Sweetwater Donkey Punch!

Brewed by Sweetwater Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Atlanta, Georgia USA

Enormous bottle courtesy of KieferUGA. Poured an amber color with a nice off white head; lacing. Aroma of sweet caramel, citrus and pine. Smell reminded me of an American Strong Ale. Flavor also had components of an American Strong Ale. Flavor had a nice pine finish. Pretty tasty and enjoyable.

Pours an amber color of iced-tea with a touch of haze. Impressive head of tan meringue foam, sticky and gooey lacing. Sweet, juicy hop aroma of citrus. Orange pulp, nectar, with a resiny backbone that adds a nice touch of dryness. Biscuity grain with a bit of roasted cereal. Pretty smooth flavor for this big a beer. Caramel malt, orange blossom backed with bitter orange rind and pine. A bit of herbal tea and florals on the finish. Definitely American in character as it tastes like a borderline DIPA. Smooth, surprisingly light mouthfeel, slightly oily with a nice dry finish. Overall a nice barleywine in the American style, although the malt presence was a bit muted. Alcohol presence is extremely well hidden.

Bubblegum and grassy hop aroma. Pours a clear orange color with a big brown head. Leaning more towards a double IPA than a barleywine. Flavor is caramel and sticky sweet. The sweetness lasts with you for a while. Well balanced between hops and malt with the hops adding a little bittterness and fruit flavors. From a style perspective this is not a good representation. From a beer perspective this one is pretty enjoyable.

Bottle shared by yobdoog (thanks!). Pours amber with little head. Very hoppy aroma, mostly grapefruit with a caramel background. Taste is pretty well-balanced between the hops and malt, some more of the grapefruit in there as well. Slightly sticky palate and a light hoppy finish. Decent stuff, though certainly not mind-blowing.

Thanks to yobdoog for sharing. Deep amber coloured brew. Very bright hoppy/minty flavour over rich pale malts. Loads of fresh spicy hops. Light fruitiness in the back. Finishes with some grapefruity flavour that isn’t really there in the aroma. Pretty by the numbers, but I quite like it nonetheless.

Bottle shared by Trevor. Pine hop aroma covers caramelly malts and not much else. Flavor has a pale hoppiness with a thin body, and light old malts. Close to style but boring. I’m getting sick of beers like this.

Bottle: Light orange pour with a white film. Piney hop aroma, fresh and resinous. Medium body with lots of minty character in the flavor from the hops. Sweet and candyish hints as well. Has a smooth piney finish. A nice hoppy/minty Barley Wine.

Seems to be more of a DIPA than a barleywine.Heavy hops, big resin, grapefruit and orange. Nice big frothy, off-white head. Color was amber/orange and rather murky. Can’t taste the alcohol ro much in th eway of maltiness. This is really easy drinking. I’ll put some in the cellar and see how they are in a year or two.