Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine

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

Deep red/ mahogany with a little tan head. Lots of dark fruits, bitter hops, a little alcohol. Prickly mouthfeel. Should have aged it a bit.

2006 750 ml ceramic bottle from Plaza Liquors - Pours a hazy brown color with a one finger thick tan head. Aroma is big hops, some toasted malt and a bit vinous. Again, flavor is big hops, sweet malt and alcohol. Medium body. I think this beer could use a little more time. Definately a sipper.

Bottle. Ruby colour with a light rye bread, wood, dried fruits aroma and taste. Medium to full body with a dry light alcoholic finish.

good stuff....great murky brownish red appearance with no head.....aroma is of hops, caramels, sugary malts, and some spice...flavor is intially of sugars and spice, with grapefruit hops as a finish...can detect some bitter coffee as well as a very end note....too bitter of an aftertaste.....palate is great; good beer, but leaves too much of a bitter final impression

2002 bottle. Huge C hops here, alpha acidity time! Malty as hell, with earth undertones, tobacco leaf. Nice aroma of huge malt sweetness and boatlloads of alcohol and...plants. This is just one herbacious beer. Good, but of course raw and brutal. Great starter (!) to share with Heatherfor an easy night (1 beer total).

Bottle (12oz) at Volo. 2004 vintage. Well, I said I would rerate it and I did. Pours a murky dark ruby with a small diminishing off-white head. Aroma’s quite fruity along with caramel malt, light hops, chocolate, alcohol, toffee, wood and more -- quite nice! Flavour’s also fruity along with plenty of hops and malt, alcohol, wood and a long bitter finish. There’s no question that I liked it, much, much more this time. Whether that’s due to it being aged longer or my tastes changing, or both, who knows? Either way, great stuff.

Old rating: 7.4.6.2.12: 3.1
Bottle shared with HogTownHarry at Bar Volo -- Vintage 2004. Pours a murky dark ruby-brown with a spare off-white head. Slightly sour aroma of sweet malt and alcohol -- lots of alcohol! Flavour of sugar, sweet malt, alcohol, pepper, caramel and hops -- once again the alcohol is most prominent making it overly harsh. The aftertaste is incredibly bitter -- way too much so. This was really hard to drink, I had a hard time finishing half a bottle. Based on some of the other ratings it seems that aging this beer for a year is not enough, this is one to put away for several years. If I ever come across an older bottle I will rerate it.

ok i have to steal this because badlizard hit it dead on "Dark brown with foamy tan head. Aroma of malt, molasses, and caramel. Thick chewey palate. Wow, it has a big taste. Caramel, toffee, molasses quickly transition to a big bitter bite with citrus and pine notes from the hops and an alcoholic finish with a lingering floral hoppy after taste."

1997 vintage. This was a ruby red to brown colour, with a sweet, almost earthy nose. The flavours and nose had mellowed over time, different from the bolder younger vintages, which are maltier and hoppier. Nevertheless, this was an excellent brew that was still quite malty and had a slight bitterness that shone through the almost cloying sweetness. The alcohol was not really a factor, but it still made its presence known.