Bristol Old No. 23 Barley Wine

Brewed by Bristol Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Colorado Springs, Colorado USA

12oz bottle. Pours murky looking brown with a thin, offwhite head, specks of lace. Smells big and sweet malty with a bit of alcohol and a hint of spicy hops. Slightly fruity. Tastes big and malty sweet, with some alcohol and a touch of hops. Warming alcohol on the finish. Syrupy body, ok carbonation.

2005 bottle, thanks to jjpm74! Cloudy medium/light amber orange pour. Almost no head. Buttery caramel and wet dog on the nose. Earthy and old. Malty. Overripe fruit. Hops have diminished greatly, but this is drinking pretty well.

Bottle in trade from BlackForestCO. Thanks Jake!
Pours a rich, deep opaque maroon with a beige head. Smell is rich, fruity, malt and pretty balanced between hops and malt in the nose. Taste is nutty, pecan like caramel malt and a bit of smooth booze. Light gummy, fruity character. Full mouthfeel, a bit warming and soft carbonation. Pretty tasty barley wine.

Draft. Sweet buttery oakiness. Lots of caramelizatin. Great aroma. I don’t think this was barrel aged.

I poured this 2006 bottle into a snifter and was amazed at the color. Ok, maybe not amazed but definitely surprised. It is a dark ruby red and I am used to barleywines being more orange and lighter in color. I guess that shows how much experience I have with barleywines The head was about a 1/2 inch thick and hangs around as it diminishes. The smell is sweet, luscious and inviting with just a hint of alcohol. The flavor is a little subdued and doesn’t do the smell justice. The mouth-feel is nice and I can’t taste or feel the alcohol in my mouth. I had a 2005 about six months ago and I swear it wasn’t this color. This is a pretty decent barleywine and very drinkable but not my favorite. I’ll put the remaining three down in the cellar and check back next year to see if this has improved. -update 11/05/07 this was almost black in appearance, did it get darker with age? Smells like perfumey hops with a little candy sweetness and chocolate showing up. Tastes like strong barleywine and astringent in the mouth but still has a fullness in the mouth. Still pretty tasty but not something I will be building verticals of. I’ll check back on the lone bottle sometime next year. A;4 S:4 T:4 M:3.5 D:3.5 Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 02-16-2007 01:26:22

(Bottle, courtesy of Kevin) Pours a cloudy amber-brown body with a spare beige head. Aroma of caramel, fruit, toasted malt, and toffee. Flavor of toasted malt, cocoa, rye, fruit, and toffee.

12 oz bottle, 2007, from BeerandBlues2 - thanks Brad! Clear, orange amber with a slight beige head. Nose is maltarded (a phrase coined at RSG08) - lots of sweet, sweet malt with a resiny orange citrus tone and a pinch of alcohol. Very sweet caramel malt flavors, rich and full, light brown sugar and an herbal tone. Silky smooth and rich. A very nice BW - I’m boogered after this! w00t!

Bottle thanks BrianK. Pours a dark ruby brown body with a light head. Aroma is malty, woody, some burnt malt, dark fruit. Flaovr is sweet chocolate malt, some ripe fruit and woodiness. Etoh is very detctable. okay.