Clipper City Heavy Seas Below Decks

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle dated 2006, and served in a snifter. This brew poured a brownish amber color with a frothy beige head that slowly faded away. Some sticky lace was left around the glass. The aroma consisted of sweet malts, dark fruits, and some mild hops. The flavor was mellow and not overly sweet like some barley wines. It contained notes of dark fruit, roasted and caramel malts, and also some hoppy bitterness. The mouthfeel was lightly resiny and full-bodied with very low carbonation. This was a decent barley wine, but not top shelf.

Bottle from trade with kmweaver. Thanks Ken! Pours a clear amber color with a small white head. Aroma of hops, caramel and malt. Taste is slightly bitter and fruity. Flavor of fermented fruit, hops and citrus. Gives the impression that it is an IPA as opposed to a barleywine. Has a bitter hop character that can’t be denied. Dry crisp finsih.

Bottle pours brownish amber with a frothy head. The aroma is rich and sweet with the presence of alcohol. The flavor is a bit sweet with a touch of grape, and some oaky richness. Alcohol sits on the roof of the mouth at the finish along with a hint of rich sweetness. A tasty barleywine.

Bottle from Chips in Outer Banks, NC. Come on a 56? The alcohol is here but there is a nice candy malty sweetness here with a decent amount of hops. This is what I would expect for an anniversary beer as it seems kind of mainstay. There is some woodiness here. Its probably worth aging but it seems more like an ale to me, despite the apple-esque maltiness.

A dark amber pour with light white head and lacing. An aroma of dried fruit and a hint of hops. A flavor that is sweet with a decent bitter finish. The abv is well hidden here. A very good middle of the road BW. It doesn’t have the huge hops or the really rich sweetness that you would hope for in a top tier BW, but this son of a gun is pretty good.

This poor beer came at the end of a night of big barleywines (barley wines?) and paid the price of comparison. Clear amber with a small, frothy white head. Moderately sweet caramel aroma with notes of melon, and hops. Medium body. The flavor was slightly sweet with an edge of bitterness from the hops. Nicely balanced. Decent on it’s own merits.

Clear copper appearance with a large off white head and little lacing. Caramel malt aroma, layered with dark fruit and resinous hops. Fruity, malty, decently hopped taste hides the relatively high abv pretty well. Nicely balanced, full bodied, well carbonated mouthfeel with a dry, lingering finish. This is a beer that I have followed from its infancy, when it was first introduced (in a sixtel) at a local beer dinner, through many 4 packs at home, many local sightings on tap, to this last bottle that has reached the twilight of its underrated life. I think balance, and drinkability, was the key that the brewer was looking for in a style that could go over the top in many directions. It was well constructed, fairly complex and affordable. It exemplified the the oft used phrase "think globally, drink locally". Hugh, I salute you.

THOUGHTS: Smells al ot better than it tastes. Boy, I do love barley wines. I might have to switch my favorite syle from imperial stout to barley wine, because even sub-par ones like this are enjoyable to me. Even if it’s just to smell them. Not the best barley wine. I don’t know if laying this one down for a while would help. I don’t see to much potential here. But also way better when warmer. Orangy and hoppy flavors. Also much better on the second one. After the second I thought that maybe there was some potential there. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark, orange red with a small, off-white head that mostly diminished and left fair lacing. The aroma was moderate to heavy caramel malt, orange and either toffee or butterscotch a bit of alcohol and maybe some apple and cherry. The initial flavor was lightly to moderately sweet and moderately bitter, while the finish was moderately sweet heavily bitter and sort of salty. The body was medium to full and dry with fizzy carbonation and a metallic and lightly alcoholic finish.