Arcadia Cereal Killer Barleywine

Brewed by Arcadia Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Battle Creek, Michigan USA

22 oz. 2006 bottle, bought at Arcadia’s 10th Anniversary party. YIKES!! GUSHER as I open the bottle. That has to count a point or two off the presentation. After that, a definite smell of sherry, rum and then Flemish sourness, which could indicate a bacterium behind the gusher, but I think otherwise. Murky brown color, a this but determined and lacy head. Taste has some more of that sourness, but a big nose of alcohol and some hop roughage. Not like most previous barley wines, I was going to say, but then I realized this is the first barley wine I’ve had since last December. Anyway, alcoholic, as I said, with notes of plum and raisin. The malt bill on this description indicates they went for basic beer flavor with only the Crystal to make it the expected color. No matter that I’ll be yelled at because the computer station smells like beer. And it’s my 65th beer rated this month, expanding on it as my Best Beer Month Ever!™

22oz bottled 2007, two years old. Pours a murky brown with a wispy head of off white swirls. Aroma is very rich with some really interesting elements of candy cane mixed with werthers original hard candies. Very cool. Tastes of sugary caramel with some nice lighter notes that I described as candy cane. Surprisingly good stuff. I’m also fairly certain this wouldn’t be good young.

Brewed in the USA...... Another bottle from the Dog days of Summer !!! Pours a reddish brown color with thin off white head. Aroma of toffee, malts, hops and fruit. Taste is sweet like coffee creamer, bourbon, licorice and dark malts. Not sure what to make of this brew? Kind of disappointed. :(

On tap at MBG Summer Festival. Poured a light brown with a dark off-white head. Aroma consisted of sweet grains, kind of like something from cereal. Flavor was full of sweet malts with a developing subtle fruit taste towards the end. Quite thick. I particularly enjoyed the way the beer finished.

pours a dark red color with a small off white head. Nose is very sweet and malty with some light dark fruits. Palate is thick and syrupy. FLavors of sweet dark malt, very heavy.

On tap for one keg only at Flying Saucer in KC. Deep brown with a reddish tint and a thin, dense off-white head covering. The alcohol isn’t hidden all than well, I suppose that’s a good thing in a barleywine. Alcohol, lots of sweetness in an almost brown sugar-style richness. Thick maltiness, but not overly roasted.

22 oz bomber. Very nice. Red brown body with a good whitish head. Aroma is very sweet, highlighted by bready malts. Flavor is quite sweet, malty, bready, but not cloying at all. A bit syrupy, but very drinkable.

Bomber. Red/brown pour. Aroma is very sweet smelling. Lots of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and some fruit in the background. Flavor is very sweet. Caramel, golden raisins, cane syrup and the finish leaves a hop flavor with a light bitterness. Pretty solid.