Sonoran Old Saguaro Barleywine

Brewed by Sonoran Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Phoenix, Arizona USA

Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy, garnet-hued body with a tiny, thin, white head. Smell: Candyish caramel aroma with a solid raisiny fruitiness and a hint of toasted bread and dried citrus peel. Taste: Sweet candied maltiness with a subtle taste of caramel squares. Hint of grains. Golden raisins and a tiny splash of sweet vermouth. Medium-high bitterness. Tablespoon of whipping cream. Citrus and spice on the bittersweet finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: I could use a bump to the fullness of the body, but otherwise it’s a decent Arizonan barleywine.

Date: May 10, 2008
Mode: Growler
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party
Appearance: hazy dark amber, scant head
Aroma: sweet dark caramel malt aroma with lots of fruity character
Flavor: sweet and fruity flavor, dark caramel sweetness brings out a lot of ripe fruit character, only a hint of bitterness for balance, finishes sweet and fruity just like it starts

Date: May 11, 2008
Mode: day old growler
picking up a lot of brown sugar sweetness to go along with the sweet caramel character,

Date: January 10, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: rare beer club
Words: GMoT
dominated by a heavy and not pleasant earthy bitterness that hides the rich sweetness from before, touch of diacityl,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Growler courtesy of Bockyhorsey: Pours a transparent copper red with a thin, wispy-lacing off-white head. Aroma of sweet caramely malt and some light fruity notes with a touch of piny hops. Body starts fairly full and caramely sweet with a nice light fruity complexity before a drier, slightly toasted finish. A pretty decent barleywine, but could use a touch more balance.

Rating #1400:: Growler, thanks to Cougar from a trade. Pours a deep garnet color. Aroma of cherry juice, deep rich caramel malts. Flavor is a well concentrated barley malt, lots of caramel flavor. A bit of alcohol burm. Finish is a well constructed hop balance. A very balanced and enjoyable Barley Wine Style Ale.

Pours a slightly hazy copper color with a white head. Aroma is malty, sugary, and caramel. Flavor is caramel, sugary, and a bitter hop alcohol finish.

Pours a beautiful rusty red/copper color with a non existent head, way below average lacing and hardly any carbonation. The dominate smell is heavy fruit with citrusy floral hops and mild malts. First taste is light and very sweet like honey, and not much of a hop note. Finishes with a bitter aftertaste. Light in body and taste. Not bad for a sipper.

This copper ale poured with a thin tan head and a fruity aroma. The flavor is candy sugar, raisin and caramel malt, with a warm alcohol finish. A very nice barleywine.

Sampled at the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild 2008 Strong Beer Fest, on February 17, at the Mesa Amphitheatre.