Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine

750ml Ceramic Bottle 񢉘). Pours dark, hazy brownish copper colour with a tan head that dissipates slowly. Aroma has strong notes of toffee, malt, molasses, dark fruits and milk chocolate. Flavour is pretty similar with toffee and malt being the standouts, less chocolate, a more noticeable hop presence and a bit of alcohol, which is well integrated. This is a great barley wine, extremely easy to drink considering the abv. One of the best of Rogue’s premium range.

FOrgot to add this one, Hazy orange pour smelled a little expired. But a bready stale hop aroma. Sweet malt and bitter taste. It was good but a little ehh.

Pours a hazy, very dark amber-brown with a 1 finger rocky beige head that has fantastic retention and leaves nice lacing. Aroma is caramel, floral hops, old, dusty wood, sweet nutty toffee, light fruity notes, sweet grain, dark fruit, a little licorice, lots of ethanol comes out as it warms, but not to a point where it overwhelms the aroma. Flavor is woody hops, lots of caramel, roast, bitter dark chocolate, earth, dandelion greens (normally that is a very off putting flavor to me, but it fits this beer), toasty wood, toffee and lingering chocolate notes turn to cocoa powder near the finish. Finish is bitter hops, grapefruit, cocoa, charred wood and earth. There is a strong, bitter hops, dark chocolate and burnt caramel fade that is really nice. Palate is medium bodied with a creamy entry that get progressively more thin and dry until the dry and slightly slick finish. This is a much more formidable brew than I remember it being, quite delicious though.

Wow - what a wonderful punch of a barley wine. Like a combo of a dark malty amber with the pleasant balance of Belgian yeastiness. Can certainly detect the alcohol here, but it is so buttery sweet that you don’t really care. Really a top-notch offering from Rogue.

once again, poor service at the rogue on 14th. aromas of caramel, alcohol. wood smoke. hazy dark amber, khaki head held out a while. Kinda thin in the mouth. Sharp hop flavor, approaching grape fruit rind but not feeling citrus, alcohol, the malt never quite came throgh.

Nib bottle thanks to BMan1113VR. 2000 Vintage. Pours a murky reddish dark brown color with no head. Nose is dark amber honey comb, mint leaves, petrol, and dark caramel syrup. Taste is dark chocolate caramel filled truffles. Mouthfeel is sticky and boozy. Nice but starting to fade.

Bottle (in NZ). Plenty of flavour and hops - but not that dry, lots of sweetness. I got a lot of chocolate flavours from the malt - which only increased in the swallow. I enjoyed and drunk far too easily.