Beermanns Bourbon Barrel Barleywine

Brewed by Beermanns Beerwerks Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Lincoln, California USA

pours dark amber.aromas of sour grapes.First sip was cold and the bourbon was hidden well.Flavors of vanilla and at the end some smoke.As it warmed to room temp thats whern the bourbon came out, it was hugh but no too overwhelming.

Amber colored brew with no head. Contains a maple syrup flavor (think bourbon without the alcohol) and aroma. One will find little carbonation and a almost flat taste. I expected so much more from this brew. Perhaps I will drive down to the brewery and sample it there to compare.

Dark brown to copper colored, white foam skims acrossed the glass. Aroma of vanillia(for most),boubon and malt. Flavor is sweet and somewhat tart. Body is pretty syrupy. Sweet finish. Not too wild about this one, but I think if you are a fan of JW Lees barrel aged series, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Dark brown/ruby color, tan lacing/head. Very carbonated for the style. The aroma has notes of vinous oak, vanilla, bourbon & macadamia nuts. The flavor is salty with some alcohol and burning apples. Finish is lingering and balanced. Unique but it seems past its prime. Oxidized at best.

Atlanta Gathering: Murky copper hue with small frothy head and some lace. The aroma hints of toasted grains, carmel, toffee, butterscotch, belgian candies, floral hops, and bourbon wood. The taste starts sweet and buttery. The bitter and citric notes shine through during the midsection. The finish is pure barrel aged, vinous and astringent. Complex but lacks a punch I was expecting. The mouthfeel provides depth of character, soft and sticky with an astringent dry side too. Different and unique, but honestly, I hoped for more.

2003 bottle courtesy of belgianhomebrew at the Atlanta gathering. Pours a murky copper brown with a thin off-white head. Rich alcoholic bourbon and caramel malt aroma with some sour oak cherries as well. Body starts bittersweet and tart with nice complexity and bourbon flavor. Finishes dry and tangy with some woodiness and some alcohol. In the end, too much bourbon and not enough barleywine. I think this would benefit greatly from aging a year or two.

Very dark brown with a small head. This is an interesting one. The bourbon aging did some weird things to the barleywine. I'm getting a vanilla bean cheesecake flavor drizzled with caramel. I think the barrel aging changed the flavor, but I'm not really getting a clear-cut whiskey flavor or aroma like in many similar beers.

Cloudy brown, cheese and whiskey aroma. Thinnish body. Rather sour flavors up front, as well as some cherry and other fruityness. OK, not bad. Sampled at Ratebeer Southeastern Gathering, Atlanta, 2004.