North Coast Old Stock Ale

Brewed by North Coast Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Fort Bragg, California USA

Vintage 2001: Oh man... the feel is incredible. Very soft, light effervescence with brandy flavors suggesting dark cherry, maybe a bit of straw. Warming for certain. A touch of phenols enhance the experience. The finish is easy, soft fruit despite the obvious helping of hops. Perhaps it gets more aromatic with age. Improves not only with warmth but airing. I’m going back for more...

2002: Classy. Just a great great beer. Sweet toffee and fruity nose, light ruby color, low lathery head creamy iwht lacing. Big round malt front with adark fruity tastes. Syrupy at times. Tapering bitter and a little woody. The profile is like a ball of malt, hops in alcohol that fills your mouth completely.

’03 bottle. nice shade of reddish-brown. aroma of brandy, dried apricots, whiteboard markers, banana liqueur. luscious texture with a surprising amount of bitterness. full and very tasty

Oh, my. And after I just got through slurring North Coast’s craftsmanship for one of their other offerings. Nose is very grape-alcohol (grappa, brandy?) Deep, clear ruby amber with no head. Flavor is very winey, and the Fuggles means that you need to drink it on the warm side. A distinctive beer with a distinctive crank to it. Addendum: I just opened a 2001 vintage Old Stock, in April 2009. There was a bit of semi-flocculent white precipate - probably protein drop - the beer has withstood the test of time. Sometimes in an un-airconditioned Florida garage, but in the fridge for the past 3 years. Even so, it is a rich, quality brew. This is a testament to the fact that beer cellared in the dark, apparently regardless of the heat, and can last for a good long time. Age seems to impart a vanilla quality to just about all beers. Woody, caramel, tawny. Buy a six and lay a couple aside for 6 years.

Bottle conditioned. Courtesy of Jacob Lövenlund. Deep chestnut red, thin but persistent off white head and moderate condition. Sweet and malty barley wine aromas with hints of peppery hop resin and citrusy orange notes. Soft and sticky weet in the mouth with warming alcohol, underlying oakiness, some roasted barley bitterness and a touch of smoke. Long sticky finish with sweet malt, burnt toffee, roasted nuts, bitter hoppiness and a lingering alcoholic warmth.

Deep red in color with a wonderful sweet, malty aroma. Alcohol well hidden. Very port-ish with dark fruits in the mix, also a dry, slightly hoppy finish. Very easily drinkable barleywine and quite enjoyable.

Another night tasting more barleywine at the 2003 Toronday Barley Wine Festival. I was just going to have 4 more samples and ended up stumbling out 3 hours later after having 7. Started with North Coast Old Stock Ale. Lots of molasses and brown sugar rising from the brew. Very soft and smooth to taste. Fruit flavors of grape and watermelon with lots of chocolate. A bit acidic. Great barley wine - I grabbed a 4-pack of 2002 recently and will cellar for a while.

Dark copper with an orange head. Fruity aroma (prunes) with some roast, chocolate, and toast. Sweet alost syrupy with a licorice/roast/burtn toast finish. Very light biterness. Alcohol burns as strawberries and earthiness lingers. Pretty fantastic stuff.