Drakes Barley Wine Bourbon Barrel

Formerly brewed at Drakes Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
San Leandro, California USA

6 oz bottle from ratman197. Thanks! Pours a very cloudy brown color wtih no head. Great "little" big beer! Aroma hits with tons of bourbon, brown sugar, sweet malt, honey, fruit, oak and good vanilla notes. Flavor is fruity, tons of bourbon, wood, vanilla, toffee and a very, very light tartness in the finish. I really enjoyed this tremendously.

An awesome 6 oz bottle series 4 shared by footbalm. I have no idea the vintage. Pours a cloudy brown color with a tiny, really non-existent head. A awesome aroma; super sweet bourbon notes, wood and light malts and vanilla. The flavor is great; loads of very sweet sugars and malts, toffee and caramel fit into a huge bourbon flavor. Lots of wood and some dark fruits. Slightly sour wood and cherries. I really enjoyed this one. Excellent.

Sampled at the Hopsnobbery Collective barley wine tasting on 3.14.09. Dark brown pour with a minimal beige head. Malty aroma with something else in there I don’t like. Fruity and malty flavor that is too sweet, even for a barley wine. Was hoping for more out of this one.

Bottle (6oz) shared with HogTownHarry & garthicus -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a deep ruby with no head. Aroma’s sweet and boozy with bourbon, wood, fruit, caramel malt and vanilla. Nice flavour of caramel malt, dark fruit, hops, wood and alcohol -- strong but tasty. Medium bodied. Very nice stuff.

Small bottle with foil cover from Freakin Frog, Las Vegas. Poured hazy dark brown color with mimimal off-white head that was mostly diminished with minimal lacing. Complex dark fruity, alcohol and vanilla aroma. Medium to heavy bittersweet flavor with a medium to heavy sweet dark fruit finish of moderate to long duration. Medium body with a sticky texture. Good rich brew.

HogTownHarrys bottle, shared with Blankboy and I. Appearance: Murky red/brown with zero head. Aroma: Alcohol, bourbon, caramel, chocolate, vanilla, malt. Flavour: Wow, alcohol, dense caramel, syrup. Dark fruit, bourbon, no carbonation. Long long bourbon finish. Wow. "What the fuck is going on?" - Me.

Bottle (6oz). Shared with blankboy and garthicus, courtesy of DA-DA-DA-DA - IRISHBOY!!!. Clear deep ruby, pretty much no head. Sweet aroma, vanilla, light oak resin, hints of cocoa and crushed leaves. Taste follows, with butter, apple, booze .... a little burny in the finish. Slick, still, somewhat hot body, quick finish, sticky residue on the lips. Nice - a tad light, but nice in a snifter.

<i>Bottle from Freakin’ Frog, Las Vegas; barrel aged for 12 months</i>
Despite the promises on the bottle, the bottle fermentation was not effective and it pours completely still and with no head; dark brown, almost black color. It has a very interesting aroma, with light phenol, caramel, oak and vanilla, chocolate, toffee, walnuts; fantastic! Oily mouthfeel, full bodied; strong caramel flavor, a bit sweet syrupy, with notes of vanilla and leather, very light sweet liquorice in the end; the final sees a mix of strong bitterness, with alcohol warming feeling, and caramel. Complex and excellent.