Thomas Hooker Old Marley Barleywine

Brewed by Thomas Hooker Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Bloomfield, Connecticut USA

Serve in Snifter

Poured into a snifter. 500ml swingtop, 2009 vintage. 2.5 A: Uh-oh. No carbonation. I’m guessing this is due to the swingtop, but T. Hooker chose to use this format, so I’m continuing with my review as normal. Black color. 4.0 S: The nose is still solid. Tons of plum and caramel with raisin, prune, whiskey, and leather close behind. Minor notes of sherry oxidation, but overall very nice. 2.5 T: Surprisingly not a lot of oxidation. There is a some, but it’s not undrinkable. Plum, raisin, tobacco, and caramel are strongest. Cardboard after that. The flavors are presented all that well without the carbonation though. 1.0 M: This really hurts from no carbonation. Lighter medium body. Not creamy or at all pleasant here. 2.0 D: I’m probably not being fair by reviewing this, but two years isn’t so long that the bottles should have ended up this way. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 12-24-2011 04:58:39

I normally don’t bash beers, or post reviews for beer I dislike. However I’m making an exception for this beer. I love Thomas Hooker, but this beer has some problems. I absolutely love the presentation, a blue tinted pop top 500ml. Its looks amazing, it really does. And that why its been in my cellar for the last few months. This is a 2010 vintage. A pop of the top reveals....whats that? Zilch. Zero noise. This can’t be good. An aggressive pour yields some awkward large soapy bubbles that pop quickly...and zero head. A sip confirms that this is still and flat. Yup...the seal went bad. The smell is amazing. I smell some candied dark fruits, caramel, and frankly...the smell is of a quality barley wine. However this is undrinkable. Buy these with caution! These tops are really flimsy and barely air tight. I’m glad I only picked up one since these were $7.

2006 vintage is very mellow and english in nature. Enjoyable. Cool bottle. Tasty. Raisins.

Bottle. Pours a deep ruby red, almost like grape juice, with little to no head. Aroma is dark fruits, sweet, bready, and a little bit of bourbon. Taste follows the aroma very closely. Light body with very balanced carbonation. Very good.

Brown bottle, 1 pint 9 ounces, tasted with Luc Bourbonnière, savoured November 5 2009; eye: black, opaque, no head, no lacing; nose: hops, soy sauce, light fruity, roasted malt; mouth: a bit thin, soy sauce, roasted malt, light fruity, resinous hops, alcohol warmth, dry finale in resinous hops with presence of soy sauce, light astringency, full body, not much carbonation, mildly salty, lightly harsh texture; overall: quite likable FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 1 pinte 9 onces, bue avec Luc Bourbonnière, savourée le 5 novembre 2009; œil : noire, opaque, pas de mousse, pas de dentelle; nez : houblon, sauce soya, léger fruité, malt rôti; bouche : un peu mince, sauce soya, malt rôti, léger fruité, café noir, houblon résineux, chaleur d’alcool, finale sèche en houblon résineux avec présence de sauce soya, légère astringence, corsé, peu carbonatée, moyennement salée, texture légèrement râpeuse; en résumé : bien aimé

Bottle. Justin brought this in to work to share, at least 3-4 years of age on it. Pours a cola brown with a thin white head. Cola, plum, prune, chocolate on the nose, a bit of oxidization. Medium bodied, some oxidization and dark fruit. Long and smooth finish, more oxidization.

infected bottle. pours caramel/red with medium white head. aroma is caramel, sweet, malty, sour. infection isnt too bad to drain pour and gets better as it warms. drinks sour with caramel, sweet malts, maybe a touch of oak, and more sour. finishes tart with semi bitter finish

Bottle, probably 2-3 years old; thanks to Cletus. Pours dark reddish brown. Can’t see through it. Pretty much flat. Just a wisp of head. Nose of brown sugar, molasses, sherry, some mild wood, and peat. Hint of smoke. Similar taste, but harsh and boozy. Lovely aftertaste accents smoke and peat, but the aftertaste is about all that’s good about this beer.