 Beerlando (1271), Orlando, Florida, USA
May 14, 2008
Pours a cloudy, dark, reddish-amber color. A foamy, cream colored head settles to a wispy film with a pronounced edge. Random flares of lacing jut out from the body. Aromas include rich, buttery toffee, caramel, loads of vanilla, baked cinnamon apples, and surprisingly potent, spicy floral hops. It smells alot like a freshly baked apple pie, save for the hoppy notes. Flavors are quite rich, with caramel and toffee sweetness hitting up front. Immediately, floral and citrus hops rush in, complete with a serious spicy kick, to balance things out. Orchard fruits and cinnamon are present again, though they aren’t as prominent as they are in the nose. The hops really take over on the finish, imparting a bitterness that lingers for ages. The body is moderately carbonated and fairly smooth, though there is a good deal of alcoholic heat that burns on the way down. Overall, this is a very solid barley wine. It’s a little rough around the edges, but it makes up for that in other areas.
jake65 (1247), Meridian, Idaho, USA
Sep 1, 2008 Bottle: Deep amber pour with a thick & creamy beige head. Creamy sheets of lacing. Fruity and caramel in the nose, also a bit sweet and bready. Tastes malty with some vinous fruit. Sugary and sweet, some light citrus bitters. Then it seems as if the tail is more of a floral bitter. Standard transition as it warmed, very drinkable. Thanks pepsican.
Sammy (3073), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Aug 20, 2008 A well-crafted barleywine, a little helpful cellaring by Derek. Good barleywine aroma. Ruby with lace. The taste is dry and woody, particularly so in the finish. A touch of bourbon, a touch of chocolate. Does not seem like 10%. Satisfying above-average barlywine.
grimreeser (688), Minnesota, USA
Aug 16, 2008 Pours a darkish amber with a tan head. Aroma is caramel and a lot of alcohol. Flavor is very sweet with an alcohol bite.
madcow75 (412), Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, USA
Aug 6, 2008 Bottle. Pours coppe with a very thin white head. Big aroma, lots of dark fruit, sugar, caramel, hops. Taste is more of the same, somewhat sweeter than I normally like, but this isn’t bad. Sugar, dark fruit, bready malt and hops. Full bodied and noticable alcohol. I like it, but probably better served in the winter.
JCB (1012), Durham, North Carolina, USA
Aug 4, 2008 12oz bottle from tytoanderso - thanks, Santa! I didn’t know if I was in the mood for a barleywine but figured I’d try this one out. Boy, it was a pleasant surprise. A nice crisp pour, amber color and a slighly cloud, well carbonated body. Strong fruity hops in the aroma, and there’s definitely some bite in the initial sips. Malty sweetness emerges fairly quickly but there’s nothing cloying about it. What’s stronger is the bready, biscuity middle of the body. It’s really very nice. The finish is a bit murky, but it can’t spoil a fine barleywine. I’m impressed with my first beer from Central Waters.
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