Left Hand Oak Aged Widdershins

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

Bottled. Vintage 2007. 9.1 ABV. Pours out in a hazy orange colour with a lively lasting white foam. Dense orangey and spicy hops in the aroma with touches of pine-needles, flowers, dried fruit and earth. Full flavour of oak, orangey hops, grass, anise, vanilla, black pepper, wood and alcohol. Full-bodied. Long oaky and peppery finish with touches of orange-peels, mild flowers and apricot. I liked the non-barrel edition but I rank this one a bit higher. Not your typical over-hopped US Barley Wine and the barrel aging just adding some extra components without totally take over the base of the beer.

2007 Vintage, bottle conditioned. Sent a photo to be uploaded. Aroma is heavy on the hops with alcohol, oak, raisin, and some light malts present. Large, creamy, off white head on pour with decent lacing. Murky orangy-brown hue. Taste wasn’t pleasent for me. Very bitter and sour upfront with a strong woody feel, with lots and lots of alcohol. Ultra fizzy carbonation masks anymouthfeel.

Thanks kurt for the sample at the Tiki Top beer tasting extravaganza.! I love this beer, it poured a beautiful orangish amber color with light on top and dark on bottom....says kurt. The sedement on the bottle gave it a nice touch and the taste was not overpowerling sweet for a barley wine. If you can find this beer..PURCHASE!!!

2007 bottle. deep amber color with a nice khaki head. wood and fruit on the nose with hints of malts and hops. very sweet taste like candy and a slight woody flavor. very good barley wine here.

Had on tap at Brews. Pour was a nice dark amber color, slight creamy head. Sweet aroma of caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and malts. Holy cow do just adore barley wines. And while barrel aged ones arent my favorite, this one was very good. The oak was very mild. Alcohol not overwhelming. Taste was sweet caramel, vanilla, citrus, and malts...Very very light wood flavor, and a bit of hops on the finish.

Corked bottle, vintage 2007, 9.1% ABV
Hazy dark amber to chestnut color; creamy head, a thin layer is persistent, and nice, chaotic lace. Nice aroma of malt, caramel, soil, earthy hops, yeast, very light manure. Full bodied, it has a very good caramel flavor (like rhubarb candies), with a strong hopping of a very good quality, resiny; with the sweetness that I look for in a beer. It has of course a long and powerful final, bitter and sweet, like some less herbal Italian digestive liquors (Cynar), where just the alcohol is warming the mouth. I don’t notice the oak. Could as well be an American Strong Ale, since the hop almost prevail on the malt. The aroma is more complex, but the flavor and palate are more fulfilling. Straightforward, but extremely hedonistic, excellent.

2007 bottle (Thanks for sharing Jerel!) ORangy hazed with a light tan to creamy head. Bandaids and socks over a lightly sweet light malt. A small bit of fruit. Not watery, but a bit thinner for the style, with low carbonation. Smokey set malt. soem oak. Swet with some light fruit. Low carbonation. Oaky astringency in the finish. I guess I’ll sit on my bottle for a bit longer.

Hot and over-hopped. A generous portion of yeast at the bottom though, so I think I wills et a few back for at LEAST a year.