Traquair 900

Brewed by Traquair
Style: Barley Wine
Innerleithen, Borders, Scotland

Serve in Snifter

0.33 l bottle, aged one year in a cellar. Dark reddish mahagony color with small head. Sweetish, vinous, toffeish, nutty and tart aroma. Very malty and vinous flavor with toffee, licorice and berries. Soft palate. Excellent rich maltiness with good vinous character.

Bottle, from Cornelius in Edinburgh. Deep warm caramel malt, cinnamon, marzipan, fresh figs, just a little toasted marshmellow, moth balls. Toasty sugar, cocoa nibs, dark rum. A barleywine with element of doppelbock and quad goodness. Yum.

33cl bottle acquired in trade with douglas88 (thanks!). Poured a medium and clear mahogany color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of raisins, smoke/tobacco, toffee, roast, and other dark fruits. Tastes of dark fruits, caramel, chocolate, molassess, and vanilla. Alcohol content well hidden.

Bottle: (Thanks MaxxDaddy!) Pours a deep brown with a copper hue and a fading/wispy light tan head. The aroma has some sweet raisin-like notes, sherry, light esters that give off a banana bread note (as Jess pointed out). The body is nice and slick. The flavor has some tobacco notes and a touch of raisiny sweetness. Also has some subtle cocoa and a subdued dark nutty hint. Some sherry sweet notes come through as well. The finish gives of a smooth roasted character with an indeterminate bitterness. An interesting Barley Wine; well crafted.

Bottle shared by the one and only MaxxDaddy. Very sweet, gentle aroma, lots of fresh tobacco and banana, with light cigar box. Pretty much dead pour. Fizzy, wet cardboard flavor, lots of sherry, a bit thin bodied though never showing strong alcohol. A pretty mellow beer overall, surprising for a beer of this stature.

Courtesy TheCheeseMan. Dark red-copper color, very little head. Rich Scottish malts, slight seaweed notes, a very light sweetness for a barleywine. Tastes like a Scotch ale in places. Malty up front, not a ton of complexity, some molasses, but very drinkable, and doesn’t taste like 9%.

Bottle at the Winking Lizard. Pour was dark amber brown. Aroma was all black cherries. Delightful aroma!! Had high hopes for this one...And it did not disappoint. VEry much an English BW. Which I dont normally like. But this one was great. Flavor of malts, cherries, vanilla, a hint of brandy or bourbon. Alcohol nicely hidden. Only complaint was it was a bit light in texture in my mouth and it was served too cold. It got better as it warmed. This brewery rocks!

Thanks to the Cheeseman for this nice brew. Dark brown pour that is slightly thin and has a small thin head. Sweet and malty with hints of peaty seaweed, bourbon and vanilla. Smooth malt whiskey taste. Much more of an English BW, slightly thinner than the american and very tasty.