Dark Horse 3 Guy Off the Scale Old Ale

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

Aroma of fruits, not citrus. Flavor is of sweet malt and fruits with some caramel. Nice beer

Bottle, thanks to tjthresh. Aroma of red to dark fruits, notably cherry and plum, graham cracker, mocha, and of course plenty of malt. Flavor rich without being sugary (shockingly), with a sticky fig sort of feel and more of those graham cracker/cake sort of malts. Though I would need to see the lab test to believe this is 15%, however big it is, it is remarkably under control yet still powerful and certainly interesting....rerate ups flavor from 8 to 9, overall from 15 to 17, just great complexity here with so much chocolate, bread, cocoa, mocha, tons of rich notes that again, to emphasize, are never sugary. Quite excellent.

Bottle. Pours a dark brown with barely any head. Aroma of booze, sweet malt, raisin. Flavor is a massive sweet malt bomb with some booze, caramel, and raisin. Very heavy, obviously. It’s alright although I can’t drink much of it. 7/4/7/4/14 (3.6/5)

Got to try a bottle of this courtesy of "hannont". Colour... cloudy amber with no head whatsoever. Nose... caramely, hoppy and sweet. Palate... SWEET! What a complex festival of malt, hops, caramel, chocolate, dark fruits, alcohol and Christmas pudding, all harmoniously fused together towards a gloriously long finish!

Bottle. Pours copper with light cream head. Initial aroma is a blast of dark fruit, caramel, raisins, some chocolate. Taste is more caramel sweetness, raisins, and now we get noticeable alcohol. Certainly not 15% worth though. Some milk chocolate at the very beginning, and even the cherry in the commercial description. Pretty full on the palate, with light bubbliness. Finish has a bit of alcohol, sugar, and raisins. Good stuff

Purchased in July 2008. I remember rating this then, but dunno where the hell my notes are. I think I had it over a 4.0 though, we’ll see how it does a year older. Clear copper with a half finger creamy yellow beige head, fading to a thick ring and thin film. Big ’ol sweet aroma of caramel, raisins, brown sugar, and vanilla behind. As I look at the commercial description, I pretty much get all that--light milk chocolate covered cherries, and some sherry oxidation. Flavor has some hard cherry candy sweetening things up a bit with all the aforementioned jazz. Not a lot of hop presence, though there is some alcohol--not 15% strong, though. Dry finish with bitterness @ a 3. Sounds really damn sweet, which it kinda is, but the alcohol and mild bitterness keep it from getting cloying. Full body with light carbonation. Very good--a little less hoppy than I remember, but holding up very well. Glad I’ve got some more back home!

Bottle acquired via trade with belgiumtripel...thanks Mike!!! Shocking that this beer is 15%!!! Garnet pour with a small eggshell head that diminishes into a whispy film and small tan ring around the inside of the glass. Aroma is dark fruit, molasses, brown sugar, and caramel...flavor is similar. The alcohol is hidden extremely well. Medium mouthfeel. A very good Barley Wine.

12oz bottle. Pours amber with a small ring of white lacing. Aroma is of hops, caramel malt, moderate alcohol, spice, and grass. The aroma is a tad underwhelming, with most of the alcohol content well masked within the other ingredients. Taste is of slightly muted hops in the front. The hops are balanced out by dry, toasty malt. Lots of caramel as well. Lots of spice and sugar to this beer as well. It’s very surprising how well balanced this beer is. Lingering sugary caramel taste. The alcohol is very well hidden and does not hinder the beer, nor make it better. Mouthfeel is light and overly carbonated. Very good warming effect. The finish is where all the booze is at, making it hard to swallow. This beer reminds me of DFH Olde School, since it also is a blander barley wine with way too much alcohol.