Mammoth Charleywine

Brewed by Mammoth Brewing Company
Style: Old Ale
Mammoth Lakes, California USA

A very controlled deep, chocolaty and malty flavor with maybe a hint of oak. Extremely smooth and drinkable for its ABV. More alcohol detected as the beer warms a bit. Would definitely recommend for fans of barleywines and sweeter porters and stouts. (22oz bottle, purchased at Hi Time Wine Cellar in Costa Mesa, CA)

On tap at the brewpub. Dark brown, chocolate covered raisin appearance with a thick finger of large bubbled tan head. Aromas of light chocolate and mild caramel booze, accompanied by a subdued vanilla oak and raisiny malt backbone. Rummy toffee and bourbon charred prunes. Full bodied, creamy carbonated mouthfeel with a soft malty texture. Rich decadent flavors brimming with dark fruit - charred raisins, plums, and prunes, topped with a gentle layer of chocolate. The fruitiness is outstanding, as it’s a perfect marriage of malt and apparent age, although no negative oxidation effects are really noticeable to my palate. Sweet and fruity, but not sticky or cloying. Soft and mellow, with an underlying caramel and toffee maltiness that backs up the blackened fruits beautifully. Clean yeast characters and a minimal hop presence further highlight the wonderful malt complexity of this beer. Toward the finish, a gentle vanilla bourbon breath creates a mild, glowing warmth.

Only five reviews for this beer? It’s been bottled and available in So-Cal since at least early Feb Clear ruby color with a light tan head. Nice cocoa, roasted nut and vanilla aroma. Medium bodied and smooth. Nice nutty, roasty malt flavors with oak and vanilla, tough to spot the 10% here. A very good fire side sipper on a cold March evening, or any of the many hot, sticky Louisiana summer nights for that matter.

brown body with a nice light brown head.aroma is super nutty,along with some roasted malts,and grapefruit.flavor is a nice blend of nuts,dark fruits,caramel malts,brown sugar,and pine type hops.alcohol is well hidden and the mothfeel is super smooth.

22 oz bottle, shared by hopdog? Pours a rather hazy and ruddy amber with a minimal beige head that ran to a thin ring. Nice aroma of sweet caramel and toffee malts, and a nice subtle accent of oak and vanilla. Very well balanced between the barrel and the beer. Not as much sweetness in the flavor as I expected from the nose, more of a toasted, or even nutty character. The toasted oak and vanilla emerge nicely on the finish. Amazingly well hidden alcohol. I got a yeasty pour, but I kinda like the yeast flavor with this beer. Mouthfeel is very relaxed with zero stickiness or hotness. A little bit of a tannic bite on the end that really emphasizes the barrel’s subtle use. This might have been the surprise beer of the evening for me. I really liked the subtlety of this, everything is so well integrated.

Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry, Blankboy, and Garthicus, courtesy of blankboy. Great name. Very dark brown, small white head, looks really interesting. Sweet aroma, mostly caramle. Good taste - strong, sweet, lots of hops - classic strong/barleywine here. Complex very strong stuff. Great.

Bottle 65 cl. Courtesy of JohnC. Pours a clear reddish brown with an off-white head. Sweet caramel aroma with some nice aroma hops. Solid body, lots of burned caramel and a little licorice. Some hops in the finish. Really comes out more like an American style Barley Wine. Very delicious. 231109

Courtesy Beerlando. Dark brown color with a thin broken tan head. Caramel, vanilla, toasted grain, dark fruits. Smooth caramel notes, molasses, sweetness is kept in check and stops short of cloying. A pleasant surprise.