Lakefront Beer Line Barley Wine

Formerly brewed at Lakefront Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

Cloudy amber, very murky, looks a lot like an unfiltered cider. Odd. Nose is malty with some toffee, but is somewhat harsh and astringent. Flavor is off, far too sweet. Is sweet at the first taste and then gets much, much sweeter, and after a few sips it becomes largely undrinkable. It’s like it’s building up some kind of unpleasant, sugar-infused coating in my mouth and it got worse and worse as time went by. It begins to taste like heavily sweetened maple syrup after a while, which barely fights off the burn of wood grain alcohol.

Fairly dark gold with some chunky yeast that came out at the end of the pour. I tried to stop, but it was too late. Slightly sour apple and some hay. Odd aroma for a barley wine. The taste is a little sweet, like pancake syrup and it has some brown sugar. A fairly bitter finish of apple core. A poor version of the style. An odd combination of bitterness and some alcohol burn. Not pleasant.

8/15/04: Bottle.
Aroma of alcohol and malt with some sweet and sour. Flat, burnt-orange body. Rather tranquil looking. Powerful malt flavor which includes fruit (raisin/plum) and alcohol. Quite strong. A good BW, I’m surprised by the overall low rating. 2000 Vintage.

Low carbonation, noe head nor lacing, hazy brown crimson color. Oily sandy legs. The aroma is malty like brown sugar and hoppy like fruity banana or lychee nuts. The flavor is cloying sweet and minerally with a good amount of dry alcohol. Almost taking a tablespoon of nutmeg down but it’s not that bad. Perhaps I was of the few who got a "good" bottle.

Cloudy gold with no head and tiny spots of lace. Musky aroma of fruits and malts. Bitter hops and citrus. Cinnamon. Overly sweet malts in the flavor. Strong alcohol follows. Spicy. Lots of toffee and butterscotch. Chewy palate. A bit cloying. Finishes with sweet alcohol.

Copper in color with lots of chunky floaties - weak aroma, just a touch of fruit - this is the thinnest, most bland barleywine I’ve ever had - there is almost nothing going on besides a background sprinkling of caramel and oats under the otherwise watery, boring taste - flat finish with a bit of hops and an odd, metallic aftertaste.

Looks like apple cider with brown food coloring.1 strike.Smells like this nasty plum wine I often stole from my Mom’s liquor cabinet when I was underage. Strike two.Tastes like this nasty plum wine....Strike three = drain pour.Thanks to whomever gave this to me,be carefull opening your mail !!!

Thick & hazy lightl amber, no head, alcohol clings like syrup to the sides of the glass. Malty, musty, alcoholic, & piney. Lightly woody & solventy; hints of caramel, alcohol gives way to more solventy alcohol and toasty malt as it warms. Fairly thin & solventy flavored; balanced to lightly bitter; caramel, woody & earthy hop; finish is malty & hop flavored, aftertaste turns bitter & earthy hop. Fruitiness if moderate. Smooth but overly warming, full body; very low carbonation. Not a very good BW IMHO. Too bitter & solventy to be drinkable for more than the 6 oz. bottle. Thin & bitter!