smells like a well-aged barley-wine with smoothed and delicate character. I’m excited just by the smell.
My first reaction after taking a big mouthful is that the body of this beer is spot on. Its big, but smooth and perfectly carbonated. Then I begin to notice the flavors. There is caramel sweetness, some well camouflaged hop bitterness that is only present enough to clean up the sweetness, and some alcohol heat to warm me up. This is top-shelf barley-wine in every sense.
Jblauvs (151), Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
Aug 17, 2008 Dark reddish pour, little to no head. Malty, sweet woody dates and alcohol in aroma. Mouth is Sticky maple, woody, fruity, almost brandy, but hoppy as well. very good. a good find.
GarrettB (399), Centennial, Colorado, USA
Aug 14, 2008 Given their reputation and penchante for Indie style labels, any beer by Mikkeller that arrives in Colorado is a must try. This round went to the Mikkeller Big Worse Barley Wine. The thin, fuzzy head looks delicately textured, smooth like a carpet, and beneath it goes the deep, blowing brown beer, thick and muddy, with light oak colored edges. I’m struck by the tangy aroma, expecting something much burlier and darker. But still, the tanginess, almost...horseradishy in its brightness is too pronounced and unique to ignore. But a deeper sniff brings chocolate and a light cacao flavor into resonance, itself both rich and piercing. So far, so curious. The palate strikes before the flavor, its unctuous thickness dominating the tongue while not being clingy. Bad for beer based relationships. The flavor, too is creamy and thick with the aroma’s same slight, untouchably odd tanginess, and again the flavor matches this wild flavor with a bright chocolate note. This beer is vexing. Very vexing, and I’m left confused instead of quenched, pleased or disappointed. Weird.
nearbeer (1202), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Aug 8, 2008 375 ml. Hazy chestnut with a small creamy cap. A smattering of lace. Chocolate, orange and molasses nose with a slight sour fruit tone underneath. Tastes of alcohol and orange-maple fudge with a finish of oak. A bit dominating alcohol flavor presence. Medium body is almost watery, dry and full of chest-warming alcohol.
Fin (2164), Merton, Oxfordshire, England
Aug 5, 2008 Bottle at Casey and Traci’s tasting 01-08-08, cheers you two for a great evening. Pours deep chesnut in colour with white/off white head difficult to tell. Nice fudgey aroma bit creamy with some loose sweet spirity wisps. Taste is toffee apple dipped in sherry or brandy this taste is brought to shuddering halt by the american hop onslaught. Some slick tangerine flavours and a slight numbness in the mouth finish things off, lovely.
bhensonb (2835), Woodland, California, USA
Aug 5, 2008 330 ml bottle from Bottle Trek. Dark amber color with a few bubbles for head. Aroma is rather dark fruit, with a little roasted malt. A little raisin as the glass approaches the lips. Medium body with significant carbonation. Flavor is dark fruit and some fairly dark malt. Quite a bit of heat down the throat. Finish is smooth, and a bit woody - almost astringent - mildly bitter. No where near so cloying as most of the style.
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