Big Sky Olde Bluehair Barleywine

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

Consumed at PP’s spring gathering, very heavy candy sugar candy apple flavor. Pours a brownish red. Awesome

750 mL bottle, thanks to tytoanderso. Bottle # 1198/1800. Pours a dark amber with small beige head. The aroma has a bit of an acetone fingernail polish remover note initially, which worries me a bit, but after a few seconds it fades and better scents come through: caramel, toffee, lots of dark fruits, bourbon, vanilla, brown sugar, port. The flavor is extremely fruity and malty at first. Dried apricot, black cherry, sweet chocolate, vanilla, and sticky molasses dominate. Then comes the drying factor, some piney, resinous hops and a rather strong tannic presence. The tannins increase into the finish, where a nice smoky char note kicks in, reminding me that this is bourbon aged. It leaves a rather hot aftertaste reminiscent both of port and bourbon. I’m not a huge barleywine fan, but this one is quite tasty.

Got a 750 of this at By The Bottle in Vancouver, WA. Colour... cloudy, amber. Nose... burnt coconut, turbinado, and dark brown sugar. Palate... Sweeeeeet! With bourbon, coconut, toasted coconut and a bar of Caramello on the side! Lovely! A dessert in a glass:0)

Aroma of sugar coated pecans, almonds, caramel. tastes of brown sugar, pecans, almonds, old hops, wood, vanilla, and sugar cookies. Finishes with wood, toast and a drying sensation. Medium bodied and creamy with high carbonation. Good stuff.

Smell is harsh alcohol, dark brown color, no carbonation, taste is creamy bitter alcohol.

Poured a deep ruby red with a big fluffy eggshell head. Smells like an old ale, veggy hop smell, vanilla, caramel. Taste is very sweet, tastes like a lot of Crystal 20, hot with bourbon and oak and vanilla.

750ml bottle, # 709. Pours a mostly clear deep ruby color with a 2 finger thick beige head, some spotty lacing. Tons of sweet caramel, toffee, bourbon and oak on the nose. Flavors were dominant with big caramel sweetness followed by sweet oak and hints of bourbon. This was a damn good Barley Wine.

Bottle shared by myself at hellbilly’s holiday tasting. Deep amber brown pour with a lasting foamy head. Big malty aroma with some citrus, hops, ripe fruit and alcohol. Flavor is nice and complex as well, unfortunately it is just a bit too sweet to be a great BW. Not bad at all though.