Clipper City Heavy Seas Below Decks

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

I feel that this beer is very much underrated. The nose is dark malts and fruits, maybe brandy-esque. The mouth feel is thicker than the other Heavy Seas brews, even the Peg-Leg Stout. The pour is dark red/orange, with a 1 finger head that disspates and leaves good lacing. The flavor has a little chocolate, hops, malts, and alcohol. The alcohol is prevalent, but doesn’t kill it. Overall an enjoyable beer, but for a meal or a novelty.

Partly cloudy orange copper body with a very small head. Nose is shy. Pancakes topped with sticky caramel, hard candies and butterscotch. Thick sticky body. Alcohol apparent but under control. No surprise so far. The beer is generously hopped and helps it to be more than a below average barley wine. The generous hopping keeps its head above water, despite it being Below Decks.

Hazy amber. Small fizzy, soda like head disappears quickly. Aroma of lemon cola alcohol. Flavor of rich malt, red twizzlers, cotton candy, and some bitter, resinous hops. Full body, syrupy, moderate carbonation. Strange nose, flavor is a better, but too sweet.

Pours deep copper color w/ small head. Some malt in the nose with a little chocolate and wine. Thick and malty taste with some nice hops, smooth. Almost chewy, not too bad a shot at a barleywine. 06 bottle courtesy Durhambeer. Caramel colored pour with a thin tan head. Smooth toffee caramel body with a hop bitterness sneaking through even after three years. Toffee and citrus hop aroma age has really made this a nice brew.

My Bottom Line:
A caramelized fruit salad is lathered upon proud resinous hops in this balanced and introspective Barley Wine.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam covers the (nearly?) clear reddish copper.
-The resinous hoppiness offers both flavor and bitterness, and lingers nicely.
-Citrusy fruitiness emerges from the hops too, but not distinctly.
-The lively carbonation works with the rotund body.
-Cereal sweetness adds complexity to the malty side of things.

Bottle; 2006 vintage.

Rated 5/26/07: A satisfying drink to say the least, I was impressed. 10% ABV, I’m guessing this is a recent batch. Malty aroma real sweet and syrupy with some dark cherries and brandy. Dark copper color with a reddish tint. Thin soapy head and filmy lacing, good legs. Heavy bodied and drinkable, this is a real filling brew. The alcohol is noticeable but not offsetting in any way. Heavy sweet malts dominate coupled with dark fruit flavors along with a mild bitterness. Rich and hearty but not too powerful, this is good.

12 oz bottle. Deep brown beer, thin white head that fades quickly. The aroma is subtle with light caramelly malt, light earthiness and a bit of toast. Toffee and brown sugar flavours with earthy hops and a touch of cherry. The body is quite thin though. There is a decent balance of flavours here, there just needs to be more of them. Warming brings out a vineous note in the malts. A little bit of oxidation that isn’t unpleasant. Nice enough, but it doesn’t compare to better examples.

2006 Release Appearance: Pours a reddish-brown body with a thin, bone white head. Smell: Unappealing, ultra thin aroma of caramelized sugar and little more. Taste: A thin, sweet flavor leaves the taste a bit wanting, though there are some unmistakable banana esters in the mix and a downright peppery finish. The 10% ABV can be a bit glaring at times. Clearly, this is a rather off-beat barleywine. Mouthfeel: A dreary, medium-thin body that lacks any of the substance regularly found in other barleywines. Drinkability: By no means an exceptional beer, or even one that is complex or distinguishing. Just a vague sweetness and some alcohol.