Green Flash Barleywine

Brewed by Green Flash Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Vista, California USA

Had at the Nashville Tasting; thanks to whoever brought it. Clear ruby amber in the glass with a big creamy and filmy head. Flowery hops in the aroma, some dark grain, and a slightly toasty quality to the malts. Oily and vinous in the mouth, I have in my notes the words "creamy butter" underlined, which is a nice overlay to the integrated juicy hops fruit in the middle. Dry bitter hoppy finish. The oily coating in the feel goes well with the driness at the end. Seems like a more lively version of a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot.

Deep red-brown and coffee head; thick, layers of malt taste but a helluva hop sting; very good, but be ready for a real mix of opposite sensations. [Tasted next to Moylans Old Blarney Barley Wine] The Moylans has more hop flavor; the Green Flash has much more hop sting but not as much hop flavor.

Best thing about this one is the aroma. which was a big wet hop orgy with some tobacco notes. Pour was chesnut with a small tan head and decent lace. Flavor is not as impressive, muted with hops up front with the alcohol, a bit messy. Still nice, although I don’t think I would age it too long.

Deep auburn hue. Sticky, rocky and frothy beige-tinged head deposits dots of lace on all sides of the glass. Flashy nose vibrant plums, pineapple parfait, grapefruit, caramelized strawberries and a touch of toffee/Crystal malt. Fairly yeasty. Minimal oxidation (sherry in this case). Natural carbonation hugs the palate. Chewy and oily body. Heavily bitter and fairly brash initially, though a juicy surge of fruity esters briefly displaces that. Hops soon resurface, generating spicy notes of grass and pine which couple with the oily acids to lend a gentle numbing effect by scrubbing the tongue. Overly acidic hop character steadily intensifies and essentially stifles the development of any brighter hop nuances. Finishes intensely resinous, reminiscent of pinesap and grapefruit rind, yet with enough dryness and alcohol to slightly lift the harsh oils and make way for the lingering malt-derived caramel and nut flavors. A bit more refinement would be welcome here (cleaner maltiness, brighter and more-restrained hop character, etc.), but it certainly is not as sloppy as so many barleywines tend to be. Bottle-conditioned and unfiltered, the way it ought to be; kudos to Green Flash for that!

Brown with a nice head. Smell is strong. Everything is pretty strong about this beer the alcohol and the maltiness. I like it though.

Trasparent and very dark red pour. Still. Heavy aroma. Gingerbread, rum, oranges, and burnt butter cookies. Dark and alcoholic sugar is first to taste; a molasses and honey fermentation. Intimations of port, predictable toffee crunch, and raisins. The sweetness has a consistently blackened crust. A whisper of strawberry and pleasant, restrained hop presence. Prune and greek olive with a tense, salty pungency. Oxidation slides in with a thick presence of wet carpet and cardboard, and this one is young. Bitter wood and hot brandy finish. Reasonably smooth with a coating smack of the same old stuff. Burnt grahams, bananas and caramel. It reaches for a level of erudition that it doesn’t attain or really even touch. Fair enough, though.

Bouteille de 22 oz dégustée en compagnie de Dmac621, Dickinsonbeer, Cathschlag, MartinT, Beerbuzzmontreal et Glouglouburp. Arôme: Odeur de caramel et d’houblons. Apparence: La couleur est brune opaque. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de caramel et d’houblons avec une pointe de vanille. Longue durée de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement huileuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’alcool chaleureux en arrière goût. (Rating #1254)

In short: A highly drinkable barley wine with fruity caramel and resinous hops. Classic. Very nice
How: Bottle 22oz. Consumed about 6 months after purchase.
The look: Clear (first glass from the bottle) to very cloudy (last glass) amber-brown body with a medium beige head.
In long: Typical but always pleasant nose of fruity caramel. Taste is rich juicy caramel, some citrusy notes, some other refreshing fruity notes (tropical fruits-ish), toasted bread, wood. Good amount of resinous and citrusy hops. Very well balanced. The typical American Barley wine often goes in the too-sweet sugary territory but this is one that is highly drinkable. In the same vein as other classics like Lagunitas Olde Gnarly Wine and such. Excellent classic example of the style. You don’t always need to re-invent the wheel. Especially when you own an Audi A4.