Heavyweight Barrel Aged Old Salty

Formerly brewed at Heavyweight Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Ocean Township, New Jersey USA

Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry, GregClow, Blankboy, Mabel, and Jerc, courtesy of blankboy. Nice dark brown, small tan head appearance. Aroma features malt, lots of sweetness, dark fruit and some hops - very good. Amazing taste - lots of sweet malt, some alcohol, really nice wood like character to round everything out and balance. Hints of spice (cinnamon) and smoke. A damn fine barrel aged Barley, I really liked this one.

Bottle (750ml). Shared with blankboy, GregClow, jerc, mabel and tupalev - blankboy’s bottle. 2005 vintage. Hazy deep ruby pour, smallish frothy tan head. Softened caramel malt aroma, lush herbal bitterness, hint of lemon bitterness, pungent yet smooth. Taste - same, roastier, a bit of cocoa and wood, dry and dusty, but a nice long smooth roast malt finish. Sugary, chewy finish, moderately astringent, long finish - smooth is the watchword here - a low-down crying shame this is retired. Nice.

2005 Bottle. Poured a hazy brown, with hints of orange, and no head or activity visible. The aroma was mostly caramel malt, sweetness, and some vanilla/oak. The flavor was similar, also with some dark fruit and subdued hop bitterness, and all the pieces contributed to a well rounded, full flavored beer. The alcohol wasn’t noticable, and the palate was nice.

Shared by Stine. Thanks Eben. This is a very thick and heavy beer. Brown color. The aroma has malt and caramel, as well as some oak. A little salty in the flavor, but mostly sweet with brown sugar, molassas, and malt. Incredibly rich and thick. Very nice.

3rd Annual Woodshop Tasting, 3/1/08. Thanks Chris! 2004 vintage - wow! Another barrel aged beer that pulls through with grace and ruggedness. Kick ass aroma of bourbon, caramel, toasted oats, vanilla...ripping into a pleasant sugar bomb of a flavor, but not cloying. Soft, mellow and drinkable, but overwhelmingly flavorful...I was diggin this!

Tasted at 2008 Woodshop hosted by cquiroga. Some oxidation. Lots of carbonation. Amber color. Mixed bubble head. Lots of melanoidins from a possible long boil. Sweet and delicious, but past it’s prime. Rerate at fordest’s: 9,3,8,3,16:3.9

2004 vintage sampled at cquiroga’s 3rd Annual Woodshop Tasting, 3/1/08. Thanks again Chris. Pours hazy copper color with light beige swirls and some edge bubbles. Great aroma of bourbon barrel, cellar, caramel, coconut and spicy ginger notes. Flavor follows up the aroma on point with an added layer of complexity. Pine wood, bourbon, earth and more coconut are there. Almost cloyingly sweet, but it evens itself out in the finish. Long lasting barrel notes with cinnamon and a dry alcohol finish on the palate. Yes!

[Bottle, thanks a lot for bringing this, Stine!] Pours hazy amber-brown with a light tan head. Bourbon, light sourness, tart apple, yeast and vanilla are in the aroma. The taste is somewhat sweet, with light caramel malt, raisin, alcohol, bourbon and vanilla. Medium mouthfeel and quite smooth. A very enjoyable beer.