Lagunitas Olde Gnarly Wine

Brewed by Lagunitas Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Petaluma, California USA

Tap at the blind Tiger 2009 version: Deep amberish copper with a tanish head. Big sweet aroma- chewy crystal malt sweetness, vanilla notes, a touch of minty character from the hops underneath all the caramelized thick maltiness. A bit sticky, but not cloying. Huge crystal malt sweetness- lots of residual sugars giving off vanilla- but there is a big resiny/minty hop presence to offer some bitterness. Needs time to mellow (I took one sip of someones 2007 version and it was way more balanced and subtle with notes of tobacco, but I rated strictly from the 2009 version.)

I lost my notes so this is from memory. The bottle was about a year old, split with Lukin and feedmecookies. Aroma was very odd, stale stinky cheese and gasoline, rotten eggs, bitter hops and sweet malts. Lots of caramel in the flavor but is dominated by a spoiled milk flavor and zucchini. Tough to drink, minerally, very unappealing.

Release 2002: A beclouded burnished copper color on the pour, the head mastodonic in size, spumescent in texture, a winsome tan in color, the residual lace a thick and glutinous sheet to meld with the glass. Hints of pineapple, bubble gum, sweet malt, fresh and appetizing is this nose, start ambrosial, thick malt, the top middling in its feel to the palate. Finish is spitefully acidic, the hops biting in their spiciness, the aftertaste alcohol bitter, long lasting and a nice “Belly Warmer”, and a fine beer from a fine brewery.

Coldwater, slightly fishy, rich APA aroma. Pretty good label on the bomber, appearance ding for the twistoff, standard, clear AIPA red-brown. Mouthy, viscous - you can see it in the pour, it has a gelled look to it as you fill the glass. Discombobulated flavor, over-the-top AIPA. Sweet, doughy, woody, huge hops. PIne sol finish, which goes on way too long. A big, clumsy, ham-handed brew. Market Square Liquors.

Bottle (2004) pours a viscous translucent reddish hued dark amber, medium off-white foamy head, lovely lacing, with very light carbonation.   Sweet alcoholic nose with only a subtle hint of bready malts.   Very thick and viscous on first sip, with a sharp hop bite that quickly settles to a nice super sweet malty background.   This one I think will age very well.   Full bodied with a very viscous mouthfeel.   Slightly cloying, but I think over time that will mellow out to produce a fantastic Barley Wine.   Finishes sweet, with a bready maltiness that hangs on.   While the alcohol is noticable in the aroma and on the tongue, it isn’t sharp nor detracting.   I think I should pick up more of this to lay down for a while.   YUM!

[148-20061221] 650mL. Sweet syrupy maple aroma with light woody notes. Clear, red-amber body. Flavour extends sweet maple into aftertaste, heavy on the alcohol and caramel toffee-like characteristics. Medium-full body. Very nice togetherness, not like others’ afters. (8/4/9/4/16) 4.1

[2363B-20090731] Growler. Nice sweet malty toast aroma. Clear, dark amber brown body with a quick light tan head. Long sweet malty syrup flavour has some toasted honey yeast in it. Medium-full body. Very tasty! (7/3/8/3/17) 3.8
(w/ others @ BCTC; Cooperstown, NY)

Bottle shared with GregClow, Blankboy, Hogtown Harry, Jerc, and Mabel, courtesy of Blankboy. Strong malt aroma, tons of alcohol as well - oh so very nice. Dark brown, medium foamy head. Great taste - tons of malt and alcohol. Long complex linger. What a balanced great tastting Barleywine, more please.

(1999 Bottle) Appearance: Pours a brownish-red body with a very thin, off-white head. Smell: Aroma overflowing with sweet-smelling caramel along with notes of vanilla and dark fruits. Lightly boozey. Very faint hint of wet paper lurking in there as well. Taste: Rich, sweet maltiness with flavors of dark caramel. Mild vanilla note. Some dried dark fruits. Only a very, very subtle earthy bitterness remains. A bit of oxidation has taken up residence. A mellow alcoholic finish with an emphasis on the candylike malt sweetness. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Nicely warming. Drinkability: Good stuff! A very well put-together barleywine from Lagunitas.