 JFURYCAT (705), East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Jan 13, 2008
My first reaction was overdone, unhidden alcohol and too much caramel malt but this big beast caught on with me as they usually do. There is some vanilla in the finish and although I like bitter hoppy monsters; at the end, I realized this one is overdone even though it kicks the butt of every Rock Art beer I ever sampled. It is kind of odd how a beer with such a high IBU seems to have a one-sided hoppy kick which lacks the diversity of hop flavors you’d find with say Stone Ruinification or Green Flash IPA. I’m thinking too much potency diminishes the nuances which lie underneath this beer, hence the instruction to use a snifter to detect them.
WeeHeavySD (1564), San Diego (Hillcrest), California, USA
Jul 16, 2008 Bomber, well I didn’t know this was a Barleywine, oh well. I think this came as a bonus from the Eepiest. Pours dark orangish brown 1 finger tan head. Big slightly boozy nose. Taste is sweet with dark fruits and a strange aftertaste that really doesn’t do it for me. Kinda strange but ok.
Ibrew2or3 (1613), Safety Harbor, Florida, USA
Jul 9, 2008 Courtesy of gillard (I’ve been pining to try this since Ryan first told me about it a few months ago, oh yeah!). Pour slightly hazy amber with thin tan head. The aroma is dark fruity esters with some crystal malty sweetness. I also get some mild hotness too. It tastes nice and rich with a lean toward sessionable. I’m getting some malt chewy sweetness leading the way toward dark fruity esters like plums, cherries and grapes. The pine hop bitterness mixes nicely with the other notes.
canary dog (371), Rutland, Vermont, USA
Jul 8, 2008 I suppose everyone is going to rave about this beer because it is high in octane. Feh. Typical high alcohol, barleywine flavor....too alcoholic and too sweet. These overhyped beers ALL taste the same. If you are going to drink something over 10%, how about something good, like a good red wine???
Tmoney99 (3429), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Jul 8, 2008 Bottle shared by alexsdad06. Poured hazy brown color with a moderate off-white frothy head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate sour citrus and malty aroma. Medium body with a sticky texture. Medium to heavy balanced flavor with a medium to heavy sweet and small alcohol bite finish of moderate duration. I would recommend this to a freind.
porterhouse (892), Alna, Maine, USA
Jun 28, 2008 (22 oz. bottle (labelled "12 07") from <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/massachusetts/westborough/julio’s-liquors/461.htm target=blank>Julio’s Liquors) Pours dark reddish-brown with one finger of tan head that recedes to a thin covering with pretty good retention. Aroma is initially quite hoppy - mostly pine with a little grapefruit. Also a slight bit of sourishness - a bit unpleasant like used dishrag. As head recedes there is more candy malt - like cotton candy. Mouthfeel is medium-full, a touch syrupy. A syrupy film coats inside of snifter with bits and dabs of lacing. Flavor is quite hoppy in the fore, mostly pine. A candy-malt sweetness underneath. Medium bitterness builds toward finish, providing a little pinch in finish. This beer is quite hot and may benefit from some cellaring. This one also kicked me in the ass quite quickly. Not the most complex or best of barleywines but certainly a big step up from the Ridge Runner version. Certainly richer and tastier.
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