Bluegrass Bearded Pats Barleywine Style Ale

Brewed by Bluegrass Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Louisville, Kentucky USA

Pours an absolutely gorgeous red color with a thick slightly off-white head that clings to the glass with every sip. Wonderful appearance. The nose informs me of the high hop levels used in this one and melds with an unexpected caramel smell. Very tasty stuff with loads of bitter hops upfront, a sweet caramel and molasses middle, and a mildly alcoholic finish. A very enjoyable American Barley Wine that makes me feel free and gives me the ability to reenact Dragonforce songs.

In the bottle at my 2006 Barleywine tasting. This was the 2002 vintage. Pours dark amber to light brown with a dark tan-yellowish thick head. Awesome aroma of molasses. Maybe slightly oxidized. Not as thick or sweet as I’d like, but still downright delicious. High, high hop level with a smoked and peaty flavor. Yummy. Aging this worked well.

2003 vintage on tap at bbc. dark amber body with small off white head. aroma roasted fruity malt with a nice bit of hops. sweet roasted malt with some dried fruit notes. bit of a hop backbone. full bodied with mild carbonation. finish bittersweet fruity roasted malt with lots o hoppy goodness. slight warm alcohol presence throughout. solid barley wine....just not much about it that makes it memorable.

Brown with some reddish tinge. Not much of a head. Good aromas of dark fruits and earthy malts. Tastes initially of toasted malts which are complemented by some sharp hop flavors. Also some hints of chocolate and tea. Strong and smooth, with a good balance. This is pretty good, though not as thick as I expected.

Rating 800: Pours ruby red with a very thin head. Smells oakey with some peaches, cherries, cognac and cobwebs. Taste is buttery with some nice fruity notes initially donimating before backing off to let some of the more subtle scotch like qualities take over. Finish is sweet with some mild sherry notes (oxidation creeping in). Very good BW.

Cellared since January of 2002: Pours a deep mahogany ruby with a nicely-lacing, airy tan head. Earthy caramel malt and complex aged dark fruit aroma. Body starts with a nice malty viscosity and good sweetness balanced with some more hoppy bitterness toward the dry, lightly warming finish. Well balanced throughout, but could hide the alcohol a little better. I’d still say this has aged well and is probably better than it was fresh.

3/29/05. Poured out of 12 oz. bottle, obtained in trade from TAR on RateBeer 3/8/05. Soft, ruddy copper-brown in color. Color thins at the edges. Medium-tan head, rocky and uneven, mostly diminishing. Decent lacing-- sticky but blotchy. Nose is a bit metallic-- copper and a touch malty beneath-- not a good sign. Some golden raisin and faint caramel in there. Some English barleywine features with the subtle dried apricot and raisin nose. Taste is much better-- some butter toffee, butterscotch, dark caramel, soft bitterness, really dark dried fruit. Very lightly hazy and softly fizzy finish. "Amber" malt and some medium caramel, really fun shades of dark butterscotch that I keep fighting for. Full body with gentle carbonation thatis barely holding up the beer. It’s barely good any more, but it’s still fairly solid. Faint chocolate and dark, biscuity, bread crust notes in the finish. A bit of sappy residue-- sticky lips and a slight tingle. I like the finish quite a bit, and it tastes pretty interesting. I just wish I could get more (and different) excitement out of the nose. I’d like to try this without such rigorous aging. The metal aroma fades after the first few minutes-- thankfully-- but it still smells and tastes a bit soggy. Like the malt has gone past its peak.

2003 12 oz bottle. Cloudy brown color with a small but dense head. Aroma of rich chocolate immediatly jumps out at you begging for immediate attention. Taste is booming in alcohol quickly mellowed with sweet caramel and toffee. An awesome barleywine. I’d love more.