Brimstone Big Ale

Formerly brewed at Wild Goose LLC (Flying Dog)
Style: Barley Wine
Frederick, Maryland USA

[Bottled 10/98] Poured a murky red color with a small light tan head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of oxidized sherry, brown sugar, dark fruits, and a bit of vanilla. Taste of tart cherries, wood, caramel malts, some cardboard, and strong alcohol in the finish. Lively mouthfeel.

Thanks to hopdog for sharing this. Pours a milky amber/brown with a small bubbly off white head. Aroma of molasses, dark fruits, cherry skins, cardboard, mixed fruits, toffee and some vanilla. Flavor of dark fruits, sweet tarts, green apples, lots of tingly carbonation, kind of tart and some toffee.

Bottled October 1999; Sampled February 2008
A vigorous pour produces a scant, quarter-finger thick, frothy, tan colored head. The beer is a brilliantly clear, light cranberry color when held up to the light, but is otherwise a dark amber hue. Aromas of aged malt, sherry, a slight woodiness, intense berry aromas and even some cherry are all quite noticeable. The aroma, while clearly aged is quite agreeable and makes me think of a fruit spiked sherry. This really has a vibrant fruit character to it right now. I am really digging the aged character of this brew right now, the mix of sherry and fruit is certainly interesting and even a bit unexpected.

Lightly sweet flavors meld with a fairly substantial body here; this is clearly a sipping brew. The alcohol is quite well hidden at this point. The malt has aged into a chewy, almost meaty / brothy quality (think umami) that adds a richness to this brew. Slight flavors of sherry, perhaps a touch of wet cardboard (more so in the finish), a husk-like grain character and a definite nuttiness are all part of the aged character of this brew. The fruitiness is not nearly as intense as it was in the aroma. The upfront sweetness is actually fairly fleeting, really this has a rich brothiness to it and even a touch of tartness towards the middle and end. A light carbonation is still quite present and provides a mellow offset to the rich body of this brew.

This is clearly still well within the suggested best by date of ten years. This has held up fairly well and is definitely worth the experience; this will remain quite drinkable for many years to come, though I am not certain it will get any better, just different.

October 1998 12 oz bottle courtesy of Degarth. The label states that it improves with age up to 10yrs. Year nine is being sampled with the cap coming off with a solid ‘pop’ and instant odor of red grapes, red wine and olives. It pours a cloudy brown with dull orange edges and big frothy tan head that lasted a couple of minutes. Big “in your face” aroma with red wine, red and black grapes, olives, over ripe red delicious apples, a bit of yeast and behind that is a faint barleywine dark fruitiness. The above average carbonation allows the flavors to light up the taste buds initially with HID arc brilliance illuminating red wine, red grapes, olives, raisin, dates and apple flavor notes. It becomes more tart beyond midway and into the finish along with some oxidation. Body seemed a tad thin.

October 1999 Bottle Shared with WeeHeavySD. Pour a murky brown with jsut a fe bubles. Nose is very sweet and fruity. The flavor is a mixed bag, slightly fruity, lots of alchol and some "off flavors" the finish was actually a bit minty. At first I thought I’d drain pour it, but it turned into something somewhat drinkable.

Bottle. Looked fine. The aroma was pretty rotten. The flavor had some spice and then more rotten stuff. Big body, rotten finish...something went way south on this bottle.

October 1999 Bottle Shared with bikesandbeer. Pours dark brown but see throuh with a island of head thin also. Nose is nice very nice with dried fruits. Taste is a little thin and high on the alcohol. There are some nice notes in here, only here and there. Overall not so amazing but wasn’t expecting much.

Bottle courtesy of Slob. Pours brownish red with no discernable head. Smells of molasses, caramel, sugar, some dark fruit, woody. Tastes dry and fusel with a ton of sugary hints. Way over the top.