Valley Brew Old Inventory BarleyWine

Formerly brewed at Valley Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Stockton, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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Bomber from the Co-Op in Davis, CA. Pours opaque brown with ruby notes, and a two finger beige head that’s pretty foamy. A bit clingy. Lots of darker fruits over roasted caramel, with some brown sugar, for aroma. Full bodied with very frothy carbonation. Flavor is treacle, plums and dates, and more treacle. It’s like dessert. No sign of heat. The finish is sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. This barleywine seems to have perfected balance. Extremely dangerously tasty.

Bottled. Tasted as blind # 16 @ yesprs. Dark amber coloured. Light brown head. Ripe fruits, sweetness, light caramel and some herbs and chocolate in the aroma. Flavour of fruits, sweetness, liqourice, almond, herbs and chocolate. Nice. Medium to full bodied. Light roasty bitter end with some sweetness and alcohol notable. Very nice beer.

UPDATED: MAR 19, 2010 Poured hazy amber brown, caramel, dark fruits, litttle bready, little brown sugar, little alcohol.

UPDATED: APR 5, 2010 Pours dark and moderately cloudy caramel with a thin medium tan head that leaves nice lacing. Nose is a bit sweet and a hint of wood, even though not barrel aged. Toffee, caramel, dried fruit, and bready malts in the flavor, a bit more full than the nose. Smooth mouthfeel with a touch of heat in the finish. Excellent stuff.

22oz bomber. Pours opaque brown wiht a foamy tan head and a fierce treacle and toffee aroma. There is a robust roasted malt flavor with some up front brown sugar and finishing hop bitterness. This one is very tasty with a warm alcohol trail.

From tap at Toronado, Barley Wine Fest 2010. Pours clear and golden deep amber to mahogani brown with a small white head. Aroma is dry caramelish and overripe fruity. Smooth fruity, dense caramelish and toffee malty. Sweet and bitter at once. Young it seems, yet nicely balanced.

Draft at GABF. Nose of berries, toffee, and a brown sugary sweetness. Clear light brown with a small beige head. Flavor is prunes and toffee. Nice BW!

22oz bottle -

Aroma - lots of toffee, caramel, light raisins, some alcohol and wet grain in the aroma.

Appearance - Beautiful mahogany body, hazy with a light tan creamy thick head.

Taste - first thing I noticed is how well the sweetness is showcased but still not out of control. Toffee, caramel, light toasted notes, some raisins again and it had a woody bitterness that lingered somewhat. Finish was a tad hot, but expected.

Palate - smooth, light carbonation fizz, medium fininsh

Overall - really nice. A sad reminder of what a kick-ass brewer Steve was for Valley and here’s hoping that he lands somewhere and with someone who will utilize his incredible brewing talents.

Huge thanks to Agent Steve for this awesome beer. pours a dark mahagony with a thick beige head. Taste is extremely smooth with lots of dried fruit , caramel and tons of malt. Sweet aftertaste. What a great beer. Thanks Steve

nice brew, well balanced, failry light and drinkable considering the abv. a lil one sided, but a very enjoyable quaff.