Lagunitas Olde Gnarly Wine

In short: A “refreshing” 11% barley wine with generous hopping and nice fruits notes. A classic.
How: Bottle 22oz. Consumed about 8 months after purchase
The look: cloudy golden brown body with a lot of small particles. Medium beige head with medium retention.
In long: Nose has a pleasant mix of refreshing fruity hops and caramel. Taste continues in this direction. Lots of juicy caramel, not toffee, no butterscotch, not whatever-is-sweet, this is pure juicy caramel. Relatively to the style (American Barley Wines) this one has more refreshing fruit flavours, citrus, oranges, pineapples, etc. A good amount of fruity hops here that really alleviate the heavily caramelized body makes This beer surprisingly drinkable. Too many American Barley wines go for the sugary-sweet thickness. This one is a classic example of how to make a not cloying very drinkable big Barley Wine. Relatively cheap, 11%, widely available and very good… AA’s worst enemy.

Overall a great beer. Nose is sweet malt and caramel. The palate is thick and creamy, with a smooth mouth coating property.

22 oz bottle. Nose of malt. Sour malt taste very heavy on the malt. heavy body. Overall good

22 oz bottle. Pours red amber, with a quick pour giving a light yellowy tan head. Caramel aromas with some bitter hops, dark fruits, and a bit of alcohol, but a touch muted. Flavors of caramel, bread, toasty biscuit, a touch of hoppiness, some raisin, and some significant alcohol. Bitter citrus hops come through in the finish with some more alcohol. Tasty beer once I get past the initial alcohol shock, but the alcohol remains a bit intrusive throughout.

Bottle from Kegs & Barrels in Plano, TX. Pours a nice, clear, deep reddish brown with nice thick beige head. Aroma is sweet, molasses, brown sugar, very malty, dark fruit, cherries, caramel, kinda complex. Flavor is very sweet, cherries, dark fruit, brown sugar, molasses, malty, appears to be a little oaky, I do detect a hop presence, caramel and faint balancing bitter. Mouth feel is heavy body with low-medium carbonation. Over all, thats some pretty good shit!!!!

Wow. Now that is a Barley Wine. Pours a deep reddish brown with a strong beige head. Lacing is not forgotten, even with the 11% hammer that this brew can lay down on you. The aroma is where this baby really shines. Thick and doughy with notes of cherry, strawberry, and big malt sweetness not unlike a scotch ale. Someone mentioned pepper, but I get that more in the flavor. Malt forward as most barleywines are, but with a rising bitterness that melds beautifully with the long, but not cloying, salty sweet finish. I’d say pour me another, but I’d probably keel over.

Had a chance to try the 2007 vintage at Max’s American Beer Fest. Pours a dark, translucent amber with a wispy head. Aroma has some characteristics of a fresh barleywine and some of an aging one. Some hops, lemons and grapefruits mostly, some sweetness like cookie dough and caramel and some light nuttiness. Flavor is the same, sweet caramel, doughy, some crackers, a little bit of grapefruit. Slick and salty on the tongue which is my favorite part of an aging barleywine. I’d say this one is probably peaking.