Anderson Valley Horn of the Beer Barley Wine

Brewed by Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Boonville, California USA

On tap at Sac Brewing BW Fest. This amber ale has a full complex flavor dominated by caramel malt and finishing with a fruit and honey taste. It is true to the barleywine style in terms of appearance, taste and alcohol content, so I used it as a reference for the other BW samples.

4 ounce sample on tap at Sacramento Brewing’s Barleywine Festival. Fruity, sweet, aromatic, vinous aroma. Very sweet and very fruity nose. Transparent, attractive dark amber body with some garnet/ruby hues present. Small head. Fruity, sweet, vinous, caramelly, with some molasses and some anise flavors present as this progresses. Moderate spicy hoppiness shows up late. This is flavorful, but a bit thin. Probably the best barleywine on tap at this "festival".

(on tap). Very clear, amber color. Surprisingly clear, as a matter of fact. Aroma has hints of bourbon and vanilla. Sweetness, particularly caramel, predominates on the palate with very little added by hops. Light to medium bodied (definitely a lighter bodied example of the style than most). Very clean, high alcohol content masked nicely by overall product and is probably adding to the overall perception of sweetness. Very smooth for a 10.4% beer.

On tap @ The Toronado. Pours a clear dark amber color with a brown head. Faintly sweet aroma with some bourbon notes. Lightly sweet flavor of bourbon, maple syrup and cigar. Thinish mouth feel. Highly hopped.

On Tap @ Lucky Baldwin’s Barleywine fest 2005

Clouded deep reddish brown appearance. Fruity strawberry and piney hop aroma. Jammy fruity flavor, dried cherries, very hoppy bitter in the finish. Lingers bitter and spicey.

Basic barleywine. Alcohol is well hidden with little malt depth. Some candy, caramel and maple hints. semiweet sticky mouthfeel alittle thin on the finish

2/21/04. On draft at Toronado Barley Wine Festival in San Francisco, CA 2/21/04. Pours a clear, dark amber color. Great head, rocky with good retention. Lacing is great as well, lingering in all sizes of bubbles. Aroma is light and sweet, creamy with subtle hops. Pale malt flavor and honey, a bit of a bitterness and woody character. Overall, not a whole lot going for this beer apart from how it looks. Just a serviceable barley wine.

Bright bronze appearance with a small head. Sweet aroma of toffee and cotton candy. Taste turns a little more to the fruity side. Medium-to-full boddied flavor. Spicy mouthfeel as it finishes.