 arjoseph (558), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Apr 17, 2006 On tap at the brewpub; sampled with cquiroga, summer 2005. Hazy transluscent golden orange. Thick and dense off-white head that always replaces itself; if for any reason the head gets destroyed (you tilt the glass or take a sip), it rematerializes almost instantly. I’ve never seen that before. Smells yeasty with some lemon zest. Somehow, it also smells like a glass of milk (which I find very refreshing). Full and creamy in the mouth with an orangey acidity and a bit of Tang. Vague brown sugar sweetness. Hops seem kind of oxidized; they’re at a good level, but don’t have great character. Finish lingers long. As it warms, the alochol gets more pronounced and starts to sting. This has got great peripherals, but it lacks where it counts.
JasonG (642), Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Jun 23, 2005 nitro draft at brewery: I had the same experience as several others - I got the el camino and the barley wine at the same time, and the bartender said the darker one was the el camino and the lighter was the barleywine. I basically said "ok" but knew she was wrong, until I tasted them. An 11% brew that is as light as a pale ale, served on nitro?!? In pint glasses, no less!
So, recovering from the initial shock, here’s the rating:
Very pale yellow color with a pure white head. Aroma is malty, sweet, with corn and hints of vinegar. Flavor is malty, pretty sweet, with notes of orange. An interesting brew, but not amazing.
BeerLimey (1875), California, USA
Apr 27, 2005 <b>On tap at the Lucky Baldwin’s 2005 Barley Wine Fest</b>
Hazey, orangey hue, good head foiration. Mild sweet fruity aroma. Very hoppy flavor witha alcohol showing through, some sweet tropical fruit balance, predominantly tangerine, but essentially bitter. If you tell me this is a barley wine I wouldn’t rate it but as a Double IPA I think it’s top notch.
boto (1241), Granby, Connecticut, USA
Mar 2, 2005 Draught @ San Clemente location. The color was a bit of a suprise to me: it was a golden color, and was slightly hazy. It also had a minimal white head on it. The aroma was a bit weak, and it was hard to determine what was in there. The taste was malty, but not a sweet as some barleywines. It even had some notes of banana to the taste.
SG (456), San Clemente, California, USA
Dec 30, 2004 On tap. Light hue for the style, and very sessionable. Nice sweet flavor. A big outlier for the style but good. Not big scores but much appreciated.
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