Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine

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

Pours a deep orange color. Small bubbly head that dissapates instantly. Smells like malty wine. Tastes of honey and fruit. A very good barley wine because it is not over hopped.

Bottle. Pours a copper/orange color. Smells of malt and alcohol. Tastes more complex. Creamy mouthfeel with a strong flavor of yeast and bread. It is somewhat sweet. Not too much of a hop aroma or flavor. It isn’t really suited to my palate, but who knows, it might be to yours. Only one way to find out!

2004 vintage - 12 oz. bottle via kramer17801 - color of dark translucent honey , with a decent egg shell colored head - nose of malt , red fruit (mostly cherries), slight alcohol , port , molasses , brown sugar , pepper , and hint of cookie – taste of dark red fruit (mostly cherries) , malt , some oats , brown sugar, prunes , and portish - body is smooth, but with a backbone , and with medium carbonation – aftertaste of port , raw cane sugar , and alcohol – at 15% this is the strongest beer I have had so far

Pours a cloudy tan/copper color with a medium sized head and a nice lasting ring of foam. Aroma is promising when compared to what follows in the finish. I get a sense of dates, soured pears and apples, a little caramel and brown sugar, and a lot of alcohol. It’s nice and inviting and highly aromatic. Taste shows some nice sweetness, but it’s fairly simply and caramelly. Some nice raisins and rum in the there and a little earthy, buttery hop flavor. Unfortunately this is freakin HOT. I had this before, but gave it a couple months and nope, it’s still way too hot. I agree with the rater who said it tastes like you just had a vodka shot. The alcohol disrupts the flavor upfront, and burns the throat so you can’t really enjoy anything else the finish offers. I love DFH usually, I mean I rated the 120 and WWS 5’s, just because I enjoyed them so much. But this is totally dissapointing. Why is this twice as hot as the 120 minute? Guh......

Bottle from trade kramer17801. Thanks Jason! Pours a nice dark golden amber color with a small tan head. Aroma of dates, figs and peached. The alcohol is present but very subdued. Taste is sweet initially but nicely balanced out between the malt and hops. Flavor of fermented fruit, caramel and spics. Another great DFH brew.

I had Old Guardian by Stone followed by this. For a $7 12oz bottle I expected an amazing bouquet of thick flavors, making the 15% taste like nothing. I expected a wonderfully thick, sweet treat on my tastebuds. Oh boy was I wrong. This tastes like pure alcohol. The body is of a Dogfish Head: very good. But it tastes like crap. Seriously. Maybe I havn’t acquired a taste for this type of barelywine, but I could barely get it down. I understand making a 15% beer palatable isn’t an easy task, but it tastes like they didn’t even try. If you want a barelywine that is actually drinkable, I suggest Old Horizontal by Victory or Old Guardian by Stone.

Draft. Cider orange in color. No head. Very sweet, grape/raisin hints in aroma. Strong flavoring that washes to back of throat but gives way to sharper, lightly acidic finish on tongue.

Bottle. Beautiful amber color with a pretty minimal head that is now nothing but a little ring of white around the edges. Aromas are really pleasant: oak, pineapple and wet cardboard. Really warm with lots of alcohol present. A little thin mouthfeel for a barleywine. Brandy/scotch like... drink it slow.