Aldergrove Auld Persnickety Barleywine Ale

Brewed by Steffans Aldergrove Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Marysville, Washington USA

Pours dark copper and super-hazy. Almost opaque. An off white head rose up to a half-inch, with super-fine bubbles that ascended the syrupy liquid. Aromatics are sweet, fruity, and malty. Candied citrus segments with toffee chips. The nose rounds out with butterscotch and brown sugar. The mouthfeel is on the thickish side of medium, and sticky. Definately a thick, chewy barleywine. The pallet starts off with a jolt of unfermentable sugar, caramelized malt, and fruity esters. Alcohol follows through, but doesn’t even hint at 10.5%. Bitterness is minimal as is all the other aspects of hopping. Finishes with lingering sugars and sweet malt. Drinks like a oversized english barleywine, and hints at a Hardy’s ale. Maybe some age would dry it up.

Muddy dark reddish brown with a weak head. Smells barleywineish...some rich malts, leaning towards caramel and earth with indistinct fruitiness buried underneath. Reaaaally chewy, a big dense malt assault. This fades into a hardcore alcohol finish. There’s something... a brown sugar and blackberry note. I need more of that, but I suspect it might take a few years in the cellar to draw that out from underneath the malt/alcohol bludgeoning.

Poured an almost clear deep orange-brown color with a medium off-white head. Sweet fruity malt aroma with some citrus hop. The flavor is full with sweet fruity notes to start. Light hops on the finish with a mild bitterness. Full bodied and warming.

Thanks to Skyview for sharing. Pours a very viscous dark orangish amber with a nice creamy looking head. Very noticeable citric hoppiness accompanies a strong presence of raisens toffee, caramel, ripe dark fruits and some honey. The palate essentially echoes the nose with a nice citrusy hoppiness finishing it out. Very nice beer, but a little hot yet.

For rate # 1900, this beer has been on my want list as the most wanted for nearly six months. Received a12-oz bottle from André (5000) via Bottleworks in Seattle, Washington. Pours a hazy orange amber brew with a thick and lumpy beige head that has some good retention and lacing. Aroma of toffee and caramel malt, with some dried raisins, a touch of apricots, and prunes. Taste is medium bodied, slightly thick, light carbonation with flavors of orange jelly filled chocolate, apricots, some light raisins with a touch of caramel bread malt. Finish is quite smooth, semi-sweet with a mild bitterness on top of a bread and raisin aftertaste. I am curious what a little aging can do to this. We’ll check in a few years. Most excellent!

The Dan Journal #145. Tasted 12/11/07. 12oz bottle. Hazy amber hue and sedimented. Brainy white head. Honey cocoa nose. Raisins cookies and fudge. Mild and smooth. Lotta citrus. Too sweet. Unfuddled palate. Obvious burn. Too light on the body. Not my favorite.

(12oz bottle) Purchased from Bottleworks in Seattle for $2.99. Large frothy white head with a deep orange body. Nose is very fig and sweetened with an candied orange hop. Orange chocolate and hops, cherry cascade across the tongue. Its a fun and affordable barleywine experience.

Cidery amber with a layer of head and ring of bubbles. Decadent candied fruit boque with cherries, apricot, etc. beckons for the first sip. The flavor is equally of luscious candied fruits, sweet, but restrained. Mildly hopped, unlike many american barleywines. Outstanding.