Clipper City Heavy Seas Below Decks

Brewed by Clipper City Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Baltimore, Maryland USA

on tap at kelly’s. pours a clear amber, with little to no head. a not terribly overwhelming smell of caramel malts, berry-like fruitiness, some earthy hops, a rather whiskey-like flavor, and a hint of alcohol. taste is much the same, with a nutty caramel malt dominating, some grape notes, followed by a bit of hops and some bready malt. light but lingering bitter finish, with a thick, chewy, sticky body, but very little carbonation. not a bad offering. it was served a bit on the cold side, and more character came out as it warmed. i’m sure i’ll have this again.

12 oz. Four finger, creamy head atop a beautiful ruby-dark copper beer. Leaves very nice frosting all the way down the glass. Faint dark fruit and grass aroma. Slightly sweet dark fruit, grain, and spicy molasses on the front turns to peppery-raisin, grain, and grass in the middle. Finishes with a nice balance and some chest-warming, but fairly well-hidden alcohol for 11%. Very nice balance on this one. Medium-heavy body is smooth, slightly tingly with alcohol, and just dry enough to make you want more.

1/13/08: Bottle.
Light brown body with little to no head. Small hoppy nose. Hop, malt and alcohol flavor with a sour finish.

(6pk brought back from East Coast by a friend). Somewhat lightly hazy, dark brown in color. Very frothy head. Pours heavy and tall, but does break down fairly quickly. Slight aroma which is clearly on the malty side. Flavor is very nice with traces of raisins and black pepper and warmth in the back of the throat. Hoppy finish but a really odd aftertaste, almost soap-like. When it warms up a bit the soapy flavor severly dimishes, however, the flavors of alcohol are enhanced.

Reddish amber pour, slightly hazy. Thick off-white head that fades slowly into a creamy film. Nice lacing. Aroma and flavor of dark fruit, raisins and figs, black cherries. Big alcohol presence. Fruity and delicious.

12 oz. bottle, bottled in 2005, sampled in a snifter. Yeast sediment is visible in the bottom of the bottle. L: Amber with golden orange hues, beige head of creamy foam, good head retention and small amounts of sticking lace. S: Faint aromas of black licorice, cookie dough and caramel, and even fainter hints of citrus and dark berries. F&T: Syrupy moderate body that has a little roughness in the mouth from the mildly harsh alcohol. Starts off a bit too cloyingly sweet for me, sorta like refined honey poured over a pile of caramelized sugar. That is followed by a sweet fruitiness, strawberries, figs and pears. Finishes with a dry grain breadiness and toasted caramel. The hops are subtly citric before turning mildly spicy. The alcohol provides a low warmth in the palate, becoming more solvent tasting as you near the finale. An o.k. barleywine, nothing special, glad I tried it once, but won’t be returning to in the future.

12oz bottle. Pours a deep, orangey copper with a thick - though shortlived - light tan head. Some lace (though very little) remains on the side of glass as it is consumed. The aroma is thick and sticky with vinous malts, caramel, and some alcohol. There are notes of spice and fruit that cut the aroma so that it isn’t grossly sweet. The flavor starts bittersweet with notes of caramel, fruit, and spice. It is very malty with lots of caramel and notes of toffee, treacle, and molasses. There is a slight hint of licorice in there, too. By the middle of the tongue, the tinge of alcohol grows - and the spice and fruit grow, too. The finish is spicy with a balancing bitterness and a firm alcohol presence. The bitter hops in the back are distinctly earthy and spicy. The mouthfeel is thick and full, but not syrupy. The high alcohol accentuates the tingle on the tongue delivered by the carbon dioxide. The carbonation level is right on for style - low though still far from flat. It carbonated enough to slightly lighten the beer’s texture and make it lively on the walls of the mouth. Overall, a very decent English barley wine - and a strong one, too.

Nice looking pour with a crystal clear amber color and thin off white head. Healthy aroma of caramel, dark fruit candy and hints of alcohol. The flavor is just like the aroma with plum, date and cherry flavored hard candy. Beyond that are mild caramelized malts and caramel candy flavors. Near the end there seems to be a faint toffee note. This could probably use a bit more age.