Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine

Wow...this beer does not help in my quest to love barley wines. Aroma was huge and delicious. Strong dark fruit, caramel malt and a little hops. Pour was a deep dirty brown with a one finger off white head. Taste was very 2 sided...first you have the heavy malt and dark fruit that assault the taste buds. Then everything disappears and a dryness takes over that leaves a bitter hoppy taste on the tonsils and in the throat. It goes from one to the other with no transition. Give me a Third Coast anyday.

750mL Ceramic XS bottle, poured into Tripel Karmeliet chalice. Red, mostly brown color, tan head that quickly went away leaving no lacing or anything behind. Very malty backbone, caramel and dark fruit, with a floralness not far behind. Very nice caramel maltiness, but the hops are not blended enough, there is the maltiness and then a very strong bitterness following. Pretty good but I think needs some age to perfect its flavor. Mouthfeel is full bodied and a low carbonation level. Took quite a while to finish the glass, but perhaps I’ll age one for a few years, I imagine it could turn out quite nicely.

12 oz bottle, 2004 Vintage. Pours a clear garnet body under a small fine bubbled beige head that faded to a wispy partial covering. A nice covering of sediment in the bottom of the bottle, one or two chunkies did make it into my glass. The nose on this is starting to lean towards the malt side, though there’s still quite noticeable hoppiness. Heavy caramel and toffee notes and a bit of alcohol. A little raisin and plum fruitiness. The hops in the flavor certainly haven’t gone anywhere though. Still just a hugely bitter hop bomb after almost 4 years. There’s boatloads of caramel and toffee with some lighter notes of coffee and chocolate. Clearly noticeable, but not especially overpowering alcohol coming through. The finish is quite warming all the way down the esophagus. Not quite as sticky as when fresh, but still certainly full bodied. Pretty nice soft super-fine carbonation. Overall, this is better to me than when it was fresh, but still needs quite a bit of time yet till I would consider it delicious.

Pour is a very clear deep brownish caramel with a frothy light tan head that has surprising staying power. Sweet, fruity nose, some caramel and toffee. Small amount of alcohol comes through. Smooth palate with very light carbonation. Taste has some toffee up front with a bitter finish.

Had this beer on 12/9/1998. Color is a hazy orange amber with very low carbonation and head. Aroma is strong with the scent of sweet rich malt. Taste is also strong and very full of flavor. It starts off with a very rich and almost creamy body that goes down with a sharp little bite. The finish comes on with a rich wine like barley taste followed by a strong bitterness and hop flavoring. It’s like drinking beer concentrate.

bread, roasty, resin, alcohol, alcohol, alcohol, amber, clear, aminimal head, heavy cloying sweetness, lightly bitter, full body, full body, full body, lively... This is a nice way of saying "We are such good friends that I decided to buy this for us so I could sleep on your couch."

My first in the barley wine style! 2006 XS style, bottled 2006 so it’s been over a year. It had a large head and poured a dark murky red-brown. Very robust, bitter and hopped up flavor lingering forever on the back of the tongue. Nice, but maybe not what I was looking for.

Draft at Hop Devil Grill. The aroma is somewhat lighter than I expected, but a mixture of citrus hops and malt. The flavor is a little peppery at first from the malt, followed by sweet fruit, and a dry, slightly bitter finish. It’s alright.