Legend Barleywine

Brewed by Legend Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Richmond, Virginia USA

2007 vintage. Didn’t catch whether or not it was the early or late release. Appearance: Pours a clear, dark amber body with a thin ring of white bubbles. Smell: Aroma of dark caramel with a tiny touch of roast. Fruity notes of raisins and plum skins. As expected with Legend, there’s a distinct butteriness, but far less than I was prepared for. Taste: Dark caramel with a definite taste of butterscotch and a slight overall nuttiness. Full dark fruitiness. Spicy, earthy bitterness. Sweetish finish with a pleasant lingering maltiness. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium-low carbonation. Chewy mouthfeel. Drinkability: Not a bad barleywine. Thankfully, the slight touch of diacetyl didn’t spoil the barleywine proceedings.

2005 bottle. Nice malty barleywine aroma. A hint of good oxidation. Pours with a very small head of small to microbubble. Deep dark amber color. Some smokiness, expecially after it warms up. Flavor has a lot of not-so-pleasant tartness. Kind of funky oxidized tartness, leading me to suspect acetobacter infection. Sweetish.

Bottle, 2007 vintage. Thanks to WeeHeavySD for sharing! Pours a clear reddish-amber with an off-white ring. Malt and brandy aroma, with notes of molasses and dark fruit. Taste starts crisp, of hops, then mellows into a big malt sweetness, with notes of dates and figs. Lingering malty sweetness. Great barley wine.

Bottle thanks to miketd. Poured a deep caramle brown color with a moderate beige head that diminished to a layer and left some lacing. Nice caramel malt aroma, but not much else. Smooth caramel malt entry with undertones of fruit (apple, grape) leading into a lightly bitter, earthy hop finish with some lingering grape on the finish. Smooth, a bit light on the palate. No sign of the alcohol. Thanks Mike.

Dark amber/tawny color with a thin, mostly lasting foam. Mostly malt accented nose, with hints of caramel, dough and toffee. Flavor is nicely balanced, very malty sweet, with hints of caramel and toffee, even a confusing hint of spice. Fairly complex and well crafted. It’s a nice offering.

2007 Vintage via trade with Kmweaver, thanks Ken. Shared dalkeliz, and my girlfriend Cyn. Says 10.5% on the bottle seems crazy, so I don’t know. Pours deep copper with a light tan head. The nose is nice and light and nice overall. Taste is sweet with some caramel and some dark fruit but its too hot right now. I should have put this down longer, but it isn’t terrible now, its just a bit too in my face. As it warms i’m raising my rating.

Courtesy of Degarth. You ROCK!! my friend. Pours deep clear copper with nice tan head. The aroma is nice and rich with caramel, sticky sweet malts, mildly roasted malts, mild pine hops and faint dark fruity esters. The taste has sweet sticky malts followed by a load of roasted to caramel malts and mild melded blunted pine hop bitterness. Very nice. Near the finish the dark fruity esters show up to create a pleasing bookend to the experience.

Bottle courtesy Degarth. Pours a clear amber with a one finger light tan head that leaves good lacing. Aroma of sweet malt, caramel, and a hint of floral hops. Taste is sweet malt, caramel, earthy hops, and toffee. Medium mouthfeel with a moderate amount of bitterness and well hidden alcohol. Very good.