 frankenkitty (1789), Oak Lawn, Illinois, USA
Feb 14, 2006
2004 Vintage Pours a near-opaque, rich ruby/vermillion with nigh a head except for a thin, white halo. Juicy, caramel aroma, mostly malts with a lick of alcohol and plenty of dark fruits and caramel. (Intoxication intensifies exponentially as it warms.) "Oh my," I actually proclaim as I taste this one. Rich and wooden with the alcohol seriously penetrating, the flavor also finds vinous notes, deep veins of caramel and sweet baked goods... it’s like being a child again, finding delicious treats in the strangest of places! A thick, syrupy, warming palate rates a "4" until I take into account the soft shroud of drunkeness that blankets me. Perfect.
Gene, you can keep your Old Horizontal... I’ve found a BarleyWine worthy of my time ("floor-malted Maris-Otter Malt" my ASS).
<font size=-4>Purchased at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=1477>Archer Liquors, Chicago, IL 60638<font size=-1>
VitaminR (259), Colorado, USA
Aug 20, 2008 2008 Intense caramel nose, maybe some smoke. Deep red-orange color, medium, but dense creamy head with soapy lacing. Raisiny sweet, some fig flavors, bitterness is pronounced to help balance the intensity. Delicate carbonation, full mouth feel, creamy body. Finish is long, with the heavy alcohol burn appearing at the very end. An extremely satisfying strong ale, complex sweetness with great balance and intense construction of characteristics.
craftycarl21 (174), South Hero, Vermont, USA
Aug 20, 2008 Pours a glowing transparent red orange with minimal head. Aroma of sweet caramel, brown sugar, and vinous qualities. Overcarbonated, but still good flavor with definite wood and alcohol notes and also dark fruit. Alcohol is slightly overpowering, but a nice barley wine nonetheless.
thickfreakness (53), Austin, Texas, USA
Aug 18, 2008
This was a 2000 vintage received in a trade from greger on BA
Impressively this still popped open with a nice pfft. Wow this one still poured with the regular 1 inch caramel colored Old Stock head that I have come to know and love. it fades quickly though to a thin layer of foam. I poured this at a pretty cold temperature because I like to see how a beer this old progresses over temperatures from 45 to room temp. Its got a murky, dark ruby brown color that I cannot see through. I think some of the murkiness is from immediately throwing this in the fridge to drink and not letting the bottle settle, but I just had to dig in to this one. Little in the way of lacing.
Tons of vanilla, deep caramel malts, nuttiness and cherries dominate the nose with some brandy like alcohol sneaking through. There is also plenty of wood, rum soaked raisin and slight oxidated richness adding to the nose. I can stick my nose in this for hours. Delicious.
Taste follows suit from the smell. lots of vanilla, caramel, cherry and nuttiness up front. Some of those aforementioned rum soaked raisins and overall very brandy like. Very dry wine like finish and it leaves a lingering sweet brandy and fruit taste on the tongue. As it warmed all the way to room temperature I got a slight bit of chocolate and grape as well. This is one complex mother of a beer with this much age on it.
Nice and syrupy sweet with just a hint of prickly carbonation left, but it felt a little watery at times.
Warming alcohol burn in my stomach that is reminiscent of a fine after dinner drink which is exactly what this is. Definitely a sipper. One I will enjoy for hours to come. Soo sweet but this is an unbelievable beer with this much age on it. I feel like I am never going to drink this fresh again. It just keeps getting better and better and better with time.
Jblauvs (151), Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
Aug 18, 2008 Orange copper pour with no head, incredible appearance when held to light. Sweet molasses and light fruit in the nose. flavor is sweet with raisin and more molasses. Alcohol is prevalent and almost overpowers the other flavors, I would love to stock a couple of these in my cellar and drink them in a year
oteyj (313), Canterbury, New Hampshire, USA
Aug 18, 2008 Pours reddish copper with zero head. Glows and radiates when held up to the light. Nose of caramel, brown sugar and molasses with some dark fruit and vinous qualities. Flavors is sweet and dark, with raisin and molasses prevalent. Alcohol is present and noticable, and could be hidden a bit better. Almost lacerative, detracting from its smooth quaffability. Palate is very mellow and dry with carbonation a bit on the heavy side. Balance is a bit off, but tasty just the same.
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