Williamsburg AleWerks Brewmasters Reserve Grand Illumination Ale

Brewed by Williamsburg AleWerks
Style: Barley Wine
Williamsburg, Virginia USA

Serve in Snifter

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caramel reddish color tan head aroma caramel malt sugars faded hops flavor the same great barleywine lots of floral notes.

Location: 22 oz bottle from Norm’s, 2/26/10
Bottle 1162 of 2009

Aroma: Apple juice, brown sugar, herbal notes, some caramel, and a bit of orange
Appearance: Dark ruby red color with a wispy beige head, light lace
Flavor: Flavor of brown sugar and caramel/toffee malts, light orange hop
Palate: Medium-full bodied beer with a mild-medium alcohol burn
Overall Impression: I feel like this one had just the right amount of age on it. It has a slight alcohol burn, but it doesn’t overwhelm the beer. The flavor is much like the nose, but feel slightly more burnt, and slightly less fruity. The dryness and alcohol come out mostly in the finish of the beer. The brown sugar is definitely strong in this one. A pretty solid Barley Wine.

Draft: Orange and lemon zest bouquet, with an abundance of pine needle. Hazy copper, thick yellow head, nice lacing. Full body. Complex flavor of cherries, oak, strawberries, fig, and raisins. Pine sap finish. A bit resinous mouthfeel. Fair balance. It was particularly enjoyable with oysters rockafeller. Very drinkable.

2007 bottle courtesy cheeseman. Pours a dark reddish amber color topped by a small tan colored foamy head. The aroma shows hints of caramel, toasted toffee, brown sugar and spices, and some hop bitterness. The flavor follows these same lines with the caramel and toffee sweetness, toasted nuts, and brown sugar balanced by some citrus hops. Full bodied and smooth with a lengthy sweet warming finish. Pretty good barleywine.

Reddish brown. Lots of caramel, syrup and brown sugar...along with parmesan cheese. Crazy. Flavor is full of sweet caramel, dates and light hoppy finish. Good.

October ’09 O-Town Throwdown. Thanks Daknole. bottle # 094/2007 pours dark brown, beige head and thin golden lacing. Aroma of caramel, brown sugar, malts. Hops were attenuated. Flavor, lots of caramel, malts, some chocolate and brown sugar, light notes of yeast, with a crisp finish, light on the hop side.

Bottle courtesy Cheeseman. Pours a deep marron brown color, with a light brown foamy head. Smells of rich toffee, dark fruits, caramel, and figs. Liked the nose, very inviting. The flavor was much the same, nice thick palate, with a deep caramel and fruit presence combined. Got a little alcohol burn from the 11% abv, but not overwhelming. Nice, interesting little barley wine.

Bomber, #94 of 2007, courtesy hopscotch. The body is a hazy, dark, reddish amber color. A small, frothy head of tan foam leaves a thick wash of fat splotches behind. Aromas of big brown sugar, caramel, and burnt toffee are initially quite sweet, spiced nicely with hints of candied orange peel and balanced by residual citrus hops. Flavors run the same, caramelized sugars and hints of candied nuts showing quite sweet, countered slightly by fading but still ample grapefruit and orange hop notes. Thick bodied and slick, the palate shows a little alcoholic heat, finishing on the sugary side. Nice and tasty in small doses, I’m not sure I’d enjoy more than one small glass of this.

Courtesy ChzMan. Dark amber, off white head. Toffee, dark fruits, candy corn, bitter hops. Full body, mildly viscous. Decent barleywine.

Bottle shared by ucusty. Thanks David! Nose of brown sugar, oxidation, caramel, booze.. Flavor is a bit more balanced with some light hops, more signs of oxidation, some peat. Finish is surprisingly bitter considering the minor role the hops play in the rest of this beer. Better than expected.