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Drakes Barley Wine Brandy Barrel

 (RETIRED)

Drakes Barley Wine Brandy Barrel

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 Percentile 
99
overall
A Barley Wine formerly brewed by
Drakes Brewing Company

San Leandro, California USA

bottled
available

on tap
unknown

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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
1513.99/5.03.98/5.0Special14.7%94Snifter P  Stats

Commercial Description:
Simply put this barley wine is the strongest beer we have ever brewed. At 14.70% alc/vol with a starting gravity of 26 plato Drakes barley wine has been big since birth. Crisp malts give this beer a burnt red color and deep rich sweetness. Placed in a brandy oak barrel since Dec. 2003 it has been aging and waiting for you to enjoy as you would any fine after dinner beverage. This is a very limited release and won't be repeated.

 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Miver (470), WillowStreet, Pennsylvania, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/517/20

Oct 2, 2008  
’05 6oz Bottle. Poured a dark brown in color with amber hues when held to light. Bottle poured with no head. Aroma of raisins, dark fruits, wet grain and sweet with some toffee and caramel. Taste is generally sweet with dark fruits, toffee and brown sugar. Flavors of raisins, light oak, and grains also present. For 14.7% I thought this was very drinkable.

 Maria (4772), Thisted, Denmark
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/517/20
Nov 21, 2008  
Courtesy of Fonefan. It’s dark red mahogany and the aroma has notes of oak, roasted malt, dark fruits like raisin and figs, caramel, alcohol, and the mouthfeel is full. The flavour has sweetness and notes of raisin, roasted malt, oak, caramel, plum, sherry and the balance is very nice in this full-bodied and impressive beer – nice indeed!


 tupalev (2337), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/103/58/104/516/20
Oct 18, 2008  
Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry and Blankboy, courtesy of Harry. Great aroma - brown sugar, molasses, alcohol. Dark brown, no head. Nice taste - dark fruit, toffee, aclohol - like a smoothed out fruitier Thomas Hardy’s. Good stuff


 WeeHeavySD (2034), San Diego (Hillcrest), California, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/105/516/20
Oct 14, 2008  
old lil nip I believe this came from Tever. Poured into a snifter. Pours dark dark brownish-red with a ring of a tan head. Nose is nice with a touch of brandy, but everything else seems to have faded a bit with time. A touch of caramel toffee etc.. No touch of alc in the onse here. Taste is sweet and malty with a light bit of brandy and dark deep fruits. This is incredibly smooth it has aged very well, I can’t tell that this beer is nearly 15% abv. Overall this is a tasty beer, and one I doubt I’ll ever have again.


 blankboy (2687), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/517/20
Sep 22, 2008  
<i>Bottle &#40;6oz&#41; shared with HogTownHarry & tupalev &#045;&#045; courtesy of HogTownHarry.</i> Pours a murky oily ruby-brown with practically no head. Nice aroma of dark fruit, toffee, hops, molasses, brown sugar, alcohol and more &#045;&#045; lots going on here and it’s all nicely blended together. Flavour’s quite fruity and sweet along with caramel, wood and a bit of brandy. For 14.7% the alcohol is quite well hidden. Good body. No carbonation but it suits it. Fantastic stuff, I enjoyed it very much.



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