Clipper City Heavy Seas Below Decks

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

Pours a clear reddish-brown color with a very thin off-white head. Lightly spicy malt aroma, slightly peppery and slightly solventy. Palate a bit thin for a 10% brew. Taste has a bit of hops and spice to begin. The finish is slightly warm and has a bit of a harsh solvent and hop mix that is a bit unpleasant. Could use its edges smoothed out.

(Bottle (2006) from <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/maine/boothbay/ target=blank>1828 Vintage House) Seemed flat and one-dimensional...Pours dark crimson-y brown with a very small biege head. Aroma is candy malt sweetness with maybe a little piney hoppiness. Mouthfeel is kind of heavy but feels pretty flat and syrupy. Lightly carbonated feel and a little sticky in finish. No lacing but leaves syrupy appearance on inside of glass. Flavor is pretty much just candyish malt. Sweet but not overpowering. Some alcohol burn. Touch of piney bitterness, esp. in finish. Not terrible but feels kind of incomplete with little complexity for style.

Bottle drunk 5/28. Clear amber color with small lacing type head. Aroma is malty and sweet. The flavor is sweet with nice roasted malt coming through. Some brown sugar note as it warms. Big and sticky. I think this beer is underrated.

2006 12 oz bottle; Nose of prunes, caramel malts, and dirt; Cherry colored with a medium beige head; flavor of alcohol, dark fruitiness, and a bit of hop bitterness, but that is overwhelmed by the alcoholic finish!

12 oz bottle from slob, thanks dude! Pours a deep orangey-red amber color with a small, creamy beige head that leaves a little lace. Sweet toasty malts, marshmallowish, a little fruity with flral hops, dust, earth and medium brown tea. Flavor of toasy malts, just ripe fruits, lots of floral hops with a nice citrus character, alcohol warmth and pepper in the finish. Medium body and gentle carbonation. Bert, thanks for the opportunity to rate this one.

Date: October 17, 2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Roadtrip
Appearance: clear dark red, whispy beige head
Aroma: sweet carmel malt aroma with earthy hop aroma
Flavor: rich carmel malt flavor, lots of earthy hops to balance
Overall: a clasic barley wine but lacking any destinctive character of its own

Date: January 07, 2008
Mode: draft
Source: trappeze
Score: 2.9 to 3.4
Appearance: hazy dark red, big frothy beige head, lots of drippy paterened lace
Aroma: sweet dark candy caramel aroma with earthy hops
Flavor: sweet caramel malt flavor, big fruity candy character

Date: November 17, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: brick store
Vintage: 2006
deep dark ripe fruits are emerging to make this a wonderful beer, sweet brown sugar, aging with the best of them,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: *** /4

This Barley Wine pours a deep orange color from a 12oz bottle. Medium sized white foamy head. Aroma is malty, hoppy and sweet. A medium bodied Barley Wine. Malts are fruity, caramel and sweet. Touch of melon. Hops are earthy and floral, assertive without being over the top. The hops and malts balance fairly well; still it’s a little more malty than hoppy. It does an excellent job of hiding the 11% alcohol. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Pours a four finger light tan head that fades slowly leaving some lace. Nice clear amber/mahogany color. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Sweet woody, maybe caramel nose. Flavor has some caramel with hints of the higher ABV then noticeable alcohol finish. $2.20 for a 12oz bottle from Tully’s Beer and Wine Wells, ME. Label has ABV at 10%.