Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine

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

2004 bottle. This one has an amber-red color with an aroma of faint hops, caramel, and some dark fruit. Sugary flavor with some light hops, caramel, dark fruits, and a bit of roast. Not bad, but should be a bit better considering its age.

Ceramic swingtop bottle shared by JoeTheYounger. Pours a mostly clear cherrywood color with a creamy tan head. Aroma is caramel, molasses and some dark dried fruit. Flavor is harsh, alot of bitterness, some caramel and dark sugars, with a very chalky and dry finish. Palate is big and oily and carbonation is moderate. I don’t know about this one. Probably would be better with some age.

Cherry mahogany color with a creamy head. Caramel, molasses and raisin smell. A bit too bitter at the end of the tongue. Very good carbonation. Needs to age a bit.

1998 Bottling, thanks to Adam Avery of Avery Brewing in CO pulling this bottle out of his stash for me. Longest aged american beer i have ever tried. Opens with the slightest, "Pssshhh". Almost complete lack of carbination. Deep, opaque mahagony color. No head. Nose of chocolate fudge liqueur, malty, almost dog food-esque, but in a good way. Palate is rich and creamy, sherried, but with tons of secondary flavors coming through. Fig paste, fudge again, caramel, vanilla, brandy. Wild stuff. Better than 94 Thomas Hardy I had recently for sure!

[1880-20081205] Tap. Fruity mild old socks aroma. Clear, red orange body with a quick white head. Some fruity dry malt flavour with some heavy grain yeast. Medium-full body. Average.
(@ Cole’s; Buffalo, NY)

Ceramic 75 cl bottle from Systembolaget. Hazy mahogny, medium beige head. Malty and caramelly with a slightly rough hoppines. Medium bodied with soft carbonation. Very bitter, a little too much actually.

First rating
"XS" 750 ml ceramic bottle from a beer judge colleague
On March 28, 2009
Hazy red to orange color, tan head. Hoppy and sweet scent. Big sweet malty and bitter hoppy taste. Bit mouthfeel, long high bitterness.
8/4/8/4/17=4.1

Rerate
75 cl ceramic bottle thanks to ekstedt!
On April 1, 2009
2008 vintage
Hazy reddish to copper color, tan head. Malty, sweet, breadlike, roasted, hoppy, alcohol scent. Bitter taste, a bit sweet, mostly dry. Long bitter aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel, high bitterness.
7/4/6/4/14=3.5

Rerate
Cermaic bottle at a blind tasting on October 10, 2009
2008 on the bottle, BB aug 2012
Clear dark to red color, yellow to teal head. Malty, sweet, alcohol scent, also creamy smooth. Smooth bitter taste, also grape and creamy grainy. Smooth mouthfeel, relatively high bitterness. Bitter dry and apricots aftertaste.
8/4/7/4/16=3.9

Ceramic bottle, XS series.
Bought @ HJ Hansen, Odense.
[vintage 2006]
Pours a wonderful, deep red with a nice, creamy, beige head that leaves lots of lacings. Great aroma with fat toffee, lots of hops, caramel and a fair deal of viniousness. Medium carbonation, super oily mouthfeel. Flavour is pleasantly vinious, but never alcoholic. Dry and hoppy with toffee, port and wood. The hops are primarily pine and some fruitiness. Super long dry and bitter aftertaste. Lovely and warming after 20 minutes of wet, rain-swept golf :o)