 douglas88 (1557), Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Nov 7, 2009 Wow! The first beer of the night, and what a beer. 750 ml bottle 99/227 2004 edition. Pours a cloudy brown color with a small white bubbly head. The aroma is just heavenly; rich vanilla, wood, bourbon, rich malty goodness. The flavor was great as well; a massive malty flavor, wood and lighter bourbon, very subdued. Warm, but not overly so. A smooth and so damn nice. Five years have mellowed this beer into an amazing gem. This is why I love AleSmith, and also why Eric is such a generous bastard. Thanks a ton man.
changeup45 (782), Orlando, Florida, USA
Oct 31, 2009 2007. Bottle 311/449. Cracked this one open for Halloween. Pours a dark mahagony color with a thin to moderate head that settles quickly to bubbles and a few patches on top. The aroma is potent consisting of plums, raisins, bourbon and wood notes. Nice. The flavor is full of dark fruits; plums, raisins, figs with a rich bourbon flavor, oak and resiny hops. Quite boozy but soft on the palate. I love regular Numbskull, it’s probably one of the few I compare all other barleywines to, so I’m not surprised that this comes across as a great example of a bourbon aged barleywine. It’s not superior to the regular version though, which as of this review I surprisingly like a little more.
Drink4Satan (585), Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
Oct 29, 2009 This will forever be the standard to which I will judge barrel-aged barley wines, thanks to Alldaydrinker!!! Rating this from memory, I will have to be brief. The pour transluscent mahagony with a rocky head that forms a tan head like a mass of whipped cream atop it’s ominously dark, almost murky body. The nose had a huge tobacco, oak and caramel character. The flavour was decidently full with dark fruits, almonds, bourbon and vanilla/wood. The palate, from what I remember, was soft, yet more carbonated than expected. Sipping on this for about an hour was unreal. Thanks Jeff for sharing this bute, and thanks Alesmith for brewing it!
tokyogoat (505), San Diego, California, USA
Oct 25, 2009 Pours and orange/brown with a slightly slimy head.
Nose is slightly oxidized with oak, toffee, and bourbon.
Taste is great with a nice oak astringency, smokey, slight bourbon flavors, huge cigar tobacco flavor. Amazing.
GAManiac (1123), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Oct 20, 2009 750mL bottle, 2004 vintage #75/240, courtesy of a very generous BA, poured into a snifter.
Pours a hazy amber brown with a surprisingly big cream-colored head that recedes slowly to a healthy collar and a little lacing. It shows some legs clinging to the sides after each sip.
The aroma is excellent and well-balanced. It’s got the underlying BW character with the caramel malts, toffee and dark fruits coming out especially. It’s balanced perfectly with the wood and whiskey which brings a bit of vanilla sweetness to the aroma. What sets it apart for me is the balance as the whiskey is not too overpowering.
The taste is just as good with the bourbon coming out a little more than in the aroma with the big sweet malts forming a solid backbone. I do think the flavors are a little more watered down than I expected and that’s probably just the age.
The mouthfeel is slick with a low carbonation and medium bodied. It’s probably thinned out a little bit over time honestly.
This is an excellent barleywine that was probably world class a year or two ago. The flavors have mellowed out a bit and it’s extremely drinkable, but it’s probably lost a little complexity and body. Still extremely good.
craftbeerdesign (731), Alpharetta, Georgia, USA
Oct 16, 2009 Big Thanks to TheBeerSommelier for this amazing bottle! 2002 166/225
Rating #700
pours a deep burnt red with a small off white head which settles to a thin clear lacing... big bourbon nose with some vanilla and caramel... by the 2nd glass the aroma has faded a bit... nice round big body with a mix of fruit notes (apple, plum, dark cherry, raisins and a touch of citrus) and the bourbon barrel aging characteristics of vanilla, oak and of course bourbon.... really balanced throughout the mouth... its almost like a sweet piece of irresistible candy... the finish really takes this up a notch and brings the aged malts forward along with a burst of bourbon, vanilla, some orange peel and sweet sugar... overall this is a fantastic barrel aged barley wine that has aged incredibly well... it is full of flavor, very well balanced and offers such a pleasurable drinking experience. This is a prime example of how special craft beer has become... sublime.
Snojerk321 (1917), San Diego, California, USA
Oct 6, 2009 2006 bottle 202 / 208. Been waiting a while to try this one. Deep brown with some ruby highlights, non translucent. Alex came up with a great description for the head, "sea foam" consistency and light beige in color. Amazing nose of caramel, toffee, raisins, dates, vanilla, bourbon and oak. Some espresso and faint booze in there as well. Flavor also held a ton of caramel, toffee and hints of bourbon and dried dark fruits. Some slight astringency on the finish.
emerica56 (575), Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
Oct 5, 2009 Got to share with with Drink4Satan and Allday drinker, and it was amazing. Pours a dark nutbrown with a medium sudsy head. The nose was jam packed with malt, biter orange peel, chocolate and sweeet burbon. As you sip on it the flavor is nice and smokey and full of dark fruits. You can really taste the burbon in the after taste. overall it was an amazing brew with great carbonation and full of booze.
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