Left Hand Oak Aged Widdershins

Brewed by Left Hand Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Longmont, Colorado USA

Lightly hazed dark amber to copper color with a large, lasting light khaki colored head. I’m tempted to give the appearance a 5 but the head is nearly too big for the style. The aroma is hitting me the wrong way. While I catch glimpses of good stuff, I am catching some real nasty thing in my book. Rotting silage and wood, along with a medicinal component, that the longer I smell reminds me of really bad whiskey. Some floral hops and rich caramel as well, but the other things keep driving me away. LIght caramel start. Some hints of wood and wintergreen in the middle. Quite heavy in the oak department. Fairly hot feeling as well. The aroma does seem to mellow as it sets in the glass but the first 15 minutes were not pleasant. For me a paradoxical brew, with a few more low note, than high.

Bottle, 75cl. Hazy amber colour with a tan head. Floral, hoppy aroma, a bit fruity. Bitter, hoppy taste, some more fruity notes. Didn’t detect any notes from the oak casks. Quite tasty.

75 cl bottle, thanks to larsniclas. Amber color, creamy offwhite head. Smoky malt aroma, toffee, ash and wood notes, some alcohol. Malty, smoky flavor, plums, smoke, ash and tar. Smoky finish with tar notes.

Translucent, glowing and copper bronze in color with jagged bubble cloisters at the top. Plums, golden figs and golden raisins line the nose with rhubarb, honeyed cherry blossoms and burgundy cherry glazing pistachios. Bright flavor takes on intonations of apricots and balsawood. Golden honey on golden wheat bran flakes. Sweet, toasty complexity with an expansive flavor profile. Brandy apple butter drums in the distance with an ample supply of carbonation yet highly balanced all around. Candied plums in a maple like nectarine sauce linger with a singing, toasty sweetness on the medium to fuller body, fading out with blanched raisins, golden figs and apple butter on applewood for a mild oaken characteristic.

cloudy orange body with a medium light tan head. aroma has only faint hints of oak. Caramel sweetness is balanced by bitter, but only mildly fruity hops. Alcohol is present but not too up front. Less wood than is typical, but enjoyable.

Hazed orange, thin white fizzy head. Oaked pineapple dried dark fruit aromas warm to further citrus cream-like notes. Dry bitter tropical fruit and vanilla wood flavors balance on a touch of sugary smoke and citrus in the end. Full bodied with lively carbonation. A nice winter sipper. Thanks for sharing, argo0!

(750ml bottle) Small off-white head atop cloudy amber body. Aroma is medium sweet, raisin, floral/grapefruit, light wood. Taste is moderately sweet, grapefruit, raisin, some wood, nectarine. Medium-full body.

Murky and cloudy amber orange colored body with some suspended yeast particles in my pour. Strange fruity funkified nose of cheese, wood, wax, and twangy orange flavored malts. Sharp, dry and oaky, for sure, but lacking any sort of depth to the actually barley wine – there’s just not much here. Some light resinous sweet malts, some dry but transparent hops, and a little bit of a funky armpit smell when it’s warmer. Strange beer.