Lagunitas Olde Gnarly Wine

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

Draught. Candy-sweet nose, cherry with light hop aroma. Perfectly clear red with a thin off-white head. Very full-bodied with lots of strawberry flavor. Slightly cloying, but not terribly so. Light alcohol in the finish.

22oz bottle. Pours a clear, but very dark red, almost brown body. Creamy, finger-width, light brown head that dissipates slowly and leaves a good amount of lacing. Looks very syrupy and thick. Aroma is heavily malted. Lots of berry fruits and caramel. Big raisin and plum smells with some brown sugar and a hint of citrusy hoppiness in the background. Flavor is very similar to the aroma. Deliciously and heavily malted. Very sweet. Raisons and plums, again. Lightly spiced and an underlying citrus hop balance. Slightly boozy, but not as warming as some other barley wines. Palate is full bodied, smooth, and oily. Sweet malty and light bitter linger. Overall, a nice sipper and an excellent beer. Its not the best barley wine out there, but it certainly is far from the worst. Good stuff.

Pours a small head with a reddish brown body. Tastes of raisins, citrus, with a strong alcohol and bitter finish. Syrupy mouthfeel.

Mmmmm Mmmm delicous. Pour a real purty red-gold pour with very minimal slightly bubbly head. Nose big on heavy malt with lots of sugary sweetness. Dark fruits mixed in as well as a few of the lighter ones as well. Raisin and prune swirl around with a great caramelly mix. Flavorwise it was a true treat. Cherries mixed with all the forementioned aromas with a big but delightful alcohol presence.

On tap at Jerry’s. Red-copper with good, tan head / Nose of caramel, malt, pine and citrus / Full bodied, sweet, with moderately syrupy malts and some hops on the fine finish / Flavors of caramel, fresh pine, pineapple / A barleywine with a touch of ipa.

Clear amber color with a thin, white head. It has a malty, oaky aroma with a touch of alcohol and hops. Full body with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel and little carbonation. Flavors are malt dominated with some hops and fruitiness in the finish. The alcohol is well hidden. Very drinkable for such a big beer. Nicely balanced and tasty, probably the best besides the Maximus IPA I have tried from Lagunitas.

2008 Vintage. Shared a bottle of this with wetherel and Sean at the PP Bottle Shop. Dark amber appearance with little head and surface bubbles. Leathery caramel aroma with fruitcake and a sweet wet-cardboard tone. The flavor is caramel-covered cherries that gives the finish a sweet tang. Kind of weird. Syrupy body. Obviously it needs at least 6 months of age to improve.

Beatiful ruby/brown pour with a creamy tan head. Sugary sweet aroma with a huge boquet of hops. Full bodied. There is a lot going on here in the flavor department. Dried, dark fruits. Brown sugar. Citrus, piney hops. Sweet malty finish. Alcohol is definitely in the house here, warming and strong. This is an excellent barley wine.