Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine

Brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Milton, Delaware USA

Pours a wonderful amber color with a very small amount of white head that quickly retreated leaving a ring around the glass and somewhat spotty lacing. Smell of apricots, figs, oranges, vanilla, and some brown sugar. Taste starts out with orange and apricot, then turns to a more caramel and brown sugar flavor, finishing with some darker fruits of which plum and raison seem to be most noticeable and a hint of piney hops and alcohol warmth at the very end. Mouthfeel is heavy, but seems to be about right with very little carbonation. A very enjoyable drink, but one to be enjoyed in moderation.

12 oz. bottle - hazy amber with thin tan head holding steady; complex nose with alcohol, dates, sugar and malts; lots of alcohol burn going down that just begins to even out; drinks more like a 20% brew and i’ll be keeping my other bottle in the closet for a long time

Bottle: Poured a ruddy orange (like that "burnt umber" crayon when you were a kid) with little head. Mellow aroma of warmed fruit. This is definitely a high gravity beer, but I never have guessed at 15%! Warm with robust rich fruitiness (grape, apricot, plum), this is exceptionally easy to drink, which is scary. Quite dry. (#3254, 12/19/2007)

Fresh 12 oz bottle from 2007. Brownish Red in color with just a little head. Figgish, brandyish, woodish, and oily. Goes down and then the burn comes back up. Truth is that I like the boozy flavor and if you’re drinking this maybe you do too. Can’t wait to age this and see how it evolves.

12 oz, 2007 vintage. Clear, copper with maybe a hint of red, and a small head that sorta lasts. Aroma of dates, brandy and sweet red wine notes. Tastes of figs-in-brandy cough syrup, dry-spicy wood, flowers, slight citrus, cream and cherries. Medium-heavy body is oily and kinda creamy-smooth, with some alcohol and maybe a little hop tingle. Gets better halfway through.

Pours a hazy, coppery-amber color with a yellowish, fairly small, pillowy head; mostly diminishing and leaving sticky lace. Nose is sweet and potent with some hop presence; notes of candied apricots, maple, brown sugar, caramelized raisins, light vanilla, and spicy alcohol. Flavor is equally as sweet and warm with more fruit and the dates and figs making a presence; notes of peaches, light dates, figs, maple, and corn syrup. Palate is medium, lightly syrupy, and soft to lively and dare is say, warm. Finishes with some citrus hops, finally, but still the low bitterness is masked by the warmth and the intense sweetness of the corn syrup, maple, and caramelized pomme fruits lingering. It is a nice, bold, over-the-top, sweet-bomb with plenty of complexities but it could certainly benefit from some aging. A good, malt-forward, high ABV BW, but the true character of this one won’t be known without some time in the cellar.

Bottle, #335 Brown pour with a decent head. Aroma of alcohol and dark fruits. Flavor of fruits follows. Great brew, but not the best barley wine.

12 ounce bottle from BeerandBlues2
Pours hazy copper with a foamy tan head.
Big fruity nose. Lots of berries and plenty of alcohol.
There’s a lot of alcohol burn here, but the fruit, bready malt, and hops fight through nicely.
Heavy palate. Sweet. High Carbonation.
A man’s beer.