Ringneck FOTB Barleywine

Formerly brewed at The Brew Kettle/TBK Production Works
Style: Barley Wine
Strongsville, Ohio USA

12-oz. goblet at the Brew Kettle. Opulent cherry chestnut in color with a creamy, grey, half-inch mossy head. Ripe bing cherries from the aromatic get-go, along with amarillo, amaretto, red raspberries, grenadine over buttery toffee, and slightly accented by cedar. Flavor brigade is a sweet, sugar encompassing ceremony. Caramel spiced by a hoppy roséboom bouquet. Bittered spruce aligned with a maple vat’s sugar-saturated qualities. Cherry pie melding as well. Sticky, sweet and a palate thirst beggar. Formidably balanced and young like I like ’em, finishing like cherry flavored Nips. A lovely beer.

tap. bottle. Nice deep red color, white head. nice lite, sweet smell. good smooth wet body. flavor full of malt, caramel, sweet bitter finish that is complex but doesn’t cause an aneurysm. not overpowering for 11.5% abv beer. good bottle for the stash.

Deep red color with an off white head. Very sweet aroma with lots of alcohol. Massive malty/carmely flavors initially, but quickly changing to an herbal, piney bitterness. This just seemed a bit too much for me. It could probably stand to chill out for a good long while to balance and mellow.

2004 version, draft - Dark amber color with no head. Aroma has lots of caramel malts, hints of alcohol, notes of dry corn. Flavor is malty, dry, slightly sweet with honey and caramel, moderatly bitter finish.

Amber color with a quick tan head that faded to a lasting ring. Very complex nose of rosemary, juniper and spruce. Lots of complex sugars in the flavor. Apricot, orange, caramel, toffee, alcohol with the hops finishing with a sustained citrus rind note. The highlight of the tour.

This is a hazy light copper with an ok head that fades quickly. There’s a nice little burst of hops in the aroma. There’s a slight bit of butter and a good caramel sweetness, but not too sweet. It’s got a slick mouthfeel and is pretty sticky. Tasty.

Dark copper body, no head, but only because they filled the snifter to the rim! Herbal - rosemary?, citrus grapefruit, floral. Smells great. Every whiff of aroma and every taste seemed to bring on new qualities to this - I haven’t had a beer with this kind of complexity in awhile. Mouthfeel is thick, sticky, smooth, a nice little hop bite at the edges that add to the oaky ending. (Winner of the day on the "Drew’s Magical Mystery Tour" - 5/29/2004)

Tap: Hazy copper hue with oily film on top. The aroma has notes of pepper, juniper berries, sage, pineaplle, grapefruit, blueberry, vanilla, earthy and sherry qualities, some phenols. The taste starts with a wild floral and piney character. A fruity undertones follows with a sublime malt background. Vanilla, wood, and spices upon the finish. The mouthfeel is sticky, oily and lush. Provides a twangy and snappy feel upon the finish and is warming upon the chest. Wow, what a wonderful brew, full of complexity and depth, a winner! (Note: As most small brewpubs, it is served too cold, let warm to near room temp)