 Ansset13 (119), Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
Mar 1, 2008
The pour is a hazy amber with a small white head. The nose is astringent, and not very complex. The flavor while not unpleasant is rather thin and not complex either. a fair barley wine but not typical of its style.
hellbilly (732), scottsdale über alles, Arizona, USA
Jul 3, 2008 bottle from ol’ reliable... thanks ucusty. pours a brilliant clear rich copper color with a soft toasted almond head. some slug rings of lacing are left on the glass in a horizontal pattern. caramel, sweet grain, berries, orange peel and light piney hops on the nose. the flavor is... strange. balanced but somehow not... light earthy spicy hops, tart fruit, orange and malty caramel-y grains with a dry hoppy finish. malt sticks around in the aftertaste. full bodied and very slick but not sticky. very quaffable though i’d have trouble drinking another. strange... not very complex but the least sugary sweet BW i’ve had to date...
alexsdad06 (535), Ohio, USA
Jul 3, 2008 12 oz. bottle (2007). Pours a clear copper color with a smaller beige head. Aroma consists of citrus hops, sweet caramel malt, slight vinous quality, and alcohol. I am a bit disappointed in this one: citrus hops, caramel malt, maybe apricots, acid, and alcohol. These are not mixing well together. I wonder what more age would do for this? A bit on the sticky side. I am on record as being disappointed.
Underhook (56), Lincoln Park, New Jersey, USA
Jun 28, 2008 This caught my eye from the tag in Shoprite Liquors that said "last of the batch" or some nonsense like that. It was a discount- $8 per six pack, so I had no excuse not to try it. Have to admit, this was my first Barley Wine. Very good, reminded me of a wine/beer combo. I’m not a fan of wine, so here’s my beer critic review. Pours medium brown, nutty caramel color. Enticing appearance. Very fruity, beer-ish aroma- delicious nose. Apricot, plum, dark cherries. Tastes like a flat beer with maximum dryness- lots of malt, fruitiness in the taste. Feels good on the mouth, smooth and silky. Not thick, but no watery presence- refreshing on the palate. Very enjoyable, but hard to drink. I enjoyed it a lot, and this is far from my ideal beer. " Two thumbs up. "
502Flavors (135), Kentucky, USA
Jun 28, 2008 12 oz bottle into sniffer. Pours a rich amber red with a big barely off-white head, lighter and clearer than I would expect - it also had a thinner pour than expected for the abv. and the style. This stuff smells great: citrus juicyness, chewy malty sweetness, caramel, honey, apricots, and a trace of alcohol. Flavor isn’t as complex and exhibits a much stronger alcohol flavor (though still not too too bad for 10.8 abv.). The alcohol sort of outweighs everything with a sort of watery fruity backbone. It is very strange for a barley wine - the same goes for its feel on my palate. It is very very thin for its abv and its style - little to no carbonation and smooth. but alcohol warms and punches the stomach. Overall: this is a crazy unique brew that seems a bit out of balance, like it needs a lot more heavy malt and maybe some age; worth a try but I don’t think I could have more than 1 at a time. It did seem to get a bit more bearable as it warms.
zappafan99 (179), Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
Jun 26, 2008 Over the top, and yet under the bigtop...Malt and abv nose. I see, you tried to hide the virgin blood under the hops...ohhh so clever. Alcohol burn is uneven with the malt and hops mix. Low class, hyper beer production. My ass is already taking precautions for the crap this brew will put me through. Hour on a toilet alone. For shame...
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