3.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/2012oz bottle
Pours a nice slightly hazy dark ruby, thin off-white head with so-so retention and some spots of lace. Aroma is malty sweet, piney, citrusy and bitter -- more like an American IPA than a barleywine. Flavor is lightly toasted grain, lots of sweet malt, lots of pine, some citrus, and an overly astringent hop bitterness. I’ve said plenty of times in my ratings that I’m not at all a fan of Northwest/Cascade hops in this style of beer, and I’ll say it again here. If used sparingly enough, I’ll tolerate it. If used in too much abundance, I’m liable to knock some points off as I’ve done with this beer. I just don’t understand why so many American brewers possess an unflinching urge to hop this style into submission when the style guidelines just don’t call for it. Save it for the IPAs.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle from Cotteridge Wines; dark copper pour with thin beige head, sugary sweet aroma, piney hop taste with caramel sweetness, high level of bitterness, some spiciness, ABV is present.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle from Systembolaget. 2012 version. Pours red with a lasting small bubble off-white head. Resin, caramel, grapefruit, figs and alcohol in the aroma. Taste is caramel with a strong bitter backbone. Medium/full bodied.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 14/20
Very malty poured a deep red to almost brown color. Upfront with slight roasty malt flavors and a nice bitter hop finish.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 18/20
Call this the month of me filling in gaps in my beer resume. Really should have rated this years ago but anyways on tapnat Stagshead figured about time. Pours reddish copper with beige head and lovely nose of piney hops. Tastes of pine, resin, junipers, burnt caramel, cherry, red licorice, and some earth. Chewy palate and lingering finish.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle from Plonk (2013 release). Dark reddish-amber, strong resiney/piney hop aroma with some sweet caramel and butterscotch sneaking through, maybe some banana cake too. Flavour is all hop bitterness up front but sweet malt and some alcohol warmth round out a really nice (winter) beer. "It’s a barley wine, Jim, but not as we know it". Excellent.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Hop dominant with notes of pine blending into caramel notes. Amber with a small quickly fading head. Bitter with only minor malt balance. Medium plus to full bodied with a long bitter finish.
3.2 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
2012 bottle to flute
Chocolate, hops, and juniper. Deep amber with a thin ring like head. Taste is hoppy, and a bit malty.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
2013 bottle. Pours an amber colour with a beige head. Aroma is malt, hops, caramel and fruits. Taste is high sweet malty leading to a well balanced bitterness in the finish. Bloody awesome! Sierra Nevada never fails to please!
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle - Hoppy and malty with a bit of alcohol heat. Clear amber with a thin head. Hoppy with caramel and some alcohol heat and a nice punch of bitterness. Very nice and heart warming.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
This is my first barley wine. Pours a dark amber with thin head with hoppy grapefruit aroma. Hoppy alcohol bitter full taste with some sweetness in the background. Has the body & taste like an imperial IPA. The bitterness hangs around for a long time and is balanced nicely with the sweetness of the malts. Reminds me of the dogfish head 90 minute but not as sweet or powerful. Goes down smoothly for so much alcohol especially when cold & gets a little syrupy as it warms up, it definitely packs a punch. Very good brew from a reliable brewery.
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