Lagunitas Olde Gnarly Wine

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

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.

22 oz bomber. Fresh 2009. Pours a crystal clear copper with a small light tan head. Sweet fruit nose, lots of pineapple, mango scents. Flavors strong with the pineapple too, some banana too. Sweet but not to sticky sweet. Good caramel and vanilla flavors as it warms. Good brew!

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.

Pours caramel brown with minimal light tan head. Aromas of brown sugar, caramel, and slight hops. Sweet malty flavor with hints of grapefruit. Not as hoppy as a lot of American barley wines, more true to the style. Full body with minimal carbonation and a thick, syrupy, stick mouthfeel. A decent barley wine that I will probably have again.

2009 release. Bomber poured into a snifter. Brilliant ruddy scarlet color with a fluffy tan head. The bubbles seem coarse but the retention is solid. Aroma is maple syrup drizzled on ripe grapefruit. Accents of fresh wheat bread, orange, and caramel. Flavor is candied fruit galore. Pineapple, orange, and especially grapefruit. Some caramel and maple syrup again but those notes are truncated by a substantial bitterness. Finish is warming. Body isn’t really full but it’s robust enough. Modest carbonation, semidry finish. A pretty solid barleywine.

Bottle. Pours a rich copper color wih a decent sized beige colored head. Aroma is sweet caramel, light citrus, light fruits. Flavor is caramel, citrus, pear, pineapple, raisin. Palate is medium to full bodied, medum carbonation, finished sweet and lightly warming. Nice brew!

Bottle Poured deep rich red brown with foamy beige head. Much lacing. Rich floral hoppy aroma. Full bodied flavour, caramel oakey and malty. Lasting finish with hoppy tang.

A big thanks to kramer17801 for this bottle. poured a a nice brown with a off white head that left some lacing. aroma, caramel, alcohol ( one of the things I like about barely wines), malts, med dark fruits. flavor the nic balance of malts and fruits was nice. the alcohol was burn was nice. would like to get some more of this.