Clipper City Heavy Seas Below Decks

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

Pours dark red with off-white head. The nose is somewhat malt and candy. In the mouth it is a little thick and soapy. There is a touch of fruit taste, mixed with malt, syrup, and alcohol. A very rich brew.

Pours a clear brown with an auburn hue topped by a tan film. The aroma isn’t barley wine like. Mainly a simple malt aroma with a light hint of fruityness and some evident yeast. The flavor is malt dominated as well. There’s a sweet plasticy artificial feel throughout the entire experience. Some berryish notes (maybe) and an unenjoyable bitterness which reminds me of old rusty coins. Not such a great barley wine.

this beer is a big no show, it its not a barleywine, its just a strong ale thats not all that strong. Its aight, but kinda watery with few dominant flavors.l just a really malty ale.

2006. brown/amber with a medium sized off-white head. hop and alcohol aroma. a very hoppy one with hints of licorice. not a fan of this style of barleywine. sorry.

English style Barleywines in general have been more of a hit and miss proposition for me than their American style counterparts, nonetheless when a new one shows up on the store shelves, I am pretty much set on trying it; and such was the case when I noticed, and immediately brought home, a 4-pack of Below Decks from clipper city. I chose a Duvel tulip for the primal tasting, and the beer came of amber brown in color, and clear. The head was small at first and disintegrated to a ring of bubbles shortly thereafter. The looks were typical for the style, but that is rarely the point of a Barleywine anyway. The smell was loaded with a plethora of fruits which were hard to characterize into individual types. There was also a salty air about this beer, which was appropriate considering the maritime theme on the label. The taste was punchy and not well melded. There was an odd clash sweet and sharp flavors in each sip with alcohol trying to play a spicy (but unsuccessful) mediator. Thick bodied, but not soft, this seemed to lack a lot of polished qualities at the time of release. I think a couple of years in the cellars will smooth out the rough edges, and bring the favorable qualities more to the forefront. At this time though, this was a little too harsh and aggravating. Pick up if you have some storage space for it to mature.

Pours hearty clear bronze with a soapy light tan head. The aroma has heavy malt and cola light aroma with some spice - possibly ginger or maybe it is just the carbonation playing tricks on me. The aroma is not very hearty for a barleywine. Medium body with some semi-sharp carbonation. Flavor starts with a big malty presence that is fairly thick and sweet with an emphasis on caramel. The finish is quite warm and not hiding any of the 10% strength. there is a resiny feel as well along with some graininess. This is an okay barleywine, but it is quite boring and overpriced. There are much much better.

Bottle. Pours a fairly light amber hue for this style which allows me to see many small floaties dispersed throughout the brew. I tried to stir them up a little, but they didn’t really move. It kind of reminded me of a gel candle. . .anyway, I’m not really expecting anything monumental from Clipper City. I do enjoy their brews as solid, clean, session-type drinks though. The nose on this is quite pleasing, it’s pretty much straight up English style barley wine aromas of bourbon, caramel, a few vinous notes. This is actually more robust than I was anticipating. It delivers a medium-heavy coat on my palate and is rich of dry, pruny flavors. It’s not too sweet, which can be a problem occasionally in this style. The finish is fairly quick for a barley wine, but suggests toasted brown sugar and a slight hint of banana. There’s one strange taste that’s slightly medicinal, like the sweetness in Nyquil, but it doesn’t ruin the beer. The hops are nearly non-existant and the alcohol is buried, this is just about the malts. I was content with this offering, given my expectations of a simple, but well rounded ale.

Below the Decks? --- Almost as good as On the Desk!.... nice quickly dissipating head; smells like vanilla, taste like carmel -- overtones reminiscant of cherries, yet salty in the finish. A drink that stays with you, but not something you could have everyday.