Kona Old Blowhole Barley Wine

Had this on tap at the Kona brewpub after a tour of the place while vacationing in Hawaii. This was definitely one of their better brews and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

On tap at Toronado for Barleywine fest ’09. Amber color with an off-white head. Aroma of sweet malt, dark fruits, cannabis, and piney Northwest-style hops. Flavor is more of the same, lots of sweet malt and well-hopped. Full mouthfeel and nice alcohol warmth.

GABF 2007. Smells of buttery toffee and raisins, classic BW smell. Smooth in the mouth, nicely hoppy on the end. The beginning is like a light fruit syrup, a concentrated but delicate (not treacly) sweetness. I would not be opposed to drinking this more often, but it is what it is.

On tap at Koko Marina. Poured a slightly hazy amber/red with a thin off white head. Aroma of malt and some piney hops with a wood note. Flavor was well balanced with a huge malt base, a nutty flavor and a good amount of hops to finish it out. The alcohol had a very slight warming effect.

Tap. Apricot/raisin malt aroma with a hint of alcohol. Brown amber color with a moderate head. Dried apricot/prune flavor with a moderate astringent alcohol finish. Very nice barleywine - a little hard to fully appreciate though when its 80 degrees outside though.

Small head over deep brown. Hoppy and minty aroma. Taste more of an Imperial IPA with a bit of sweetness than a b-wine to me. Nice!

On tap, Koko Marina. Poured a beautiful amber brown. Smelled of wood, malt, and nuts. Initial flavor is fairly sweet, with some dark fruit that perfectly balances the sweet malt. Flavor then rounds out with a nuttiness and firm malt backbone, without getting too sweet or alcoholic. A really well balanced and complex brew, this really ranked among the best barley wines I’ve tried!

On draft at the brewpub. Aroma of caramel malts and American hops, dark amber body, small whitish head. Nicely balanced between hop flavors/bitterness and sweet malts. Nicely done.