Alaskan Barley Wine Ale (Big Nugget)

Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Co
Style: Barley Wine
Juneau, Alaska USA

22oz bottle 2007 edition. I popped the crown and took a whiff of strong green, leafy hops which gave way to fruit and a little alcohol fumes. The color was deep ruby red in my snifter with an initial dirty-white head that quickly faded away. It still smells kinda hot but it doesn’t taste hot. It has a hoppy bitterness that is somehow perfectly balanced with a malty sweetness. The sweet fruitiness that coats my tongue is quite awesome and I am glad I shelled out the $9 for this bomber. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 02-12-2008 03:56:31

Bottle: Poured a deep coper color ale with a medium foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of light citrus hops with some sweet malt. Taste is also dominated by sweet malt with some light dry fruit and a dry bitter and citrusy finish courtesy of some West Coast hops. Body was about average for the style with some good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very well made and even though I prefer my barleywine with some limited hops I thought this example was very well balanced and it is definitively one that I would like to try again.

22 oz. bottle purchased at Central Market in Mill Creek, WA. Pours a dark raisin color with a cream colored head. Flavor: Sweet, with hints of dried fruit and bittersweet chocolate.

2007 on tap at Brouwer’s Hard Liver ’09. Pours orange amber with minimal head. Fruity hop and caramel nose and taste. Smooth, well-balanced, full mouthfeel. Hoppy finish. Good, but I was surprised this was voted #1 at the fest.

Courtesy ChzMan. Dark brown with garnet edges, off white head. Aroma of soap and suntan lotion with a barleywine behind that. Richly sweet malt and some piney, resinous hops to go with the toiletries. Full body, smooth. Meh.

On tap at Stone. Nose is dark sugar and dark fruit. Red brown with latte colored head. The flavor is super strong and sharp. Boozy and bitter with a flash of sweetness that comes after the initial flavors. Seriously boozy. Some pepper. Medicine. This brew was too hot to drink now. The bottles I hve at home will need to sit for a year to mellow.

07 version at Brouwer’s Hard Liver 09. Pours a very dark bronze with ruby highlights and a thick, dense head. Bourbon and oak dominate the aroma, with sweet malts and some dark fruits. Superbly drinkable. It has a great hop backbone that balances the flavor without making it overly bitter. Creamy - ultra-smooth, with even a bit of chocolate. Really, really good - my highest rating of the festival (and from what I was told, the #1 vote-winner at Hard Liver).

Sampled at the Hopsnobbery Collective barley wine tasting on 3.14.09. Clear amber in color with a thin beige head. Floral malt aroma with lots of sweetness. Malty flavor with some hop balance and more sweetness.