Big Sky Olde Bluehair Barleywine

Brewed by Big Sky Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Missoula, Montana USA

Sampled on 7/15/06 at the RBSG ’06 Grand Tasting courtesy of BückDich: Pours a clear copper mahogany with a big, well-lacing light tan head. Sweet caramel toffee and mild bourbon oak aroma has some fruity tartness. Body starts with lots of fizzy carbonation, caramel sweetness and plenty of warming alcohol in the finish. Needs some more balance and age.

A hazy dark amber beer with an orange head. The aroma is sweet hoppy combined with notes of alcohol and prunes. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of caramel and quite a lot of hops as well as some grapefruit. The alcohol gives a slight burn.

RBSG 2006 - DC Grand Tasting Lineup Amber, hazy, nice sticky head and lacing. Nose of light bourbon, some spice and a sweet malt and hopping note. The flavor is rich, nice subtle bourbon and oak along with light hop bitterness and creamy malt sweetness. Nice barleywine.

Sampled at RBSG 2006- Grand Tasting. Amber beer with a beautiful thick beige head. Definite aroma of horhound candy. This has heat and the burn is so nice down the gullet. I discern a considerable amount of tartness from this beer. pretty good stuff here.

(RBSG06, 1L bottle) Cloudy copper body with medium beige head, good retention. Aroma is moderately sweet, grapefruit, some caramel, plum. Taste is moderately sweet, grapefruit, lemon, caramel, some alcohol. Medium body, light acidity.

Bottle at RBSG 2006. Ruddy amber body. Nose is almost like sour milk or yogurt with fruit notes, caramel, hops and faint pine. Taste is is sweet malts, caramel, hops, fruit notes and a touch of alcohol. Body is medium-full with moderate carbonation. Finishes with more sweet maltiness, fruits, lighter hops, and caramel.

Bottle at RBSG ’06. Cloudy dark amber color with a good sized beige head. Mild bourbon aroma with some sweet caramel malt. Flavor was sweet malt, caramel and light bourbon. Warming alcohol finish. Not overly complex but still pretty decent.

Hazy red brown body with a yellowish head. Some hop aroma that seems to have a ittle age on it. Fairly mellow and light bodied for style. Caramel malt. It burns a bit going down.