North Coast Old Stock Ale

A very nice brew. Pours dark brown with little to no head. Definitely a pretty malty beverage, full of barley. A really crisp brew that goes down quite smooth with a bit of a kick at the end but its nice and fruity. A great brew.

2007 Bottle. Pours extremely cloudy. Popped with a good hiss, but no head when poured. Aroma is extremely sweet maltiness and a surprising amount of hops for a two year old beer (reminds me of angel’s share quite a bit). It makes me want to say there is bourbon in it, but I don’t believe that there is. Lots of malty aromas, as well as deep/dark fruits. Taste is lots of alcohol, sweetness, a good malt complexity, and just the right amount of hop bitterness/bite. I’m generally not a big barleywine fan, but this one is superb.

Bottle. Poured dark-reddish brown very thin off-white head. Aroma is of sweet malt, over-ripe fruit, and something else I can’t quite put my finger on, almost cognac. Flavor is complex, caramel malt, banana, spice. Finish is smooth with lots of warming alcohol.

2007 on tap at Brouwer’s Hard Liver ’09. Pours orange amber with a thin off-white head. Strong nose of hops, licorice, and alcohol. Some brown sugar in the taste. Lots of alcohol. Not bad, but I remember the bottle being much smoother- maybe I’ll re-rate later.

Sampled at the Hopsnobbery Collective barley wine tasting on 3.14.09. Cloudy amber in color with a thin off-white head. Malty aroma with alcohol and fruits. Hop flavor up front, giving way to sweet malt, fruit and alcohol in the finish.

12oz bottle from grape & gourmet. 2008 vintage. pours a dark chestnut, slightly cloudy, with hints of amber and a very thin off-white head. aroma is deliciously sweet caramel malts, candied brown sugar, figs, red apple, and a touch of boozy rum. flavor is wonderful as well. very sweet up from with dark malts, heath bar, red apple, and D’anjou pear that gives way to a mildly roasted malt and citrus finish. palate is full bodied, very complex, and syrupy thick with a good balance of carbonation and alcohol warmth. definitely and excellent barley wine that should age great.

2008 vintage. Pours to a dark carmel color with a quickly dissipating off-white head. Nose is alcohol, malt, carmel, fig and brown sugar. The taste is as complex as it’s nose. With very little hop bitterness, this one is very smooth and warm. It’s sweetness is well balanced by it’s enormous malt, dried fruit and alcohol taste. I’ve got a bottle of the 2007 being cellared right now, and I’m curious to taste the difference. North Coast never fails to impress me.

12 oz. bottle. 2007 vintage. Reddish brown in color and quite hazy. Flavors of fruit, malt and toffee. Nice blend flavors hide high alc. well.