Alaskan Barley Wine Ale (Big Nugget)

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

Dark brown color, smells like plumbs and a red wine. Tastes like the fruits just wear off and never show you what they are made of. Rich in a candy pear hop and finishes with a spice. Should buy another one and wait 10 years.

2007 Vintage, courtesy of Zinister, who didn’t ask for payment for my half of the shipment this came in. Thanks, dude! Pours a "chalky" brown caramel/chocoloate, with an aroma of raisin, sugar, and a touch of plumb. Flavor is fruity chocolate with hints of sweet peat, candied hops, and a touch of pepper in the finish. A touch of merlot seems to be hidden amongst the sweetness, perhaps accounting for the slight woodsy feel of the overall flavor experience. Notes of peach emerge as it warms, but the base of dark fruit never fully releases its grip on the taste buds. Somewhat restrained mouthfeel, but the flavors are solid enough to make up for any shortcomings in this area. This will age very well, I believe.

Sampled from 2007 bottle courtesy Beerlando. Mostly clear ruby-coper color with a thin white layer of head. Sweet dark fruity aroma, hop background. Slightly sweet, mix of malt and hops is tilted slightly towards the hops, a hop character is mild, considering its a fresh bottle. Nice thick hearty palate. A satisfying BW.

Fresh 2007 vintage. Pours a very dark caramelized brown body with slight translucency. This is one of the darkest barleywines I’ve ever seen. A thin, cream colored head settles to a wispy film and leaves behind sheet-like, syrupy legs with no lacing. The aroma shows rich, dark caramel, chocolate malts, vanilla, and a touch of dark fruity notes. Flavors are mainly rich, concentrated caramel, woodsy notes, malty dark fruits, and a touch of earthy, peppery hops. The body is smooth and full, but slightly sticky. Alcohol is fairly well hidden. Solid brew that will improve with age.

07 Bottle generously shared by jarspag at the Whistler pad. Very still pour, with barely any carbonation or head. Dark amber color that leaves some slight alcohol legs on the glass. Robust fruity and malty aroma with aspects of cherry, red wine, sweet grapes and a touch of cinnamon. Enjoyable flavor that I compared to a strange sherry wine with plum, cherry and pine sap bitterness on top of the simple caramel malts. Some hot alcohol in the finish with hops. Not mind blowing, give it at least 2 more years.

2007 vintage shared with J in Whistler. Initial impression was a bit of a "sigh". Nothing to rave about. The nose boasted straight forward sweet caramel malt and a bit of booze. The flavor improved immensely after settling to room temp. Somewhat straight forward and simple, but it delivered with unique notes of orange and piney hops amongst hefty malts. A nice sipping beer that should get real tasty after a few years. My other bottle is going into hibernation...

Draft 08’, on the darker side of barley wines, hella malty and quite thick, gets more so once you allow it to warm up. I’m aging sum bottles of it in bottle but $8.99 is a little steep but i’ve seen worse. My expextations out did my actual experience. good but a little too malty for me. Tried an 04 or 05 and hardliver 2007 and I thought the past years were better than this years. They were not as dark and malty, aged very well.

Pours a dark maroon red with small tan head. Very rich and smooth, but not too much, just right. Dark fruits on the nose. A very tasty Barley Wine!