Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine

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

DFH’s best beer, and appropriately in arguably the most extreme style, generally speaking. (The one guaranteed to knock you on your ass, anyway.) Extreme amounts of hops are needed for this kind of flavor, yes? More bitter than an I2PA. I love this style, but it’s the most extreme beer drinking there is, so it’s a rare event. Thick, syrupy, and thick, and bitter, and hard, and heavy, and thick.

And with that, I’m off to beddy bye.

This is a sipper,strong alcohol and malty,sweet and thick.This is not a bad barleywine but a little syrupy.

bottled 1/2003, tasted 1/26/07 Hazy copper-gold with thin fizzy head that almost immediately fades. Aromas of alcohol and pine wood, light smoke. Sweet candy malt, brown sugar under a tang of mildly cloying hops. Bitterness is light compared to the brown sugar and malt. Finish is warming alcohol with a coating sweetness.

THOUGHTS: Mostly bubble gum aroma at first, then more caramel malt came out as it warmed. One of the smoother barley wines I’ve had. Some viniegar as warms, but light along with light alcohol. Hides most of the alcohol well for the ABV. A little alcohol burn going down but also not bad for ABV. Great baalance and pleasantly warming. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, meium oragne-red with asmall white head that mostly diminished. The aroma was moderate caramel malt along with bubble gum, apple alcohol and just a touch of vinegar. The initial flavor was heavily sweet and the finish flavor was heavily sweet, moderately bitter and sour fruit. The body was medium full and syrupy and a little oily with lively carbonation and a light alcoholic finish.

12 oz. bottle dated 11/05 pours a clear gold with a well structured firm off white medium head. Fruity aroma stands out above a caramel base. Thick mouthfeel shows a hint ofstickiness, medium carbonation. Syrupy sweetness dominates initially, and is partially offset by a flash of spicy bittering at the finish. This beer really changes as it warms, mellowing out and becoming decidedly more drinkable at warmer temps.

Two year old bottle. Light orange pour with a light head. Seemed much more mellow than I remember it, due to its age I’m sure. Smells of sweet syrupy fruits, alot of orange as well. Tastes alot sweeter than I remember and much more mellow. Get alot of orange peel, and sweet malts in this one. Overall I think it aged pretty nicely. Definitely, masks the heavy alcohol in this one.

Light to reddish color with a big foaming head. Sweet aromatic somewhat hoppy aroma. Light on the flavor, cleam yet acidic following to the end. This is just a straight to the the point barley wine. Not much character. Yes this would be interesting in a few years, very young.

12 oz. bottle from a 4-pack I scored at Total Wine, reads bottled on 10/16/06. They’ve added a neck label to the bottle as an update to the brew. Pours a murky copper/amber color with virtually no head. Very slight aroma. Flavor is very sweet with a warming alcohol finish to it. The 15% shows up at the end of the bottle. Yikes. One year later, I still have one more of this to drink. This WILL KICK YOUR BUTT.