Marin Old Dipsea Barleywine Style Ale

Brewed by Marin Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Larkspur, California USA

Bomber, shared at Derek’s. Pours apricot orange with a slim white head. Aroma is of sweet fruit, caramel malt, and faint nuttiness. Palate is full-bodied, smooth and almost chewy. Flavors level on a fairly sweet note, but it is decently balanced and quite fruity. Apricot and plum are featured. Not a whole lot of complexity to this one, but with clean sweet malt and floral hops both clearly discernable, it is at last tasty.

Bottle. Poured a dark, reddish brown. Creamykhaki head; medium but long lasting. Aroma was pretty sweet; with alot of chewy caramel,f ruit and dark fruit. Some alcohol. Wow this one was really tasty initially. Alot of brown sugar/cocoa/dough elements. A bit of earthiness and fruit, but not too much. Hops are subdued, which was enjoyable. Flavor got a little worse throughout the tasting, but still good.

Bottle shared by someone at "Drink for Charity" event at Rattle N Hum. Deep brown beer with heavy garnet highlights. Sweet caramel and rich chewy sweet fruits. Rich sweet hoppiness, light caramel and brown sugar. Intensely sweet chewy maltiness and a sticky resiny finish. Lightly hoppy and piny with a lingering fruitiness. Classic Californian barleywine, and a fine example at that.

Tap @ Hamiltons, San Diego. Pours dark brown, beige head. Aroma is malty, caramel, dark fruits. Taste, dark fruits - fig, caramel malts, thick mouthfeel, some good alcohol with a fruity finish, some brown sugar. One fine tasty barley wine.

(tasting notes from 3/9/09) Draft at MBC. Slight white head. Coats the glass after taking a few sops. No appreciable aroma. Profile on the malty side. Somewhat whisky-like aroma. Whisky-like charactor to flavor. Thick body. Despite my description, this was not the BA version.

Bottle at the “Drink for Charity” event at Rattle & Hum. Pours a clear brown with a thin white head. Plums and prunes mostly on the nose, with some sweet malt. Light to medium bodied. Finishes with a nice bitterness and a really nice caramel note. Pretty good.

Bottle. Thanks to JoeyPreK for sharing this one. Pours a mahogany body with a tan head. Salty malt with unrefined sugars, toffee and some bagged dried fruit. Chewy raisins and vinous notes. Good brew.

On tap at Toronado Barleywine Festival. Reddish-Brown pour with a mild beige head. Aroma of dried fruit, malts and toffee. Flavor is full of malts and brown sugar with some dried fruit towards the end of the drink. Very solid barleywine, will probably pick up a bomber soon.