Blue Point Five Old Bastards

Formerly brewed at Blue Point Brewing
Style: Barley Wine
Patchogue, New York USA

this beer just doesn’t do it for me. Had it at the brewery a while back. Was never a fan of the old howling bastard so I was hesitent to try this let alone rate. Dark, warm, and a real head shaker....nakes your head shake! I’l pass on this, but it’s a good barley wine.

Cask at Mug’s. Other people at the bar were raving about this beer, but I just didn’t get it. Maybe it’s because I have never liked the OHB any time I’ve tried it. Hazy amber color with a small beige head. Overly sweet caramel malt aroma and flavor with some dried fruits and lots of alcohol. The cask conditioning did lead to a nice smooth palate.

Cask: nicely balanced blend of barleywines. Sweet, but not syrupy. Heavily hopped, but well-balanced and very smooth. I like their Old Howling Bastard anyway, but this one has a really nice quality to it - maybe its the earthiness or the extra flavor from the bourbon barrels...I’d drink this much more frequently if I could.

Cask at Long Island Real Ale Festival - light amber with minimal carbonation (cask, duh) - rich caramel malt aroma, with hints of smokiness and a light alcohol/bourbon character from the barrels - the peat smoked malt from recent vintages really comes through, dispite the blending and barrel aging - very smooth - the bourbon barrels lend a nice, gentle vanilla character to the beer - just a touch of hops way in the back (probably from the more recent vintages) give a slight, herbal spiciness - quite nice.