Swamp Head / Cigar City Roosevelt American Barley Wine

Brewed by Swamp Head Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Gainesville, Florida USA

Serve in Snifter

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This is the sister beer to Church on a Hill, the English style barley wine collab by CCB and Swamphead. Pours med brown with little head. Smells roasty, slightly sweet and hoppy. This one is drier and hoppier than expected, with a malty slightly sweet mid-palate, and a nutty component to it coming from the addition of pecans to the brew. The mouthfeel is hoppy and "nut browny" with the alcohol being well hidden by great attenuation, hops and ample carbonation. I definitely like the style they achieved with this one. An outstanding offering from CCB/Swamphead.

Small sample at Knightly Spirits during Campeador Greaves release. The comparison between this and Church on a Hill was very different. This seemed a little more harsh and bitter. The ABV makes this beer seem very big, even though I didn’t catch how much was in it.

Sample at the Central OH BA Tasting at From The Vine on 06/02/2012: Nearly opaque ruddy orange-brown color with a medium thick off-white head that recedes slowly. Small patches of lacing. Malt, molasses and dark fruit in the nose. Medium to full body with flavors of roasted malts and nuts, fruit and earthy hops. The finish is hoppy with some pine and nut notes left behind. Pretty beer all around.

750 ml bottle shared by Chris- thanks again, Chris! Pours a hazy amber color with a tiny off-white ring for a head. Aroma of toffee, pecans, brown sugar, dates, and toast. Flavor of toffee, pine resin, pecans, brown sugar, dates, figs, plums, and some sneaky booze. Medium-bodied, with a smooth mouthfeel and low carbonation. Surprised to see this rated so low. I bet if it had been brewed at Cigar City its average rating would be about 0.5 higher.

Dated Nov2011 I smuggled this back from Florida in April and I’ve had it sitting on a shelf in the fridge screaming at me since then. Pours a curiously murky light brown or dark orange color with a decent tan head that slowly dissipates to a cap on top. Well it smells like a barleywine. Lots of dark sugars and dark fruits, some floral and earthy hops, a bit of sweet overripe melon, and a touch of alcohol. I can’t smell any pecans, but I can taste em. The flavor is dark sugars up front with lots of fruits, cherries, raisins, and melons. There’s a solid punch of ethanol and higher alcohols as well as an earthy and resinous hop flavor that lingers long after each sip. Medium to thick body with a moderate level of carbonation, and a sweet resinous mouthfeel. Wow this is a big beer, I wish I had seen that before I opened this by myself. Nice big barleywine, the alcohol needs a little time to mellow imho, but its a very flavorful brew, I wish I had another to age.

UPDATED: APR 23, 2012 750ml Bottle: Got in trade from biggsbowler; THANKS Randall. Aroma of malt, caramel, light hops, barley wine, light dark ripe fruit, light pecan, and some brown sugar. Poured deep orange/brown in color with a large, creamy, dense, rocky, tan head that diminished but lasted throughout. Cloudy. Very sparkling. Very good lacing. Flavor is light to medium sweet and medium bitter. Tastes of malt, hops, wood, and some caramel. Medium body. Creamy, slick, then dry texture. Average carbonation. Lightly sweet, medium bitter, malt, hop, wood, finish is dry. 13%ABV is completely hidden throughout. Not much pecan at all.

750mL bottle, courtesy of newcigarz, pours murky amber with a copper hue and a thin tan head of foam. The aroma offers up sugary sweet brown sugar coated raisins, spicy black licorice, prunes and a curry spice note that is unexpected. The taste is similar with sweet maltiness, a bit of roasted malts, raisins, prunes and dried apricot. It then flows into a mild tannin like tartness and an Indian dish curry spice note. Very interesting indeed with its curry like influence. Not sure I’ve had something like this before.

Bottle @ Darkness Day 2012 shared by Armin. Thanks! Pours a dark reddish brown appearance with a cream colored head. Caramel, mild oaky, toffee, plum aroma. Somewhat fruity, toffee, light chocolate, plum/raisin, a touch nutty flavor. Pretty tasty.

Pours light brown. Nose is biscuit, caramel, nuts, toffee, earthiness, some herbal hops. Flavor is rich biscuit, toasted and drk roasted caramel malts with herbal and earthy hops. Sweet bitter finish. Heavy body, oily mouthfeel. Light carbonation. This was pretty good. Had a big toasted and bready/biscuity malt character with evident earthiness from yeast, good or something. glad to try.

On tap @ CCB during the bottle release. Opaque brown brew with no head. Lots more hops in the nose than it’s sister brew with toffee, caramel malt, pecan, and pine. Extremely sweet (almost overly so) with tons of toffee, caramel, and a nice hop bite.