Barley Johns Barrel-Aged Rosies Ale (Batch 1)

Formerly brewed at Barley Johns Brew Pub
Style: Barley Wine
New Brighton, Minnesota USA

Another of the brews that arrived while we were rating. Thanks Eric! Brown golden and clear. Big aromas of sherried plums, raisins, etc. Smarties again!. Big flavors as well. Hops, sherry, plums, raisins. To tell you the truth, it did not seem that big at all, but you know getting all these flavors out of a brew must be a tribute to its size...

Poured a clear ruby color with little head. Aroma has the definite bourbon smells but isn’t overwhelming like some versions that smell almost like they should be in a rocks glass. Aromas of cherry, vanilla, sweet malt and some alcohol on the end. Flavor continues with the great balance of bourbon and barley wine. Tastes of sweet malt, light fruit, oak, and of course alcohol. But the alcohol hides itself very well and leaves you with mostly quite a bit of warming. Full bodied, big malt and great balance. Thanks to CaptainCougar for supplying me with another amazing hard to get beer.

Finally a barrel aged beer that holds it own with the whiskey!
This beauty has and aroma with aspects of wood, vanilla, pecans and even a little perfume. This wild brunette sure looks pretty, but underneath she’s a butt-kickin’ tomboy. She’s lathered in maple syrup, making her sticky and sweet. Her apple core gives her a nice backbone. Right before she kicked me off, she let me hang on for a while and savor her. I hope she lets me visit again.
Thanks CaptainCougar

Poured a reddish amber color with no head or lace, though a thin, off white film did appear at the top of the glass. Aroma of smoke, roast, sweet caramel, vanilla, wood, and peanut butter. Taste of dried, dark fruits (plums and grapes), sweet maltiness, oak, light bitterness, and a strong, ass kickin alcohol finish. Thanks footbalm!

This beer poured a deep brownish red w/ orange highlights, good head and lacing. The nose was of plums and brown sugar sweetness w/ hints of flowers and citrusy undertones. Oak and soury fermented fruit to the taste w/ caramel and plums. The mouthfeel was round and nice w/ shots of both sour and sweet on the tastebuds.

A big whopping thanks to Pigfoot for graciously sharing a sampler of this from his growler...I can only wonder why you didnt drink all 64 oz’s for yourself...the 21% didnt have anything to do with it, did it? This beer poured a clear amberish red color with a lack of a head and no lacing to be seen. The aroma is cherry, sherry, some warming alcohol and that was pretty much about it. So let’s take a sip... wait... where is the alcohol presence?? Oh wait... there it is.. POW!!! Right in the kisser. It takes nearly 3-4 seconds to fully develop in your mouth but whoa mama. Still even after the 21%, I wouldn’t think this any more than 10% ABV. Nice warming burning alcohol finish, heavy sweetness of cherry and sheery with a hint of oak agedness. No carbonation but unbelievably smooth. Oily full mouthfeel, long developing and lasting flavor and finish, obviously excessively dry finish. Thank you and goodnight..only one show a night!

Thanks to beerguy101 for sharing his shared sample with me! Poured a dark reddish-brown color with almost no head. Sweet. Little fruity. Would never have guessed 21% (although a little alcohol came through in the taste and aroma).
Rerate; larger sample courtesy of egajdzis (thanks!). Additional tastes and aromas of dark fruits, woody and vanilla. Increased the aroma score from 8 to 9.

Thanks to Pigfoot for sharing his growler of this stuff with us. Amber orange color. Small head. Aroma is sherry and fruity. A full bodied barley wine. Malts are fruity and sweet with lots of sherry and wood flavors. Very smooth. Touch of alcohol bite. Very smooth, and mellow for all that alcohol. Another ridiculous huge and over the top barley wine. But this one works very well. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.