Otley O8

Brewed by Otley
Style: Barley Wine
Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales

(Cask, by gravity, at White Horse, Parson’s Green, London, 29 Nov 2009) Copper colour with brief head. Fruity, malty nose with notes of citrus and apricots. Malty taste with citrus, apricots, lots of malt sweetness and a generous citrussy bitterness in the finish. Full body, fairly sweet. Well balanced barley wine, with a solid malt foundation and a generous hop profile. Very nice and warming beer.

20th May 2008. About 10 weeks passed it BBE date. Amber beer with almost no carbonation. Smooth, almost creamy, malt with some peach and orange fruit. Subtle brandy undertone. Would have been very good with some additional carbonation!

Bottle Conditioned. Pours a amber orange colour with a very thin head. Plenty of malt iand citrus in the aroma. The flavour is lvery sweet and warming but not to heavy on the aroma which leads to a bitter.

Bottled. A hazy amber beer with a beige head. The aroma is dominated by malt. The flavor is sweet with notes of malt, citrus, and caramel, leading to a dry finish.

bottle from Bacchus, Crug Hywel/Crickhowell. Deep golden/amber colour, small creamy head. Very fruits nose. Full-bodied, intensively malty with a warming touch of alcohol and lots of fruit flavours such as mango, orange and other tropical fruit. Slightly hoppy with a resiny and herbal character. Lingering finish again with some warming alcohol. Very smooth texture.

Cask @ National Winter Ales Festival 2009, Manchester. Pours a slightly hazy orange brown color with a small off-white head. Has a sweetish fruity berry citrus aroma. Sweetish warming malty fruity dark fruit flavor. Has a warming slightly dry malty dark fruit finish with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Cask at Wellington Arms, Bedford, where it was only available by the half pint. Delightful aroma of grain and blackcurrant. Or was it even cherry? Thick, sweet, oily taste of barley and fruit, gentle and smooth. Slides down the throat like a cough linctus. A little dryness at the end. Absolutely lovely.

Bottle. Cloudy orange which was lively but not over carbonated. Fruity and smooth with a definite mouthfeel. Full bodied without being overpowering. Excellent.