Dark Horse 3 Guy Off the Scale Old Ale

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Marshall, Michigan USA

This beer has an oaky/earthy aroma. It is a sediment filled brown solution with a thin almond colored head. The head dissolves rapidly and leaves a heavy amount of lacing in its wake. This thick beer has a texture resembling syrup. The taste is a mixture of malt, caramel, and wood. A bitter hoppy medicine taste is produced as soon as swallowed.

Murky, cloudy dark reddish brown, no head...Aroma is filled with vanilla and cherries prominently, but other fruits are there as well. I’m really impressed with the fullnuss of the flavor - wow - very chewy, slightly astringent, but overall, this is really great. Perfectly balanced sweetness with the perfect dose of hops.

Bottle sent my way by Pailhead (thanks!) - this is one excellent barelywine - rich aroma of candied fruits (plum, fig, cherry), dough/bread, brown sugar and toffee - nice, low carbonation and oily mouthfeel - hop bitterness throughout helps temper the extreme sweetness of this beer - caramel and dark fruit abound (plum mostly), chocolate, doughy character (like christmas cookies) - lingering hop bitterness in the finish, with some more dough-y flavors hanging around.

Bottle. Poured a ivory small head that mostly diminished, transparent, carbonated, and a reddish brown with some orange peeking through in the hue. Nose was caramel, hoppy, sweet and dark fruits. Flavor was sweet, caramel, hops, and vinuous but not overly so. Tingly palate. Medium body.

Rating #200. On tap at the brewpub. This years batch is at 15% ABV according to the barkeep. Pours amber with a foamy head that quickly fades. Caramel, butterscotch, and toffee lead the way in this thick monster. Finishes with a peanut brittle sweetness and a warming alcohol presence, neither of which overpower. Fantastic. PS. I had to help Rayboy out the door after he tried to commandeer the rest for himself.

Out of a 12 oz. bottle. Reddish amber color with a foamy biege head and a raw grain nose with lots of green hops. Hoppy grapefruit flavors with caramel sweetness. The finish trials off with a bitter grassiness that should mellow with age. Nice beer.

Might be my new favorite barley wine. Great mellow texture, despite the huge alcohol presence. This was aged at least six months, though and it shows. Predominantly chocolate/toffee/dried fruits/dates/and caramel...all swirling around in a sinous sherry-like vinous textured brew. Alcohol ever-present but not overpowering. Just great! Tried bring a growler back for the Oaklawn crew of the LoSBD, but NO amount of coaxing would loosen my bartendress’ grip on the tap handle.

Clear dark cherry brown color with a small tight, firm head. Complex malt aroma. Sweet, alcoholic, and a bit syrupy in the delivery with raisins and caramel dominating the flavor. Some hop bitterness makes a brief appearance as this fades into the finish. This certainly has some potential to improve with some cellar time. A bit young and it shows some harshness which most certainly will fade with time.