Lagunitas Olde Gnarly Wine

22oz. bottle. 2006 vintage. Nice aroma and a reddish brown aspect. Hops are there but subtle and integrated. The malt stands out with a decent amount sweetness blended with toffee, honey, and tones of toasted multi-grain bread. Clearly benefits from the month in tank as it is much better integrated than others of the style at this early stage. quite nice.

Clear brown color with an off-white head. Sweet caramel aroma. Sweet caramel flavor with some mild bitterness.

’04 bottle. rusty amber color, a little cloudy. syrupy malt aroma. flavor is hoppy, and syrupy malt. a little bite in the end/finish. nice west coast BW. couldn’t find any of this in CA, finally got a bottle from Landis Deli in Wayne PA.

From Bottle. Cherry amber colored pour with a small beige head that quickly diminishes to a sticky caramel ring. Aroma of starwberries glazed with caramel sauce and garnished with tangerine zest and a fresh squeeze of peach juice. Thick, syrupy mouthfeel with tons of sweet passion fruit, mango, sticky pineapple, and ripened pear. Pleasantly sweet palate is followed nicely by some white grapefruit hop tones, but could be a touch stronger to minimize the cloying effect of the sugary fruits. Final smack of spiced fig and maple syrup.

aroma more harsh than sweet, acidic, makes my nose hairs itch. i love the color and just the right head, tight. Mapley sweet, slightly smokey flavor then the hops ride through the top--elements of eaul intensity but i wont say balance since there’s little middle ground. my lips are sticking together while my tongue wants a little mercy

Tap at Falling Rock. I believe it was the 2005. My friend had an Arrogant Bastard and Gnarly Wine was definitely a little lighter / more orange in comparison. Sweet smelling, and pretty sweet in flavor. Medium-thick mouthfeel. Good, sweet malt base, backed with a strong amount of hop bitterness and flavor. I am still fairly new to barley wines, and I favor them more balanced towards hops and bitterness than this one, but I enjoyed this.

1999 vintage sampled in early 2006. Deep orange amber. Nose bready, some sweet fruit. Sugary. Hops are quite muted by this point, good malt base, candyish sugars, some banana and berry. Has aged rather well.

Tap @ Toronado Barleywine Festival in San Francisco. 2004 Vintage. Pours a cloudy reddish orange color. Prunes, ripe fruit, citrusy hops, with a smooth roasty finish. One of my favorites at the festival.