Alaskan Barley Wine Ale (Big Nugget)

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

On tap at the brewery. A hearty and powerful brew. You could feel the warmth going down.

Picked up at John’s Marketplace in Portland, Oregon. 22 oz. bottle. Not really much head but when there was it was an off-white brownish head. Nice dark brown with slight red hue. Malty aroma that is nice. Slight sherry notes. Very malty, not so much on the hops. The aroma is decent, but nothing exceptional. Slight alcohol flavor. Nice malty taste that lingers around for quite some time. Nice smooth palate. Hops aren’t really noticeable. There is a slight hop taste, but the alcohol kind of wipes it out. Overall, decent barley wine. I may try again at some time.

Pours brown with an off white head. The nose is huge with cherry notes and loads of dank hops. Lots of alcohol vapors. Malty chocolaty powder flavors with a bland of bitterness and heat in the finish. Medium chuggable body. Really tasty.

Second time I have sampled this (08 bottles). First time was bought recently from a Bevmo and opened the same night, this one I bought when it first came out and has been sitting in my fridge. I must say, man are these totally different beers. Pours a very dark/murky brown with very little carbonation or head. Aroma is candy sugar sweetness, malt, and on the refrigerated one massive northwestern hops. Taste is very sweet and malty, and extroardinarily bitter/hoppy on the refrigerated one. I liked this much better "shelf aged" actually. It was a more complex beer. Even so, this beer is fairly well balanced and the malt still comes through. Definitely a beautiful beer with age on it (rating based upon better impression).

Bottle with thanks to mj (2007). Has a nice tawny body and a slowly forming head of dense tan foam. Aromas are thick and sweet... lots of dark fruit and brown sugar maltiness with just a hint of oxidation maybe, but it is very faint. Flavor is a very good mix of dark fruits (figs, dates, raisins, and wine grapes) with malt (brown sugar). Mouthfeel is kind of sticky and alcohol is present both in terms of warmth and a bit of a finishing kick almost like brandy or something. This is pretty good and I’d love to try a fresher bottle to see how it compares.

’08 Bottle from Santa, thanks MATT! Reddish amber pour with thick off white head. Aroma of sweet malt and hops. Caramel, molasses. Flavor is smooth, caramel, raisins. I can’t get over how smooth this barley wine is. Smooth mouthfeel, nice lightly alcoholic finish. Really awesome beer.

I sampled this at the RBSG 2009 grand tasting. Thanks to whomever brought it. Hoppy, malty, with a nice feel, this was a tasty beer.

Copper brown with a fiizy tan head. Faint malty aroma. Very thick sticky palate. Sweet molasses toffee and caramel taste with a nutty finish and warming alcoholic burn.