Iron Hill Barleywine

Brewed by Iron Hill Newark
Style: Barley Wine
Newark, Delaware USA

One of the Top 5 beers I had at GABF. I do know that some of the "buzz" that was created at the fest about Iron Hill, was by me. I was camped out trying all 15 beers a few times over the sessions. This stuff was candy sweet, unlike anything I’ve tasted with huge vanilla and caramel flavors. I could have drank this all night. Freakin awesome.

750 ml vintage bottle from Phoenixville. Pours ruddy, muddy caramelly ruby brownish in color, with almost no head. The aroma is big and complex, very fruity, with notes of caramel malt, black pepper, big figs, plums, tobacco, blackberry, slight white grapes, prune, Bartlett pear. The flavor is richly malty and the palate heft and complexity is apparent. I got flavor notes of fine tobacco, figs, berries, pear, apple, white grapes, and some earthy peaty finishing notes. Dense and complex palate, with well hidden alcohol, this oe is great.

Media, March 4, 2005: Super impressed by this brew. From presentation in the glass to the aroma and flavor this beer showed up extremely well. I’m becoming more and more a fan of barleywines and this is one of the reasons for it. Took home some on a growler and got wasted within 2 thanks to it being 10%ABV.

Wilmington. Pours a deep garnet with little head. Aroma is very malty and fruity, like sweet dark berries. Flavor much of the same, a big sticky maltiness with a subtle hop profile lingering in the background and finish. Excellent!

750ml bottle. Pours a cloudy deep orange amber. Malty and fruity aroma. Really wonderful flavor profile: not overbearingly dark malt, but with a beautifully balanced, sweet, elegant, citrusy affect. Love it. This has a fruitcake-like quality to it, and a definite caramel-cherry presence. Bubblegum. The Iron Hill bottles are so freakin’ good. The balance and sweet nuance of this is just awesome.

2004 sampled Wilmington 3/05... Poured a dark amber color with a small, of white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of carmel malt, port, raisins, citrus hoppiness, and a touch of alcohol. Still rather young, the dried fruits, grapefruit hops, and sweet caramel dominated, alcohol is also pretty hot. Decent now, but at 3 yrs old, this can compete with some of the best barleywines out there. Look for bottles of this soon!

This was a 3 year old batch unleashed at West Chester... Apepars a hazy reddish toned brown with a small white head that fades into a nice collar. Smell is of rich malted barley, cherry, vanilla, with a mild hint of oxidation that comes with an aged veteran like this. Taste is of a nice high gravity, sugary brew with lots of malted barley and vanilla swirling around with some vanilla and cherry. Mouthfeel is full bodied with the sugary vanilla grabbing at my tastebuds on the finish.

Had on draft @ Media, PA location. Tried this with their RIS, and IIPA so my palate was somewhat tanted from the other beers. Cooper/red in color with somewhat cloudy appearance. Aroma is fruity, malty and some hops. Nice full body followed by warming characteristics. Not a bad barleywine.