Lagunitas Olde Gnarly Wine

Starts off abit malty, sweet, with fruits, then as I got through it hops became more present. The alcohol really hit me quick, this one should be taken slow.Great brew! On tap at Hollingshead’s, Orange, Ca.

Bottle. hazy amber colour with a firm tan head. Flora and grapefruityl hop aroma with a dense sweetness of blackberries and caramel. Aromatic grapefruity flavour of flowers with a solid malty backbone of blackberries, plums and molasses. Long floral aftertaste of blue fruits and figs with a strong aromatic floral undertone. A really nice US BW with a pleasant maltiness. Thanks MrWalker.

[Bottled, thanks MrWalker!] Clear reddish amber, minimal head.Striking aroma of grapefruit and caramel. Sweet and full bodied with fairly soft mouthfeel. The malt flavour is more prominent than in most American barley wines, but there are a good amount of aromatic hops as well. A very solid and well made barley wine with some personality of its own.

Pours a brownish-amber color with a medium tan head. Aroma is of caramel, dark fruits, chocolate and a hint of some hops. Flavor starts off sweet and gives way to the molasses, caramel, and chocolate. It finishes with a little of a hop kick. I’m rather impressed with this barley wine. Very good.

2006 22 Oz Bottle. Aroma is surprisingly subdued. There’s notes of faint chocolate plums, honeysuckle perfume and strong glowing embers of melted raisins. Sugars and musky mens cologne. Hints of West Coast hops. Pour of clear fire red, with orange fringes a carmine center and a swirling head of tanned hide. Flavor is respectable, with heavy cream and sherry. Rich raisined malts are perfuse with more touches of chocolate and long basking rays of caramelization. In the backend, strong alcohol heat senses the humours and carries swift currents of tawny fruits and amber honey. The hops show in resin format, almost entirely, as this long linger subtle reminder of parching dryness and balancing parafin wax. Candy wrapper delight. Alcohol stings just a bit too much, but the hop balance is delectable. Needs a touch more complexity and character. Body is great. Thanks AndY!

Bottle: Pour is mahogany, with a big off white head. Aroma has a lot of sweetness to it, brown sugar, caramel, very malty. Flavor is more of the same, definitely more english barleywine than typical american. Nice lacing on the glass. Good beer.

Pours deep red with a one-finger, yellowish head. The hop aroma opened up my nasal passages on the first whiff. It’s joined by a lovely molasses and brown sugar malt aroma; the two mix very well. Alcohol is present but not overpowering. The flavor is mostly malty and fruity--molasses, licorice, fig--and ends on a slightly bitter note. Mildly alcoholic aftertaste. Syrupy mouthfeel.

Complex aroma, High bitterness and drying finish. Dark colour, much head. Alcohol was strong and hardly tamed by food.