Green Flash Barleywine

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

From a 22oz Bottle. Pours a transparent ruby copper color with a tall, soapy head of yellow-ish tan. Very hoppy aroma with a juicy strawberry fruity malt base. A bit of gummy peach manages to peak in there too. Some spruce resins and white grapefruit rinds create a harsh hoppy edge, that along with some sharp alcohols, serves as a deterrent from an otherwise pleasant aroma. Medium bodied, somewhat creamy soft, yet well carbonated mouthfeel. Some of the fruity characters start out on the palate, mostly the strawberries, and are accompanied by a bit of dark fudgy caramel. A wave of hop destruction soon follows, transcending the malt character with a harsh ginny hop blast for a final smack. Definitely more appropriate hop usage for an IIPA, but thats just my own taste and opinion.

This is the Vintage 1 Pint, 6 oz. bottle. I bought it at A.J.’s on 67th Avenue in Glendale. The aroma reminds me of bread and apple butter or molasses. Nice amber color with minor sediment. The flavor is heavy and malty and just a tad bitter (not that bitter is a bad thing...) I would agree with some of the other reviewers who said it might need a little more cellar time. There is a strong grapefruit and lemony undertone. I also detected hints of chocolate. Surprising enough, this barleywine finishes rather sweetly (reminds me of Fresca). Not my favorite, but a fine barleywine nonetheless.

22oz bottle. Dark ruby/amber color with good lacing type head. Fruity aroma. Malty, mildly fruity hoppy caramel taste. Thick and chewy with smooth bitter/sweet finish. Not really that complex, just a good straight ahead barleywine.

22oz bottle labeled 2nd Anniversary ale - Pours a very cloudy medium brown color with smallish light tan head. Aroma is very malty, fair amount of burnt caramel, mild herbal hops, faint tobacco and ash. Flavor is malty, lots of caramel, touch of apircot, orange, herbal hops, bit metallic. Finish has a stiff bitterness but is balanced. Overall, it’s a bit harsh and discordant, not very polished. Average at best. Would not seek out again.

Slightly hazy and viscous dark red pour with chestnut brown hues. A thick and creamy head is very slow to recede, eventually leaving a near solid sheet of light beige lacing. It doesn’t last. Hops, juicy as hell, greet me first in the aroma. Scents of orange, grapefruit, dates and papaya. The malt backbone seems full, hopefully it can tame some of these hops. Flavor is of creamy, toasty caramel malt. Hops that ruled in the aroma are now somewhat balanced by the hefty malt bill. This is very hot but is relatively balanced for being so young and aggressively hopped. Palate is smooth but thinner than expected, or desired for that matter. A pepper note accompanies a medium length finish that is very resiny and exceedingly dry. A well done barleywine if not a little too garden-variety.

Thanks to Illinismitty for sharing this one at the Nashville Tasting. This pours clear, dark brown with plenty of ruby highlights. One- dimensional caramel aroma. The flavor balance is perhaps overly bitter, suggesting perhaps some needed cellar time for this one. Decent, but this needs some complexity to round it out.

strong citrus rising above the caramel, almost a lemony note underneath the grapefruit rind. mixed in with the hops some alcohol but not much malt peeking through. srong head for a bareley wine, some color like a blushing orange, silky in the mouth with nice carbonation. Overall a little harsh, not fully blended.

I love the barleywine molassses aroma. An excellent beer, with some nice flavors and hops throughout. Don’t really get the toffee, but I like it a lot.