Drakes Barley Wine Brandy Barrel

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

6oz’er thanks to Brock Landers: Mahogany coler, very little head. Big woodsy alcohol notes, quite a bit of sweetness, vanilla, brandy. Flavor had some very rich malts, a little hot on the alcohol. Caramel, molassas, some oak. Enough hops to balance it out. Very pleasant finishdespite the high abv. Very good beer, but I would love to have it again in 5 or 10 years. Too bad I only had one bottle.

Bottle... This beer rocks!... Dark, murky, caramel-colored ale with a small, fizzy, khaki head. The nose is an intoxicating swirl of caramel, cognac, chcocolate, light soy sauce, oak and vanilla. After taking in the malty, alcoholic aroma, I expected a huge, sweet, alcoholic punch on the palate. Not so. Very decently balanced. Hearty, rich, chewy malts. Bitter alcohol and hops. Lots of caramel. Beefy. Full-bodied with a lightly creamy mouthfeel and soft carbonation. Finishes chocolatey, lightly tangy and warm... not hot. I expected less from this brew and received more. Wonderful beer! Thanks go out to Zanthrus13 for the bottle.

6 oz bottle special thanks to Kramer17801. Murky brown with absolutely no head. I can get a few bubbles by swirling the glass, but not many. Aromas are very malty. Lots of molassas, caramel, raisin, prune, Great aromas here. Not much carbonation. Flavors are all there too with that brandy flavor added. Hints of dark cherry in there as well. Alcohol is present, but pretty well hidden. Hop bite is minimal, but that just makes more room for all that malt and brandy flavor. Very Good Beer.

Bottle bought at Hollinghead’s, Orange. Chestnut brown with almost no head at all, just a tiny beige film. Very complex and rich aroma. Deep caramel and chocolate aroma with raisins and sherry as well as dark fruits. Sweetness and alcohol hits the tongue, the impression from the aroma repeats itself in the flavours with an emphasis on the oaky sherry character. A lot of dark fruit, raisins and chocolate. Soft, slightly burning feel. The cognac of beer.

Consumed on the night of Rob’s fantastic barleywine tasting. A true rarity provided by the hands of Noah, htsprint1. Thanks! Noah notes that the experience was far better on tap, but unfortunately, I only have the bottle to rate. Pours a nice old ale like color with brandy and malt on the nose. Dried cherry, honey, orange on the palate with great viscosity. Some Grand Marinier like notes likely from the brandy barrels meets barleywine. Unfortunately, there’s also a subtle medicinal note with a touch of vinegar that disappoints. Good, not overwhelming.

6 oz bottle, via beerguy101. Pours a very murky dark brown with virtually no head at all save for a few grayish bubbles. It looks sorta like those bottles of chewing tobacco spit my buddy always kept in his car back in the day. Aroma is thankfully much more appealing than the appearance. Lots of soy sauce, boozey alcohol, milk chocolate, and rich dark fruits. A touch of smoke as well. Flavor is much like the aroma promises. I know this is from a brandy barrel, but it really tastes much like most bourbon barrel beers as far as the barrel aging aspect goes. Boozey bourbon liquor, oak tannin, enormous amounts of malt, and dark candied fruits. Finish is very hot with alot of bourbon/brandy and alcohol flavors. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and minimally carbonated, becoming slightly sticky in the finish. Overall, this guy just doesn’t do it for me, too much booze and not enough Barley Wine.

Pours dark, cloudy brown, with a small head. Aromas are dark fruit, raisins, soy, chocolate, and sugar. Flavors are raisins, oak, soy, sugar and dark fruit. Body is heavy. Very interesting and intense. Thanks to Davecooks for this bottle.

2 x 6.3 oz bottle consumed in the generous company of tiggmtl, MartinT and Rastacouere. After the abomination that was the barrel-aged Scotch ale, we were all plenty worried about this high-grav experiment, but we plunged in recklessly anyway. It pours with a dark caramel-mahogany hue and a touch of lasting head....the nose is acerbic, woody, highly alcoholic with a touch of soy, sour cherries and oaky vanilla.....which carries into the better-balanced and more intense flavor, along with bitter chocolate elements and a certain hard-to-define "rustic" character, perhaps the wood or light fine herbs, I don’t know, it just has that handmade feel if you know what I mean....somewhat boozy as it warms, very smooth, alcoholic but not overly so, caramel-sugary glaze on the tongue and a lasting dry bitterness. This one doesn’t totally live up to the rep, but it’s a nice sipper for sure.