Alaskan Barley Wine Ale (Big Nugget)

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

Pours a deep brown color with a dark tan head that quickly dissipated into a spotty bacterial ring laden top layer. Smells like sweet molasses, earth, fruit, and a hint of alcohol. It’s nice to get a barlywine like this as opposed to the hop-ridden stuff a lot of breweries tend to produce. The taste is dominated by thick caramel, sweet, roasty malts, minimal amounts of alcohol, and some reserved cherry flavors. This beer is big enough to completely hide the usual "alaskan" house flavor (which isn’t a good or a bad thing, just an observation.) Mouthfeel is absolutely phenomenal- probably the best of any barleywine I’ve had yet. Drinkability is good, especially for the abv, but there’s enough flavors here that my tastebuds are pretty ripped up after the first 22 oz. Byfar my favorite offering from Alaskan, and probably one of my top 5 barleywines thus far.

2008 vintage. Pours clear dark-brown, with a slightly amber color in the light. Thin tan head, good lacing. Aroma of caramel, molasses, raisin, pine and grass. Medium body. Somewhat sweet at front, some fig, and more subtle fruity flavors, a slight, but pleasant metallic edge, medium bitter finish, with lots of pine resin and some grapefruit. The aftertaste is mildly bitter and lasting. Fairly well balanced.

2008 Bottle - Pours amber copper with a small tan head...aroma is sugary fruit and dense caramel....flavour is quite different, cotton candy malts, fruity, fresh hop floral bitters...wow...not quite sure if I love it or not...not like any other BW I’ve had...syrupy on the end, booze well hidden...just wow...differnet...

Vintage 2008 Appearance: A dark amber with a nice head. The head subsites to a respectible sudsy ring. Aroma: Caramel malt and brown sugar at first. Then some fruits such as green apple, red apple, and green pear. Perhaps some spice too; nutmeg or cinnamon, but very faint. I am not sure, but I am thinking some of the tart and aromatic fruits I am smelling can be attributed to the hops. While this beer is too huge to be labeled balance, the sweetness and bitterness co-exist quite perfectly in this beer. Taste: Brown sugar and the fruits mentioned in the aroma. Lots of apple and pear going on. After that initial burst of flavor, I get a mouthful of spicy and slightly bitter hops. Has a small booze finish. Mouthfeel: Thick, not too sticky, prickly, and warm. Overall: Exactly what I look for in a barleywine. I like it too be packed with barley, but I also love the large amounts of hops.I will do my very best to save one bottle for a year or two from now.

[1715-20080917] 651mL bottle. Sweet alcohol casked wine characteristics aroma has some wood and light soap notes. Clear, dark red amber body with a quick foamy tan head. Very sweet heavy malt flavour has mild evergreen essence and is boozy but well-integrated. Medium-full body. Really nicely made, drinkable, boozy but great balance.
<i>(Vintage 2007; w/ blankboy, GregClow, HogTownHarry, jerc)</i>

2008 bomber thanks to TheBeerSommelier!!! deep red color with small white head. thick aromas of hops, caramelized malts and spice. this carries through the full body. plenty of dark fruit, apple and sugar are also noticeable... wonderful spicy, bitter strong finish.... overall this is a very well balanced barley wine that would age extremely well in addition to being stellar fresh.

Bottle from 2007. Dark amber pour with a modest beige head. I found the aroma to be entrancing and thus this a horrible beer to have while playing poker. Rich tones of sweetness, malts, faded citrus hops, fruity, and vinous notes filled my nose as my chips found a new owner. The flavor continues a smooth and soothing quality of sweet maltiness, dark fruits, and more faded citrus hops. Excellent.

Bottle: Pours a ruby red color with a nice light head and good lacing. The nose is very bready with lots of nuts and fruit, sweet maple and caramel with vanilla, peat, and light bourbon notes. Spicy subtle herbal hops as well. The flavor is sublime, so balanced with a full bodied malty mouthfeel, nice sweet syruppy notes but not cloying. Very balanced. Low alcohol notes up front, a touch more in the back. Excellent fruity bread note. Amazing balance and quaffability.