Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: Barley Wine
Newport, Oregon USA

I wish I could afford to buy another one of these to age, it could use it. 2008 750mL ceramic bottle indicating 11.5% ABV. Pours with a slowly rising, thick, brown head covering a hazy amber body. Great lacing, and some retention. Aroma is strong of floral hops, with lots of toffee, vanilla and cinnamon. Aftere warming their is more of a presence of brown sugar and berries. ULTRA creamy mouthfeel, amazing! Taste is very very young, the hops are still green and way too in your face for an ideal barely wine. It is nearly like a very off-balanced IIPA when cold. Alcohol is there fore sure! The hoppy bitterness is pretty one-sided and overe whelming right now in its life, I would have loved to give this time to mellow out. Have since had a 2000 bottle that was oxidized yet awesome!

12oz 2002 (6 years old) bonus bottle from nolankowal. I didn’t realize he had given me this old bottle, until I put it in my fridge. I really appreciate it. It is very special. (plus it is another tick on >10% beers). Opened at PP bottle shop with Tim, Sean and Ryan. Pours a thick amber goo, with some mild carbonation. Great oxidation, no cardboard. These high ABV sweet barleywines age very well. This beer could certainly go much longer. Very malty and carmelly. Not cloying sweet, like a Lees Havest Ale. Easy to drink, smooth, sweet. Delicious. I’ve tried this in large ceramic bottles many years ago, and it’s nice to revisit it in the small 12ozers.

750 ml bottle; 2007. Strong aromas of roasted malt and floral and citrus hop. Clear garnet or mahogany color with a beige head that was frothy and stayed. Full bodied with creamy carbonation. Enough hop to bite, and enough malt to be rather sweet. It tends to finish that way, though the malt diminishes a bit. There’s a bit of light fruits as well. Rather smooth and tasty.

XS bottle purchased at world market in silverdale, washington.
pours a dark mahogany with a paper thin tan head, many bubbles present.
smell is faint, some spice, some caramel, some malt hiding in the back.
taste is thick, crisp, bitter, dark fruit, caramel, malt, some spice, hops, ends very bitter and slightly dry.

2004 bottle. Pours an extremely cloudy, caramel brown color that glows fiery red when backlit. A small, frothy, bubbly tan head dissipates quickly, leaving minimal spotting behind. The nose is fairly well balanced, even after all these years. Rich caramel, candied brown sugar, nougat, and vanilla are offset by a hefty dose of floral and citrus hops. Flavors continue down this path, with the bold malts being countered by a serious grapefruit hop bill. This must be a lacerative mother when fresh, because its bitterness after all this time is incredible. I tend to like hoppy barleywines, but this one has a medicinal component that I just can’t get past. The mouthfeel is thick and syrupy, drinking smooth but finishing rather hot and peppery. Overall, a solid brew, but it ultimately finishes far too medicinal for me.

bottle tasted with tom- bottle is vintage ’04 pours reddish brown with a small offwhite head. smells like hop syrup. nearly singeing my nose hairs. tastes bitter. citrus. really citrus. slightly medicinal, bready, slight iodine. a bit over the top in terms of bitterness, after you get over that then you get to taste the sweet caramel toffee biscuit. definitely not the zen balance of beer though.

Bottle thanks to Matt, ’04 bottle so 3-4yrs old. Aroma is toffee malts, no signs of age, noteable grassy bittering hop and tangarine. Taste is similar malty toffee biscuits, loads of caramalt and loads of bittering hop, infact probably too much bittering hop.

12oz bottle from 2004, thanks to Boboski. Pours a dirty water brown with almost no head to speak of. Powerful malt aroma, lots of caramel, hard candy, and lots of hops, but get the feeling they have mellowed a bit. Medium body, lots of malt sweetness and tons of hop bitterness in the taste. I can see a fresh bottle of this being a mouth puckering experience. Hops are very assertive and spicy, this is a lot of IBU going on. Reminds me of a grappa, sweet somewhat fruity nose that leads to a spicy burn when sipped. Would love to see this in 12oz bottle again.