Heavyweight Old Salty

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

2004 version. Pours a thick and syrupy golden copper with a head that struggles to form. A milky swirl of tan bubbles floats and a thin collar surrounds the liquid. Sheeting action on the insides of the glass. Aroams of alcohol-soaked spicecake and/or bread pudding. Get the butane ligjhter and light this puppy up! Boozy flavors with plenty of warmth, syrupy sticky sweetness, and still 3 years later a healthy dose of hoppiness. Toffee candies. Chewy caramel. Ample fruit notes with some what seems to be cantaloupe and strawberry. Minimal carbonation as to be expected. A slow sipper that coats the lips and makes for an enjoyable evening with baseball on the telly.

Thanks to Joebrew for the 2005 vintage. This beer had a light brown color with a faint amount of foam. Moderate amount of carbonation. Sweet caramel malt and fruit were present in the aroma as well as in the flavor along with alcohol and salt.

This bottled brew from a Mike Sprinkle on Dark Lord Day poured a head of foamy light brown colored bubbles that were mostly diminishing and left behind a opaque no visible carbonation brown colored body and a fair lacing. . The mouth feel was weakly tingly at the start mediumly tingly at the finish. The yummy flavor contained notes of hops and brown malt with a well hidden vinousness. A wonderful best in class brew. 5-5-8-4-18 2004 version Also from Mike Sprinkle on Dark Lord Day poured a head of all foam finely sized white colored bubbles that were mostly diminishing and left behind a very hazy no visible carbonation dark orange brown colored body and a thick foamy lacing. The almost non-existant aroma was malty. The mouth feel was weakly tingly at the start mediumly tingly at the finish hoppy aftertaste. Delicious and one I would certainly like to have again.

2005 vintage courtesy of Joebrew. Wow. This one had a really salty nose that counterd the sweetness of the style. The sweet caramel body had an earthy flavor to it and a nice salt finish.

For the monumental #1,000th beer since joining ratebeer.com, joebrew (the person who introduced me to this site) shared a 2005 vintage bottle of this barely wine from a defunct brewery. Pours a thick hazy light brown amber brew with a heavy and fizzy beige head that slowly dissolves to a fine film. Aroma of is aged toasted toffee, brown sugar with a hint of raisins, caramel and light molasses. Taste is still highly carbonated, medium bodied, toffee/caramel malt, a hint of rum and sweet dried raisins. Finish is alcohol warm, fizzy with a decent caramel and raisin aftertaste. Aging to this barley wine has been very kind to this brew. Sorry to see this brewery gone.

2005 12 oz. bottle via trade with jasonmech77 - Pours a cloudy light brown color with a faint bubbly head. Very little carbonation. No lacing. Aroma is a bready toasted malt and lots of esters. Flavor is toasty malt, light spice, and dark esters. The lack of carbonation comes across a little flat on the palate. Has a slight lingering ester aftertaste. Medium to full body. The alcohol is fairly well hidden while drinking the beer, but kicks in toward the end. A decent BW. Would like to have tried it fresh. Thanks Jason.

2004. Courtesy boboski. I have never had a barley wine pour with such a thick head, a good 3 figers high. Head slowly shrinks but remains, reminds me of meringue betaen to stiff peaks. Color is that murky brick red I have grown to love. Aroma is malt dominated, with some toffee-like notes coming through. Hints of french toast as odd as that may sound, maybe even a bit of orange peel. Flavor is sweet and rich, with just a touch of warming alcohol coming through. Some spice comes through.

Bottled 2004. Purchased at Tri-State Liquors in Brunswick, MD. Pours a muddy/hazy brown with a thin tan head that fades quickly to a thin ring. The lacing is sparce, but sticks to the glass very nicely. Smell; lots or malty goodness. Brown sugar, caramel and molasses. Dark fruits are prevalent with rum soaked raisins, cherries and melons. Whatever hops this may have had, probably faded over the past three years as they are not really noticeable. Taste; the alcohol soaked fruits come out at first with cherries, raisins and dates. Caramel and molasses come out through the middle and the finish is a slightly burned toast and caramel with a little vanilla. I have to say that the finish o this one is really long, as the flavors seemed to just kept coming out long after each sip. Mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I would have expected, more medium than full bodied, but the overall drinkability is pretty good.