Heavyweight Old Salty

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

2004 12 oz bottle courtesy of Boboski. Poured with lots of carbonation in a dull copper color with thin tan head. Good size aroma of melanoidin malt (as indicated on the label), fruity dates, cherries and raisins. Behind that is a faint caramel. The above average carbonation amps up the flavor with sweet caramelized malts and melanoidin malts. Beyond that are some very tasty dark fruit notes that mix well with the malts. Just like the aroma I find some caramel way back in the background.

Pours a cloudy yeasty dark maroon or light brown with a thick stable light brown head. Thick caramel notes and sweet malts are the most present aromas. The taste is very balanced and relatively smooth for 11% beer. Nice smooth caramel, malts, and figs blend nicely together. Very nice barley wine. I like the smooth caramel flavor very much. Shame this brewery is no longer in business.

Bottle courtesy of Boboski. Poured a deep amber color with a huge whispy head that sizzled loudly as it settled. Aromas of sweet fruity apricots, dates and some crisp sea air...Appropriately named as the first sip tasted like licking an old crusty sea captain that hasn’t seen the likes of land for months! At the second go around and after warming, the appearing flavors of carmel and candied dry fruits with some earthiness pulled through to a somewhat smooth finish.

At the 2nd Annual Hell With The Lid Off Barley Wine Festival at Kelly’s Bar in East Liberty, Pittsburgh. Amber, thin white head. Aroma is apricot brandy, malt, grass, slight smoke. Flavor is candied caramel, malt, slight orange, slight alcohol.

Courtesy boboski. Dark slightly cloudy brown-red color with a tall, rocky white head that took five minutes to settle down. Sweet malt aroma, apple, brown sugar. Aroma took on a grainy smell after warming. Sweet taste with a slightly sour malty tang and finish with a slight fruit and hop notes. I dug this more as it sat a while.

2004 12oz bottle via trade with Kramer17801, Thanks for the hookup Jason. I had originally intented to drink this later in the night, not first, but after a really long day and a longer week, I guess i went into the fridge grabbed a bottle, this one opened it and then immediately said, "shit." That aside I’ve been excited to have this beer, for one a New Jersey brew and two a retired Barley Wine. This barley wine has more head then I have ever ever seen in this style. Pours cloudy light brwon with a head that initially came out of the bottle gasping for air. The head now has disapated greatly to a small whitish tan head. The aroma is quite sweet with notes of dried fruit, caramel and malt. The taste is sweet, caramaly and strong. This brew could probably use another year in bottle, but I just couldn’t wait. Despite a big presence in my mouth and a nice warming feeling in the throat it lacks the thickness I usually associate with Barleywine. It just feels a bit thin. It certainly isnt’ bad, but the palate is lacking something, something mroe substantive. Thanks again Jason.

2004, 12oz btl, from State Line, courtesy of a psychotic ex-girlfriend. Every bottle of this I’ve opened has been a gusher. Pours a fizzy tan head, rapidly diminishing, seemingly hovering atop the murky brown body. Aromas of sweet malts and light hop bitterness, fresh veggies and citrus fruit well past it’s prime. Flavor is more astringent and bitter than aroma, but not satisfying. Rather easy to drink, but unremarkable, a miss. Finishes sweet, then dry, earthy vegetal character throughout. Not one of my favorite Heavyweights, although this flavor profile is well suited to barrel aging I think, and I did enjoy that version quite a bit more.

2004 bottle from trade with Dickinsonbeer, Thanks Paul! Pours a murky, ruby brown. No head, a little lacing. Nose is deep dark fruits, olives, dark malts. Taste is very fruity-plum, dates, figs, sweet malt and def a bit of alcohol. Hardly tasted any of the challenger hops. I think this is a tad oxidized. A fine beer, but I’d rather be drinking something else.