Stewarts Barleywine

Brewed by Stewarts Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Bear, Delaware USA

Serve in Snifter

Draft at the source, 2011 version. Hazy amber color, thin off white head. Aroma of creme brulee. Taste is sweet and intense caramel with a burnt edge. Not bad, but could use a bit more balance.

Tap. 2011 Vintage. Pours clear mahogany with a small, creamy off-white head, medium retention with light lacing. Aroma is dark fruit, oak and vinous, caramel and toast malt, spicy alcohol and floral hops. Flavor is malty with alcohol, dark fruity esters, medium hops and bitterness with a sweet finish. Medium body, warmth, and carbonation.

On tap at brewpub. Poured a deep dark brown with a one finger tan head that fell to a ring that left sticky lace. Sweet malt aroma with dark fruits and some alcohol. Taste follows the aroma along with caramel, light nuttiness and vanilla. Alcohol definitely shows but does not take away from the flavor. Nicely balanced and easy to drink excellent beer.

2006 vintage on tap at the brewpub (05/26/09). Deep ruby red in color with a decent sized beige head. Aroma is of cherries, booze, prune, raisins, toffee, and caramel. Taste is of booze, caramel, toffee, fruit and hops. A little hot.

On tap at Stewarts. Vintage 03. Poured into snifter. Poured ruby red with big tan head. Aroma was dark fruit, sugar, sweet. Taste was similar with a nice smooth texture and goes down the hatch very easy. The 03 might be a little past its prime but still very good.

On tap at Stewarts... 08 Barleywine. Poured into a snifter, big head with a dark red color. Aroma was dark fruits. Taste was sweet, light figs, dark fruits touch of sugar. Texture was very soft and easy to drink. No trace of alcohol in this one. Good barleywine that I enjoyed on a cold day.

On tap at KSBF ’08 (2008 vintage). Poured a deeper and cloudy amberish color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of dark fruits, caramel, nutty, and lightly earthy. Tastes of caramel, toffee, dark fruity, and nutty. Brown sugary sweetness. Light alcohol in the finsh (but overall well hidden).

2005 draft version. Ruby brownish color with minimal off-white head. Complex aroma and flavor that include notes of heavy malt, hops, fruits including cherry, berry, plum, fig, and brown sugar, slight rauchy notes, slight vanilla, and mild spirity notes. This one reminded me of a hoppier version of the GLI 275th, with perhaps a bit less body. Well done, Ric.