Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine

2004 vintage. Appearance: Pours a hazy, medium brown body with, well, no head, but what do you expect with such a punchy ABV. Smell: Full maltiness and a strong alcohol presence, it seems a bit like a brown sugar liqueur. Even four years later, there’s still a deep, resinous hop character smelling of orangey citrus and pine with a slight grassiness. Taste: Dry, restrained maltiness with only a minor brown sugar and dark caramel flavor with far less sweetness than I was expecting from the nose. Still well-hopped for being near the half a decade mark, though it’s also less than the nose led me to believe. Flavors of oranges and tangerines with a twist of pine. Some grassiness. Warming alcohol presence throughout. Bitterish finish with a long, lingering aftertaste. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Low carbonation. Thick, creamy mouthfeel. Drinkability: Years later and the hops are still very much prevalent. I had hoped for a deeper maltiness to have emerged, but I can be tough to satisfy in the malt department.

75 cL ceramic bottle. Pours dark amber and slight cloudy with a lacing off-white head. Mild woody hops aroma. Flavour is hops oily and light spiced. Flavour is mild sweet and dark malty towards light chocolate smoothness. Dense hoppy and bitter dry finish.

Pours auburn/brown with hinting red highlights and a small tan coloured head. Palate displays abundance of sweet caramel/toffee malt and some liquered fruits early on. Mid palate and finish is driven by significant hop and alcohol driven spice, that seems to overpower all else. With patience, this will develop really well!

’02 bottle pours dark caramel with no head. The nose is sweet fruit and caramel malt, along with the flavor. Looking forward to this aged bottle was a let down as it was pretty oxidized. Need to try a newer bottle.

Sweet fruit on the nose, at least early, and well done at that. Sweet again to taste, but the beer certainly firms up through the palate considerably as the high abv kicks in and drives a heavy aniseed finish. A bit out of balance for mine.

From a 6oz Bottle, Vintage 1998. Pours a hazy dark, coppery amber color with a thin head of fleeting off-white. Fruity aroma with notes of raspberry and pale chocolate. Light caramel sweetness and some fading plum. Full bodied, lightly carbonated mouthfeel with a rich malty texture. There’s plenty to chew on, but it’s certainly not a sugar bomb. Caramel malt sweetness and faint notes of toast up front on the palate. Flavors of chocolate, cherry, and toasted pecan. There’s still a remarkable amount of hop bitterness left in this beer, helping to dry up the finish.

Big baeutiful bottle with a swing stopper that Paul generously poured from. Tried this on druaght as well. Deep ruby pour with faint head retention. Heavy malts and and alcohol warmth. This is one of the best BW’s I’ve tried. Really well done and balanced. Light on hops and full of sweet malt complexity and warmth. The finish was pitted fruits, brandy soaked raisins, maple syrup, roasted malts, and general goodness.

2002 vinatge 12oz’r. Poured burgandy color with off white head. Taste was maple and malt. The hops were completely gone and turned into a malt bomb. Drinkable, but nothing to get excited about. Just an "ok" beer.