De Molen Lang & Kaal (Tall and Bald)

Brewed by Brouwerij de Molen
Style: Barley Wine
Bodegraven, Netherlands

Thanks Patrik! Hazy dark amber. Crazy aroma - lots of wood, complex cognac that is deeply vinous, sultanas...gorgeous. Very sweet, syrupy, but very soft. Sultana palate with almost rummy cognac notes. It’s a little bit stiff in the finish, but remains soft, balanced and complex. Rich brown sugars - might be the most complex of the superheavyweight sipping beers. Indeed, this category has come a long way since SA Triple Bock - we are seeing real creativity and quality these days. Fantastic stuff.

Bottled at Monk’s Café Sveavägen, Stockholm. Murky amber, more or less no head. Woody caramel aroma. Sweet and soft, totally full bodied. Spun sugar and caramel together with woody cognac. The softness lifts the beer to it’s full potential. Alcohol is evident, but works as a dimension adding flavour enhancer. A vinous wonderful sipper with peppery bitterness that keeps growing. As it warms dimension after dimension appears. Cheers Jens!

Bottle at Ølbaren, thanks to Jens for sharing. Hazy orange redd coloured with a small (almost no) head. Sweet and vinous aroma of caramel, dried fruits, sherry, oak and vanilla. Sweet and vinous flavour of oak, vanilla, sherry and dried fruits with notes of alcohhol. Warming finish of alcohol and dried fruits.

Bottle from De Bierkoning. Pours almost without any head and a deep red copper colour. Wonderful vanilla oak and raisins aroma. Sweet flavours, some raisins, marcipane, nuts, slightly drier towards the finish. Like a great vintage port. Sirupy and full-bodied. Just loving it.

Bottle from Ølbutikken. Very sweet balrey wine, dry oaky finish. Liquorice, brandy, dried fruit. ;ore a digestive than a beer, but outstanding.

½½Bottle @ Ølbaren. Thanks Jens and Jesper. Cloudy burgundy with no head. Aroma had port, roasted malt, cognac and caramel notes. Flavour was and quite and had notes of roasted malt, caramel, port and dark overripe fruits. Finished with warming alcohol and sweet dark fruity notes. notes.

Bottle at Alvinne pre-ZBF09. Good apricot, dried fruit aroma. Cloudy orange colour. Good vanilla flavour. probably from the oak chips. Very fruity and sweet, but balanced by a solid amount of alcohol. Syrupy mouthfeel, but that works well with the low carbonation and the high alcohol content.

Thanks to Jens for sharing at the RBSG 2009. Very sweet tasting with a scant amount of carbonation, I enjoyed drinking this beer. As others noted, it’s a sipper, thick, complex and not for the feint of heart.