Elysian Cyclops Barleywine

Brewed by Elysian Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Seattle, Washington USA

Pours a golden amber with a minimal foam ring. Faint malt aroma with notes of maple syrup. More maple syrup in the taste, with nice astringent hops, sweetening a bit past bearable as it warms. Thin, and lacking in carbonation. I was not able to really connect with this beer.

<b><i>2005 Vintage</i></b>

<b>Unknown Date</b>: The aroma of Elysian Cyclops Barley Wine Style Ale offers up toasted honey malt, aged citrus hops, and creamy caramel. Its appearance is clougy merigold in color with a bright peach hue. It has a thin off-white to ivory-colored veil on the surface and golden sparkling carbation. The flavor has nicely aged orange and apricot-flavored hops, lots of rich caramel, and a touch of almond. The bitterness is moderate and the warming alcohol is nicely melded with the other flavors. This full-bodied beer feels really good on the palate as it is mellow and very creamy. Overall this is a well-balanced barleywine that is still holding up well after 3+ years...

<i>12 fl. oz. bottle (Alcohol 9.85% By Volume) from bitbucket. Thanks Bob! Rating #104 for this beer...</i>

no way, cinnamon graham cracker! one sniff and all of a sudden i’m 6 again. dark clear amber, modest head. Nearly perfect, I guess I’d like it a bit heavier, but I love the downy soft smoothness and the array of flavors. Brown sugar, toffee, cherry, nutmeg and vanilla. Much too soft for the higher alcohol, this is very easy to drink and I want lots more.

2003 vintage pours murky orange – brown with thin off white head. The aroma is malty and seemingly wheat or rye along with hints of fruity esters and muted pine hops. The mild carbonation silks in with pretty big blunted pine hop bitterness and coupled with some earthiness, malts and lighter colored fruity esters. Tasting great for an American style barleywine. Still an alcohol sense noted in both the aroma and the taste. Could age even a few more years.

Courtesy of ibrew2or3. Pours hazy brown with thin head. Aroma and taste, chocolate and spicy malts. Nice caramel malts and fruits.

Bottle courtesy of Ibrew2or3. Pours a hazy golden with a small white head. Aroma of sweet malt, caramel, over ripe citrus, with citrus and floral hops. Taste is spicy yeast, sweet malt, caramel, and citrus. Medium mouthfeel with a moderate amount of bitterness and slightly warm alcohol. Good.

12oz bottle. 2007 vintage. Dark orange, auburn color with a thin film of light brown head. Dark alefruit, caramel, and wisps of alcohol in the aroma. Sticky raisin and apple malt flavors, higher alcohol notes. Brown sugar and nuttiness with a ruddy earthen hop character. Residual figgy alefruit in the finish, with a mild bitterness and some alcohol heat. Mouthfeel is heavy, fairly chewy and hot.

From a 12-oz bottle at the Elysian brewery in Seattle, Washington, pours a hazy reddish amber brew with a fast dissolving off-white head that quickly dissipates to a thin ring and film top. Aroma of raisins, vanilla, brown sugar, a touch of figs, and caramel malt, Taste is full bodied, very light carbonation (if any) with flavors of caramel malt, raisins and prunes, dark pitted fruits a touch of tropical fruit. Finish is powdery malt with a raisin and high alcohol warmth. I would like to try this with some extra aging next time.