Lagunitas Olde Gnarly Wine

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

Sweet currant/sherry aroma with spicy pine, solid 2 finger head lasts a bit and holds its shape, deep ruby color. Plenty of flavor, not all of it married yet. Oak, plum, and the sharp sting of alcohol all coexist and if I could lay a few down I’m sure they’d blend together great.

I tend to like Lagunitas. Find them "unsophisticated" very often and keep going back to see what it is that makes me think that. Guess they are near the target, but not on the mark for being a superior product. And I guess I would add that I'm inferior for not being able to note exactly what it is that I'm saying. This beer is a move in the right direction for me. First sip was fine, but not spectacular. Just seemed to get progressively better so that by the end I was thoroughly enjoying it. Maybe it was the affect of the whole, but I've had plenty of high ABV brews that left me unimpressed. Barleywine traits all there: malty sweet and the American hop wallop to delight the tongue.

Bottle... Poured a crystal clear ruby with a thin beige head. Faint sugary malt aroma with an earthy character. Really thick palate and very syrupy with a slight foamy effect. Very sweet and tart, lots of brown sugar and warm oak alcohol notes. Blend of toffee and caramel with a bit of hops to follow up the earthy and leafy pesences. Malt aftertaste. Overall it’s really delicious and probably the best I have had from this brewery.

22 oz bottle. Pours a dark copper color with a small off-white head. Aroma is mild dried fruits, with a touch of hops and a LOT of alcohol. A pretty decent barleywine.

Dark amber color with a beige head. Aroma and flavor of dark fruits/berries, toffee and hops.

Pours a nice reddish brown color. Aroma was very strong, of dark fruits, sweet malts and alcohol. Flavor was very malty, not all hopped up like many other american barleywines.

Aroma is rather restrained but mostly hoppy, citrus, twinge of pine. Appearance is quite attractive amber with off white head that is modestely retained. There is good lacing. Flavor is a bit edgy. I think this will benefit from aging. Anyway, flavor is initially hoppy/bitter. The finish is all barleywine, sweet and lingering. Good not great barleywine.

Draft at the Blind Tiger. Copper color, only a little bit of head. The aroma was typical for the style; lots of caramel malt, a little pepper, and some maple syrup. The flavor is strong caramel malt, very sweet, and somewhat fruity. I think this is a slightly above average barleywine.