Drakes Frankenwein

Brewed by Drakes Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
San Leandro, California USA

On tap. Clear amber golden with an off-white head. Aroma of overripe fruit, aroma hops and alcohol. Quite full-bodied, burned caramel, wood and some oxidization. Some bitterness in the finish with plenty of warming alcohol. 060709

From tap at Pizza Port Carlsbad. Pours clear golden amber with an almost fully gone head. Solid hoppy aroma,towards overripe fruity. Distinct fruity hops flavoured with a light wooden pine hops note. Bitter, dry and malty flavoured.

Tasted at the 5th Annual (2008) Triple Rock Firkin Fest. This barley wine pours a dark gold color from the firkin. Small sized head. The aroma is fruity, caramel and sweet. A medium to full bodied Barleywine. The malts are caramel and sweet. The hops are citrusy and floral. Nice balance. Nice soft carbonation. There is a touch of alcohol bite at the finish. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet with a touch of alcohol oiliness.

Hazy brownish red with a nice beige head. Aromas of toffee, caramel, dark fruit, butterscotch, dark sweet bread, and floral/piney hops. Toffee, caramel, toast, buttered sweet bread, and a floral hoppy bitterness in the finish. Nice drinking at 10%, great balance of malt and hops in a big beer.

On tap at Hamiltons during RBSG ’08. Pours with a deep red-brown body topped by a medium thick head with a good amount of lacing. It’s slightly sweet and malty yet hoppy with notes of caramel and some pine. Full bodied, tingly and slightly dry.

On tap at pizza port. Brown with a creamy off white head. Sweet aroma and a molasses toffee and spice taste.

Draft at Pizza Port Carlsbad: Pumpkin brown. Persistent ivory froth. Quality nose of baker’s chocolate, sherry-drizzled cake, leafy hops, and plummy esters. Hints of pine and raisin. Softly carbonated. Full-bodied. Initial resinous hop smack dovetails with a well-developed thickset malt base. Hop bitterness gently surges forth and throws more pine resin, melon seeds and tongue-numbing oils. Hops gracefully scratch the tongue and possess no remote astringency. Supple notes of plum jelly and juicy melon uphold the center, lending depth to the malty sweetness while complementing the complex yet beautifully composed hop character. Dry edge of earthy malt reveals hints of coffee and bitter chocolate which tempers the resounding malt girth and oily hop onslaught. Finishes richly malty and chewy with trailing pinesap which is soaked up by cakey malt. Really polished and mellow, overall. Judging from the cakey malt heft, finessed hops, and solid integration of flavors, I’m guessing this keg was around a year old. Exemplary depth and balance.

Draft from Toronado Barley Wine Festival. Fairly dark amber. Aroma is malt dominated, quite sweet. Caramel, wood, some darker fruit. Full bodied, quite sweet, alcohol hidden well for how high it is.