Clipper City Heavy Seas Below Decks

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

12 oz bottle, 2006 Vintage, via puzzl. Pours a clear dark copper under a small fizzy beige head that faded to a partial covering. Moderate visible carbonation. Malt forward nose with very light hops. Some grapey notes, brown sugar, vanilla, and light alcohol. Flavor is sweet brown and candi sugars with caramel malt. Finishes with noticable alcohol, minimal bitterness and light vanilla. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a slightly sticky sugary mouthcoating finish. Pretty warming alcohol. Overall, a decent English style Barley Wine. Not a whole lot of complexity, but a pretty easy drinker.

2005 Bottling. Poured medium orange with a short-lived white head (body looked darker due to rather thick sediment suspended in there). The aroma picked up a sweeter blend of light and darker fruits with caramel and a show of power from the alcohol.. some herbal and floral hop notes present, but the malt dominates. The flavor added candy-like sweetness to the caramel and fruits, and maintained its alcohol force (remained complimentary for the most part, and kudos for that).. sweet, warm, longer finish. Heavier-bodied and syrupy on the front.. more grainy with adequate carbonation on the back.. a little odd bitterness lingers on the finish. Overall a solid brew

Pretty sweet taste and nose coming odd a dark pour with frothy golden-brown head. Enjoyable because of the alcohol percentage but it is a definite first attempt by this brewer at a barley wine.

KSBF07. Pour was full ruby-brown, nice head and lacing. The aroma was rich malts, cedar type notes, toffee and caramel. The flavor was rich caramel and darker malts with toffee, cedar, vanilla, and roasted earthy hoppy finish. The hops on this thing were very balancing and enjoyable. Was surprised to see this rated so meh. Good stuff, CC!

Bottle. Pours a cloudy light brown with light head. Aroma is nice, malty with a pine/juniper-ish background. Taste is very smooth, almost nutty caramel with a soft and nice hoppiness. Nice effort.

12 0z bottle via Mys Swap 2.0 (thanks shp555!). Been storing this one for a few months, about 6 i think, and she keeps calling out to me, and resistance is futile so here goes! Pours a clear but dark copper with a large beige head. Nose is different for a barleywine..mostly vanilla and roasted grains. Taste is also quite unique...it tastes like a cross between a porter, a strong ale, and a barleywine. It is biscuity, with toffee, toasty, roasty grains, some nuttiness, chocolate, ginger, dark currants, cantelop melon, and some pine, orange-peel, and earthy hops. I swear just about everything i have ever tasted in a beer is in this one...just missing some coffee lol! ABV is well-hidden for 11% (bottle says 10% though so maybe the description here is incorrect or outdated). Body is medium/full, carbonation is moderate. Not sure why this is rated so low...unless it is too much for most people? Well whatever, it isn’t worldclass by any stretch, but it is a damn good beer.Much better than 9.5% for style, as I have had MANY barleywines that were MUCH worse than this.

bottle. Pours a hazy reddish brown body with nice head. Aroma is faint and weak, sweet malt. Flavor is sweet malt, brown sugar, and a light hop profile. Too weak at first, light mouthfeel. Alcohol was not present.

Pours a dark amber/brown color with little to no light beige head. Aroma of heavy malts, vanilla, slight pine hops with a spice accent. Flavour is of hops, malts and hard vanillas. A little harsh, but sorta smooths out a bit. Not as refined as others, but drinkable enough. Besides, I like Clipper City Beer products, this one is not to bad. (Loose Canon is my fave)!