Bos Vintage Ale

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

On Tap. A good Barley Wine which may have been better if cellared for one or two more years. Too sweet and candy like for me. Finishes sticky, chewy, and thick.

On tap at HDG. Hazy dark amber color with a small off white head. Sweet, fruity aroma with tons of dark dried fruits, brown sugar, mild bourbon and vanilla. Flavor was quite sweet and somewhat cloying. Notes of dried prunes, molasses, mild smoke, light bourbon and honey. Alcohol was warming on the finish, but would never guess the % was over 12%. I could probably only drink this beer in 4oz. portions, but I did enjoy it.

Update- 2003 Vintage. Overall 3.3. Sweet vinous, wood earth plum and fruity esters. Looks woody brown but stilll and almsot no carbonation. Some grapeskin, cardboardy oxidation, soy sauce and some sherry hints with more plummy esters. Salty oxidation mouthfeel with more soy wet paper and mostly boozy- hot alcohol most of the way through. Too old and hot- 2004 must have been better and not as oxidized. 4 oz serving at HDG. 2004 vintage. 3.7 overall. Pours a bright hazy amber with a thin head to begin with, but fades to nothing. Aroma is thcikly sweet, with tons of fruit, caramel, bourbon, corn sugar, dark molasses and some light alcohol. The alcohol in the flavor was actually qwuite concealed and not as prevalent as expected. This is most likely fromt he huge amounts of sweet malts and sugar to cover it up. It is extremely cloying to me and hard to drink, yet at the same time kind of enjoyable in the small amount that I had. Lots of sugary fruity sweetness, toffee, light medicinal notes- cough syrupy, maple syrup, and treacle. Relatively smooth and a full body- coats the mouth well. Goes down smooth with a bit of warming in the end. I wasnt all that into this beer, but it was good for what it was.

2004... Poured a hazy, reddish amber color with no head or lacing. Super sweet, aroma, honey, molasses, raspberries, nuts, vanilla, and smoke. Really reminded me of the Kuhnhenn Rasp Eisbock in the nose. Taste was cloyingly sweet, with caramel malts, molasses, dark fruits, some smoke, and a strong alcohol presence.

Vintage 2004, Draft While not the reason to make a trek for, it sure is hard to resist a try when faced with it. Had to get a goblet full at the HDG.

Jez-us-K-ryest, aroma is strong and at first really gives off that Utopias feel. A pronounced prune alcohol with candied apples, some medicinal aspects, very sugary sweet as well. Taste is not so -shot in the chest- as one would expect. Sweet candy, some alcohol, but very subdued and nothing in the Utopias cheap cognac region. Full and heavy body, low bitterness. Surprisingly drinkable but still a very sweet brew. Color is dark amber with a small but strong head, cannot see through it but has a good amount of translucence.

On tap at the Hop Devil Grill, 2004 version. Deep amber/copper in appearance, a medium off white head. Heavy notes of caramel and fruit in the aroma, malts are somewhat oxidized from the 2 years of aging(not in a bad way). Taste is a heavy, thick malt and fruits- like plums, raisins, etc. The body is extremely full, syrupy on the palate with very faint notes of hop bitterness in the finish. Very well done for a beer at 19 %, a bit over the top for me personally but I really enjoyed the experience of trying this beer.

Tap at Hop Devil Grill. 2004 vintage. Dark brown beer with a thin head and deep ruby highlights. Aroma is really amazing, intense plum, cherry, light peach (surprising for something so dark) over dark malts. Intensely sweet and fruity with touches of oxidation, sherry and toasted almond nuttiness. Slightly hoppy and bitter which helps cut the intense sweetness. A very interesting crisp acidity cuts through the sweetness as well and really accentuate the fruitiness of this barley wine. Peppery and spicy on the finish with light clove, nutmeg and mint. Lovely barleywine... a big surprise is how drinkable and enjoyable this big barleywine is. Elegant brew and one that I’d love to see on tap again.

Tap at HDG Daze of the Devil - hazy reddish copper pour, with a minimal head (just a few large bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass) - cellared, semi-oxidized, almost musty and tart aroma, with some light fruitiness - fairly sweet, but not nearly as much as one would expect from something so strong (see: any DFH beer this strong), which compliments the fruity esters pretty well - the alcohol is not that apparent for the strength, the mouthfeel is smooth, and the body is chewy but not heavy (in other words, much like with the sweetness, it doesn’t have the drawbacks commonly associated with such a big beer) - some brown sugar and a hint of oats and light cookie/dough flavors arrive late - alcohol warmth in the finish, with lingering fruity esters and a slight tartness that is unexpected, but quite pleasant - quite nice, and not just as a curieux.