Bos Vintage Ale

Formerly brewed at Bos Brewery and Bistro
Style: Barley Wine
Pontiac, Michigan USA

This poured a dark red brown color with no head at all. Aroma was sweet sweet maltdark fruits and lots of booze. Flavor was lots of things going on at aonce. Very very sweet and cloying roasted malts, some smoke maybe, alcohol, leather. I cant beleive this stuff is 23%.

On tap at Bo’s still somehow, the only Bo’s beer left. I was told the batch I tried was 23%, WOW! They have a 2 drink minimum on these bad boys. Served in a snifter glass, this one is a dark cherry chocolate color with minimal head. Aroma is a K.O. of alcohol and maltiness. Flavor is super sweet, with dark fruits, toffee, alcohol, brown sugar and bittering hops apparent as well. Palate is thick and syrup-like, and the flavors linger in the mouth well after each sip. Low carbonation. Took me well over an hour to drink this, and though it was pretty good, it isn’t something you could drink too often.

Pauls Tasting. Pours a dark brown murky body with no head. Huge grainy cherry medicinal flavor. Oxidized with a huge alcohol warming. 04 was better than 03 and much better than 02. Thanks for the share Mike!

3 year vertical shared by Miketd. Thanks for the share. Super sweet and liquorlike which was to be expected. 2004 was the best vintage. Noticed a fairly large taste variation between the vintages.

(12oz bottle, vintage 2002, thanks CaptainCougar) Cloudy dark-brown body with no head. Aroma is moderately sweet, chocolate, plum/raisin, Brandy, some banana peel, light soy. Taste is sweet, chocolate, some raisin, Brandy. Alcohol evident but not overpowering. Minimal carbonation in a sticky full body. Yummy sipping beer.

12oz unlabeled bottle, 2002 vintage, courtesy of CaptainCougar. Thanks, Tom Pours a murky, oily, very dark brown color headless with strong legs. Loads of brown sugar and slim jims in the aroma spicy, smoked meats, and caramel quite nice nose, actually. Huge, full mouthfeel: chewy brown sugar, intense maple syrup and smoked meats (slim jims, again spicy and juicy smokiness) definitely a significant show of smoked meats, maple syrup, and brown sugar huge stuff intensely chewy and viscous in the mouth really nice smoked meat and maple syrup character throughout well-aged and well done overall definitely not nearly as much alcohol showing as one would expect. An immensely dense cordial. Lengthy finish: brown sugar, smoked meats, and plenty of oily nuttiness.

2005 Vintage Poured a hazy deep brownish amber with mostly no head. The aroma is pretty sweet with notes of raisins, browned apples, brown sugar and aged malt. The flavor is sweet. Just how I like a barleywine. Nice fruitiness. Full bodied, thick and sticky with surprisingly no alcohol taste but very warming. Also how I like my BWs. Now let’s see what happens when I drink 12oz of 19%ABV. I can’t wait to try my ’02-’04 bottles.

Bottle @ Pre RBSG. Dirty orange pour with no head. Aroma of pungent booze, sweet malt and caramel. Flavors were hot booze, sweet candied fruits and burnt caramel. Thick body, hot and sweet all the way though.