Schlafly Oak Aged Barleywine

Brewed by Saint Louis Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Maplewood, Missouri USA

2007 750ml. Hops are still present. Fairly bitter finish. A fair amount of alcohol in a scotch like way, could be better hidden. Some chocolate in the flavor and finish. Nutty. Caramelized sugars.

2007 bottle. Pours a dark copper with a nice off white head. The aroma is a little boozy, but otherwise caramel sweet with some oak bourbon notes. Flavor is the weaker component here though. It definitely has the oak notes and can pick up on the dying notes of what may have been some nice spicy hops. Finishes with a little alcohol burn as well. Palate is quite full bodied and smooth and enjoyable. Pretty all right beer.

Pours a very pleasant amber with a thin, creamy white head. Very good looking brew. Aroma is peaches, figs, syrup and a bit of vanilla. Flavor consists of brown sugar, blue berries, syrup, and a touch of oak. The alcohol makes a brief, warming appearance, but is very nicely balanced with the beer’s other flavors. Velvety mouthfeel, along with low carbonation make this a surprisingly easy drinking beer. This is a surprisingly good beer.

2007 Vintage, bottle.
Pours a deep, inviting amber with single bubble streamers slowly rising from the bottom of the Duvel tulip glass along the curved side, finally settling in amongst earlier arriving friends that are congregating in a massive off-white head. An aroma of malted dark peach dominates the nose, with a hint of plumb cheddar cheese and sage. Flavor is a syrupy blend of sugar-coated malt, dark berries, mild cheddar, and a touch of wood in the finish. The alcohol makes its presence known throughout the sip, travelling quickly along the tongue, up the trachea, and into the nose. Good sinus clearer, if nothing else. Spikey, biting mouthfeel that acts as a jackhammer on the tongue so the flavors can settle in comfortably. An extremely well-made barleywine that I wish I had more of to see how it holds up over time.

Thanks to bhensonb for sharing this one with me. A very intense copper color that raised a fat tan head with tinges of pink in the bubbles. Nose was malty and of ripe fruits and the mouthfeel had a mild bite to it. I could pick up the alcohol and the finish showed me just a hint of the oak. Flavor was fairly compex. Better than anything I got on tap at the brewpub six weeks earlier, and very enjoyable to drink. Went well with the cheese.

2007 bottle. Deep coppery amber color with a multi-finger off-white head. Rich malty aroma. Medium body with mild creamy carbonation. Flavor is sweet caramel malt with mild spicey notes and hops. Extremely pleasant, but not challenging. Really good to drink.

2006 bottle. Pours a rusty copper tinged brown with a creamy offwhite tan head. The nose is rather odd for the style. Not super sweet or malty and not a ton of oak. Toasty malt and light fruit. Some vanilla and a slight astringency, Medium creamy mouthfeel with low carbonation. Creamy fruity astringency, Not a ton of malt depth. A significant oaky flavor--cherry tinged tannins and vanilla. A little too toasty for my tastes. Alcohol pops out with oak in the finish. Not quite rich or malty enough to meet my expectations of a barleywine, but not a bad amaerican strong ale.

6-27-08 bottle shared with lb4lb thanks to mreusch
Semi clear amber with little head. Smell is alcohol, sweet tomatoes, cinnamon and nutmeg with perhaps a touch of ketchup - each glass we poured it in - it seemed different. Flavor is interesting and has an oak and almost sweet fruity malt backbone. Low to medium carbonation. A little strange but not dreadful