Schlafly Barleywine

Formerly brewed at Saint Louis Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Maplewood, Missouri USA

Serve in Snifter

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Rated 9.4.2011 at HBF. Transferring here. No Text review available so this is a placeholder.

Just tried the 2010 aged a few years. Slightly flat and you can tell the hops had mellowed, but still outstanding. Dark caramel color, minimal head, plum and a thickish body. Courtesy of Jess.

Sampled at the 2012 Heritage Festival. It poured a dark tan color with a small off-white head. The aroma was of caramel, some biscuit, citrus hops and alcohol. The taste was similar to the aroma. A very good Barleywine.

Tap. Cap of slightly tan head on a very hazy/murky dark copper hue. Raisins, toffee, dark fruit and slight oxidation. Flavor is slightly sweet wig tore and dark fruit. Warming and fruity, and not bad. Thicker body with soft carbonation.

UPDATED: AUG 11, 2012 Re-reviewing the 2011 bottled, non-barrel aged version. 2011 edition from the bottle. Served in my 20oz imperial pint glass from Schlafly. Pours a gorgeous amber-copper color, a little cloudy with tons of very fine rising bubbles, a good one finger head that lasted forever and left nice lacing. Smell is excellent on this bottle, great fruitiness, gobs of malt, leather and tobacco, no alcohol on this batch, just plain wonderful, I can’t stop sniffing the glass. Taste is very, very good. I think the 2011 batch is the best I’ve had yet. There’s a lot of the same characteristics from the smell, especially the fruity flavors, the pungent maltiness, and some great bitter hop balance. Mouthfeel is a bit on the dry side for a barleywine, but the carbonation is silky and smooth, and it’s pretty drinkable. There’s a notable alcohol warming that finishes you off as you put this one away. Definitely a stay-at-home bottle of barleywine. You might not even get out of your chair after this one. Although it’s august right now, this is definitely more of a winter sipper. Even though this bottle is less than two years old, it’s excellent. I suspect it could age forever and still remain excellent, but I was in a barleywine mood and this was what was on hand, so I drank it. Once again, I am not disappointed. Schlafly’s premium bottles have never disappointed me, and they certainly make an excellent barleywine too. I think that either Schlafly’s barleywine is getting better every year, or I’m liking barleywine more and more every year, or possibly both. Why ask why? Just enjoy it. This ain’t no punk beer, so barleywine fans look out, and everyone else beware.

draft... medium bright brown body, no head at all... a very sweet barleywine that’s too easy to drink at 10% but no balance makes it a skip for me

on tap at schlafly’s tap room in st. louis. copper color, off white head with nice lacing. nose of fruit and flowers. dried fruit, pepper, caramel. medium bodied, caramelly mouthfeel, sweet finish. there is a bit of an alcoholly kick at the end. a very nice beer.

A murky medium brown body and a thick tan lacy head.Smels of caramel and citrus with some dark fruits in there as well. The aroma is strong but not overpowering kind of similar to a Belgian strong dark ale.Sweet tasting like caramel with a bitter grapefruit taste. The alcohol taste is also very strong.Creamy with a good alcohol burn.

This is the first time I’ve seen the non-oaked version in a couple of years. Not only is it non-oaked, but it is cask and dry hopped. This was amazing and better than any version of the Schlafly Barleywine I’ve ever tasted. Pours bronze / copper with a dense off-white head that is quite sturdy and delivers a kick ass aroma the whole way through. The aroma has tropical fruits (especially pineapple), grapefruit, hearty malt that is sweet and noticeable, but the hops are way in front. Full body that is very smooth and lush with extremely soft carbonation. The flavor starts with amazing hops that definitely has simcoe involved as well as floral and tropical fruits traits. There is also some nectar fruits, swet malt, caramel and toasty malt. This far more balanced than expected letting both aspects shine though. The finish has more of a barleywine flavor, but still a ton of hops. Quite amazing and quite possibly the best beer I’ve had from my favorite local brewery.

Nice Barleywine. Cloudy amber brown. Aroma is sweet. Taste of sweet malt, molasses, and hops.