Grand Lake Super Chicken Barley Wine

Brewed by Grand Lake Brewing Co
Style: Barley Wine
Grand Lake, Colorado USA

This dark brown ale poured with no head - just a few floating bubbles - and a fruity malt aroma. This is a sweet barleywine with a lot of substance and a long bitter finish with an alcohol trail. This brew is somewhat hoppier than most barleywines I have tasted.

Bottle from Liquor Max in Loveland, CO. Darkish amber color with a slightish off-white head. Aroma of citrus/pine hop over roasted caramel. Smells a bit sweet. Flavor is grapefruit hop over sweet roasted caramel. Turns not so sweet as it initially seemed. Finishes very pleasant.

Looks like carbonated prune juice, very little head. Smells sort of like prunes with bubble gum. Nice taste. Barely wine that leans more towards the hop taste than the sweet taste. The hops are the most dominate taste, but they are not over done. Sweet caramel taste lingers but does not dominate. Nice, cant taste the 11% alcohol.

Bottle... Clear, dark mahogany ale with a small, creamy, white head. Very fruity, too sweet nose; all types of fruit esters, berries and maple. Almost works, but a bit of a mess. Full-bodied with energetic carbonation. Surprisingly well-balanced. Tongue numbing hops; not just bitterness, Novocain-like affect of the lupulin. Caramel. Alcohol is very discreet. Lengthy, medium bitter, dry finish.

(Bottle, thanks omhper!) Pours beautiful deep red with an off-white head. The aroma is medium to heavily hoppy and medium malty with tones of sweet citrus - mostly grapefruit and tangerine alongside floral, vegetal, resiny and lychee-like notes. Fruity undertones of mango, peach, apricot and passion fruit. Malt brings tones of toast and caramel. The flavour is of citric/resiny/floral hops and caramelly malt with a light to medium fruity background. The mouthfeel is a bit sticky but clean. Medium sweet and medium to heavily bitter. Bit more dryish in the finish. Medium to full bodied.

Date: 06/20/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: clear amber, wispy off white head, bits of lace,
Aroma: sweet caramel malt aroma with a candy sweetness and earthyness for balance, hint of fruit,
Flavor: dry caramel malt flavor, well balanced with the earthyness, touch of caramel sweetness tries to bring in some fruity character, light bitter finish,
Overall: should develop and improve with age,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: *4

Bottled, thanks Crosling! Clear dark ruby, minimal head. Aroma of swetay grapefruit and estery pineapple. Sweet and full bodied. Fruity and thick, very malty with some apricot and evident peppery alcohol. A well crafted barleywine that lacks some personality.

Nice rich-looking copper-brown color with a thin layer of white head that dissipates. Robust malty aroma mixed with peppery hops. Hop character translates well to the taste, being peppery and malty, but not hot. A decent barleywine.