Speakeasy Old Godfather Barleywine

Brewed by Speakeasy Ales and Lagers
Style: Barley Wine
San Francisco, California USA

2006 Vintage. Courtesy of Skyview. Copper color with no head. Big caramel aroma. Very sweet malt and caramel taste. Plenty of hops to keep the sweetness from being overpowering, but not enough to turn it into a malty IPA. The hops do taste a little on the raw, leafy end of the spectrum. Quite nice.

A 2006 vintage, picked up a single 12-oz bottle at John’s Market Place in Portland, OR. Pours a clear dark amber brew with a thin, fast dissolving off-white head that leaves behind a ring and spotty lacing. Aroma of sweet caramel malt, orange zest, roasted nuts, toffee and sugar cookie dough. Taste is full bodied, very light carbonation, syrupy texture with sweet caramel, brown sugar and orange zest flavors. Finish is semi-sweet, high alcohol warmth with a slight bitter aftertaste. One of the more hoppy barley wines I’ve tried.

2006... Poured a clear, dark amber color with a fizzy off white head, that faded to a thin collar, leaving light lacing on the glass. Aroma of caramel malts, dark fruits, light oxidation, molasses, citrus fruits, and floral hoppiness. Taste of dried fruits, wood, sherry, metallic hoppiness, buttery malts, with grapes, and some alcohol as well.

I picked up a bottle @ Foodery II in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. Speakeasy’s barleywine brought me disappointment. Flat pour, light malt, caramel, fruit, and a spicey bitterness. I can best describe Old Godfather as a barleywine spritzer. Other than heavy hops and sweet alcohol flavors it was missing the maltiness to balance the barleywine out.

I figured this beer was an appropriate choice for a milestone like Bonds home run record. Bottle I think from DarkElf? Pours coppery brown with a trace of bubbles. Smells of caramel, some citrus, resiny undertones, hints of pepper. Tastes of caramel, toffee, some spices, earthy qualities. Mouthfeel is syruppy with a sweet sugary finish. Congrats to Bonds on breaking the all time home run record.

Bottle pours a a clear redish light brown with a small yellowish light tan head. Sweet brown sugary mlat aroma. a touch of maple maybe. Classic. Flavor is rather light and bitter. Palate is quite thin and a bit too fizy. Just tastes cheap and young.

Thanks to tronraner for sharing this bottle with us at the Tennessee Spring(ish) Tasting! Thin whit ehead forms over a clear, light brown/amber body. Malt dominated aroma. This American BW has the malt and hops in proper balance for what one would expect from the style. Perhaps a bit more body and complexity would polish it to perfection.

Bottle from Foodery II in Philly. Pours a beautiful translucent copper with a two fingers dense head, that coats the glass. You can tell this was filtered without holding it up to the light. Aroma has lots of caramel maltiness, with a nice backdrop of piney hops, fruity esters, and subtle alcohol. Medium bodied and malty, between average and soft carbonation, and more session like in texture. Initial flavor of caramel, plum, and orange quickly transitions to a very bitey and peppery bitterness mid palate. Finish is warming and slightly astringent, and small amount of alcohol detected. I would be curious to see how this would turn out with less filtration.