Lafayette Big Boris Barleywine

Indy Winterfest ’09. Clear warm orange brown with a thin tan head. Balanced nose. Malt, but not sweet. Light astringency, alcohol. Fruity. Creamy. Lighter viscosity for style. Creamy malt. Astringent. Alcohol. Diacetyl, but it works. Caramel, butterscotch finish over some astringency.

2008/9 version on tap at LBC. Pours deep crimson amber with very nice thick off white head. The aroma is sweet, yeasty, with a little bit of hops and a bit of wet cardboard. The flavor starts with sweet malts, then moves to lots of bitter hops and ends with light lingering bitterness. It’s not particularly complex, but is very quaffable. The mouthfeel of the foam is excellent, very creamy, the body is a bit thin but oddly refreshing for a barley wine. Overall this is a good barley wine.

1997 version on tap at the Indiana Brewer’s Guild Festival. I’ve had this once before, a fresh version, and wasn’t taken with it. However, 10+ years of age revealed this to be a marvelous beer, and a highlight of the festival. In hindsight, I should have kept drinking this rather than standing in line for Dark Lord. Onto the beer: notes of raisin and fig dominate the nose and the palate, where a sweet English style barleywine enters the picture with caramel, toffee, and vanilla mingled with dried cherry and more fig. Chewy, rich, and I imagine a wonderful complement to a creme brulee or flan. Superb.

Draft At LB brewpub. Poured a hazy dark ruby color with an average creamy off- white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Good tart fruit and earthy aroma. Medium body with a sticky texture. Heavy bittersweet flavor with a long bittersweet warming finish. Solid beer.

Name: Big Boris
Date: 07/21/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Indy
Vintage: 2004

muddy orange, huge dense cream head, lots of scattered and drippy lace, big fruity aroma with lots of earthy hops, rich fruity flavor, plenty of balaning earthy bitterness, touch of tartness
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Name: Big Boris
Date: 07/21/2007
Vintage: 1997
Words: franken wine barrel

lots of sweet oak and vanilla complements the rich fruity character, long bitter oak finish,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **4

Sample at Indiana Microbrewers Festival - 2004 from draft and 1997 from a bottle back to back - Aroma is honey, caramel and earthy hops. Pours muddy brown with no head. Flavor matches aroma with the earthy flavors going more towards wet mulch. Palate is crisp and tart. The difference between the two vintages (besides 7 years) would be that the hops had faded in both aroma and flavor. The palate on the 97 was very smooth and creamy. A tasty brew at 3 years and a damn fine brew after 10!

Thanks to Bob, Michelle, and mostly my baby Jana for the 12th annual Indiana Microbrewers Festival today! From the bottle @ the fest. Had both the ’97 and ’98 offerings. Nose of caramel, fruit, candy, vanilla, flowers, alcohol, and toffee. The brew is a cloudy amber with yeasmen floating about like sea monkeys in my glass. The tall off-white creamy head is fully lasting with exceptional lace. This brew is extremely complex. Nothing really missing...it’s all there. The full soft body is syrupy. The finish feels alcoholic. My favorite sample of the fest, definitely over the top!

Thin lacy head. dark and Hazy, rich on the palate, Flavors of fruit and honey.