 santoslhalper (166), Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA
Feb 26, 2008
A brew I look forward to each year. I always have some in the cellar as well. Pours a perfect mahogany with a thin, beige head. Smells very malty, with strong caramel, spice, dark fruit and alcohol notes. Incredibly hot this year! Granted it’s fresh as hell, but good God it’s like I’m drinking everclear. Always a good brew, but this years release needs a few months to clean up.
502Flavors (220), Kentucky, USA
Aug 27, 2008 bomber into wine glass for lack of a snifter. Pours a thick dark amber color with a good off-white head. Aromas of dough booze and hops. The flavor was boozy with strangely muted flavors. Medium to heavy bodied on the palate - soft carbonation. Overall: hot and worthy of age. Showed some serious promise though.
nearbeer (1224), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Aug 23, 2008 650 ml, early 2008 release. Clear orange-copper with a small, but enduring head that leaves a slight soapy lace behind. Aromas of resin, orange, earthy molasses and honeycomb. Flavor starts with orange and molasses, turns more to resin-citrus and shows flavors of oak, peppery evergreen, alcohol, cherries, berries and citrus-honeycomb. Medium-heavy body is smooth with a nice balance between thin and syrupy, and is warming and dryish. Quality and complexity are evident already, but a bit harsh with hops at this stage; probably should cellar a year or two.
Beerded_one (1580), Croydon, Pennsylvania, USA
Aug 23, 2008 Bottle. Pours a rich amber color with a thin off-white head. Aroma is hoppy with caramel, fruit, light pine, and some citrus. Flavor is caramel malt, fruitness, warm alcohol and a hint of toffee with a medium bitter finish
TOSG55 (24), Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Aug 18, 2008 Bottle. 2008 vintage. Pours a cloudy orange with a thin head that dissipates fairly quickly. Aroma of caramel malts and sharp alcohol. The flavor is caramel/toffee malts, with a sharp hop bitterness and alcohol bite. This beer does not have the complexity of malt flavors that is present in most other good barley wines. Good, but not great.
canary dog (376), Rutland, Vermont, USA
Aug 17, 2008 Yet another strong barleywine that features heavily in the alcohol department, and rather lightly in overall taste and complexity. I really don’t know how to judge these beers; they are simply not my type. It just gets to a point where if you want to drink something with that much alcohol, get a good bottle of red wine instead. These high alcohol levels are the domain of wine, not beer.
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