 aubreya (653), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Apr 10, 2008
The color was a cloudy clay color. The aroma was sweet, hoppy, dark fruit, and alcohol. The flavor was aged, dark fruit, sweet, alcohol and malty. The palate was full-bodied. The finish was warm.
MrBendo (976), Swedesboro, New Jersey, USA
Jun 30, 2008 6 month old bottle, 12oz. I haven’t been rating lot of the Scratches, but I felt I had to rate this one.
Deep mahogany color with a small head. Aroma is toffee , caramel and lots of spicy hops (the citrus hop taste is mostly depleted) Rich caramel and raisin taste; balanced between sweet and dry. I respectfully ask you to brew this again, Chris and John.
Beerlando (1157), Orlando, Florida, USA
Jun 18, 2008 Aged about 9 months. Pours quite dark, deep mauve-brown in color. A frothy, light khaki colored head shows good retention and leaves thick, patchy cobwebs of lacing on the glass. The aroma shows massive malty notes of caramel, toffee, and chocolate, with raisons, dates, and a hint of plum lending fruity depth. A faded, yet surprisingly strong waft of citrus hops and dark, earthy spices complete the nose. Flavors again start on the malty side, with candy sugar, toffee, and caramello leading towards the dark fruit billing. Soon after, earthy and citrus hops deliver their bitter punch, tipping the scales back towards very well balanced. The body is quite substantial, lightly syrupy, and smooth. Finishes with notes of brown sugar and lingering, bitter citrus hops. This is a really nice, hoppy, American style barleywine that is not overdone in any one aspect.
Linus_Stick (1481), Moon Township, Pennsylvania, USA
Jun 17, 2008 Wow...I now know what I must do to love barley wines. AGE THEM! This was aged a year and a few months and is absolutely outstanding as far as barley wines go. The flavors that I usually detest in fresh barley wines are subdued here and make this beer easily drinkable and flavorful. Aroma was all caramel malt. Pour was a nice deep murky brown with a one finger tan head. Taste was strong, but even. Nice caramel malt taste with a hint of light chocolate and a somewhat hoppy aftertaste. Great barley wine!
BlackForestCO (479), Fort Collins and Black Forest, Colorado, USA
May 27, 2008 Bottle shared by lb4lb at his tasting. Poured a murky, light brown caramel color with a thin beige head that diminished to a ring. Aroma of sweet, lightly metallic caramel and some moderate citrus and brown sugar. Light, sweet malt entry with some caramel and a metallic hint leading into a light hop presence with some citrus that finishes slightly dry. Smooth, but a bit thin. Perhaps it is just past its prime, but it just wasn’t that great.
HailSquishface (13), Ferndale, Michigan, USA
May 22, 2008 Huge thanks to The_Epeeist for this.
Pours a dark chestnut into my giant snifter with the tiniest head that disappears quickly leaving some lacing.
Smell: The best nose on a barleywine I’ve smelt in a long time, maybe it’s the huge snifter, but I doubt it. Really Earthy, Citrus and Caramel dominate with Rum, Rasins, and Toffee.
Taste: Sweet, Fruity, Caramel, Woody(I’d swear this was oaked), a little bit of Dark Fruits, Pine, Citrus, Burnt Sugar aftertaste. Heavy and Smooth.
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