Alaskan Barley Wine Ale (Big Nugget)

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

Source:2008 bottle shared at a tasting in Nashville.
Glass:Taster.
Appearance:Deep amber pour with a thin off white head.
Aroma:Maple syrup and brown sugar with dark fruits and caramel malt.
Flavor:Caramel malt base with brown sugar, molasses and burned sugar.
Palate:Medium/full body with soft carbonation.
Overall:One of the best BWs I’ve had. Wish it were easier to obtain.

2008 bottle courtesy of markwise. Pours a amber brown with reddish highlights and thin off-white head. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of ripe dark fruit, maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, sugar plums. Flavor is sweet and malty with notes of brown sugar, caramel, molasses, maple syrup, faint hints of floral hops. Generally medium body with a slightly boozy malt finish.

2008 vintage. Big thanks to inflatablechair for this bottle in trade. Pours dark red-brown with an off-white head. Nose is caramel, raisin, plum, date, brown sugar, and a hint of yeast. This English style BW has lots of sweetness. Very enjoyable overall. Similar flavor with raisins, dates, plums, sugary goodness and vanilla with caramel. It is like a beer sundae of flavor. Very good medium bodied BW.

(2008 vintage) Bomber from South Bay Drugs ($8.99). Pours a deep gorgeous ruby-brown, reminding me of the "sun tea" my mom made growing up in the Deep South. Only a thin layer of off-white head quickly disappears, though there is some cola-like carbonation along the sides of the glass. Sweet aroma of flowers (honeysuckle and rose), chocolate-covered cherries, light caramel, and some other good stuff. Flavor not nearly as good as the nose but has a nice level of malty sweetness. Noticeable hops give this a good balance, with some pine present toward the finish. A warming sensation, but otherwise the high alcohol is not very detectable.

Bottle from bockyhorsey. The pour was a deep reddish brown color, small off-colored head. The aroma was fruity dark raisins and brown sugar, caramel, no hops. The flavor followed the aroma, fruity, metallic, raisins, brown sugar, tobacco, in need of some hops to make it outstanding, but within an English-style BWine, decent. Thanks, Bill, a fun one!

2008 on tap at Uber. Pours a nice brown with hints of orange. Tan head and decent lacing. Caramel aroma. Pretty sweet malty taste of vanilla and caramel, balanced with only a touch of hops. Full bodied and syrupy, with a bit too much alcohol taste.

2007 Bottle. Enjoyed on Pizza Plant’s Miss Buffalo Cruise. Pours a deep brown with ruby/ crimson hues. Toffee, rich malty aroma. Taste was extremely well balaced, deep malty richness, vanilla, caramel. Great Great barleywine

2008 Bomber from Liquid Solutions. Nose Nose of plums, vanilla, and toffee. clear cherry brown with a medium beige head. Flavor is very light bitterness, dark fruitiness, prunes, and light candi sugar sweetness. Finish is lightly bitter and alcohol warmth. Excellent barleywine!