Carolina Old 392 Barleywine Style Ale

Brewed by Carolina Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Holly Springs, North Carolina USA

Bottle from Styles. Clear, medium amber colored with a slight off-white head which fades quickly. Some lacing. Modest caramel, floral hops. Medium bodied with a modest carbonation level. Flavors tend to run along the lines of the aroma. Decent BW.

This one pours deep copper with aroma of caramel malt, big hops, citrus and tropical fruit. The hopcitric elements overshadow the tropical fruit elements, but I was impressed by the balance and intensity of this one. In another life, this one could indeed be called an IIPA. However you choose to categorize it, it is very good.

Bottle: Courtesy of Styles. Citrus hops dominate the aroma with some hints of caramel. Pours a mostly transparent reddish-orange with some light haze. Insignificant off-white head quickly fades to a ring around the edges of the glass. Sugary sweet caramel up front with lots of sweet citrus as well. Finish comes on quick with lots of grapefruit hoppiness and hints of pine.

Pours a honey color, with a sticky tan head. Nose is very malty with hints of hops and little caramelesque sweetness. Flavor is thick and rich almost more of a subdued double ipa. Alcohol is very present and warming. But to be nice this is a barley wine I can drink.

Carolina Seasonal on the label, with the actual information etched over it...dripped from bottle into an Urthel chalice, it’s a lovely thing. Clear, bright crimson, with a solid 1/2 " of off-white foam. Deep, fruity nose, berry and grape, rich and sublime, resembling cognac at times, cabernet at others. Taste: Big, bold, thick, powerful, a killer on the palate, slipping sweet malty goodness all over the mouth. Big...I lost my train of thought, but I can assure you that the urge to employ that adjective will come up again and again,... it’s getting mellower now, but the strength of it’s character remains large and in charge...bright fruit, palpable texture, full body, long, slick fruity finish. Very tasty, with the alcohol more evident further in, but it’s warming and welcome in the chill of December....a nice nightcap, for sure...A very individualistic barleywine, not quite like any I’ve tried before. And very fresh, consumed less than two weeks from bottling! Wonder what some age would do to it? That’s a question for another day, and another quest, as well, but for the time being, I have about1 1/2 ounces left in my glass, and will slowly savor them, before toddling off to slumber. Goodness, it’s a good ’un...popping the cap couldn’t have happened to a nicer state! Cheers, North Carolina!

12oz bottle via trade with jonathan3584 - Thanks Jonathan - Pours a nice copper color with a brief tan head. Aroma is of caramel, slight pine and grapefruit. Flavor is that same caramel background but also a stronger than the aroma presence of those grapefruit and pine notes. Nice and sweet but slightly bitter on the finish, but not overly so. Palate is medium bodied with not much carbonation and the alcohol is completely covered. Very smooth and drinkable. Glad that cap got popped in NC... Nice to taste some high gravity brews from there.

Bottle courtesy of Argo. Glowing reddish copper with a thick off-white head. Very nice aroma of hoppy pine with tropical fruits. Flavor has a strong emphasis on the hops with notes of grapefruit, pine, resin, mango/papaya and some cherry too. On the malt side, there is some caramel/toasted malt in there. Pleasantly sweet with a lingering, not overly bitter hoppy finish. Medium bodied with subtle carbonation - it’s too light for this style, needs more heft. To me, this is a cross between what would be considered on this site as an American Strong Ale and an Imperial IPA. It doesn’t have the malt complexity of other barleywines but as previously stated this one is geared towards the hops - which is not a problem with me. Quite enjoyable, I’d like to see how this one ages. I’m looking forward to more big beers coming out of NC.

Draught at 42nd St Oyster Bar in Raleigh, NC. Clear orange color with creamy off white head. Big flowery hop aroma that comes out again in the flavor. Accompanied by cotton candy, alcohol, citrus, and caramel flavors. Very well done.