Marin Old Dipsea Barleywine Style Ale

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

Bottle. A red brown beer with a off-white head. The aroma is of caramel malt, nutty, dried fruits and hops. The taste is light sweet of caramel malt, dried fruits and hops. Medium body with a sweet finish.

Bottle. Cloudy red brown coloured with an off white head. Sweet aroma of caramel, malts, fruits and dried fruits. Sweet flavour of caramel, dried fruits, hops and pine needles.

Bottle. Average creamy off-whtie head that mostly diminished. Fair lacing. Light cloudy body with an amber color. Aroma was rye bread, caramel, grain, nutty, light floral, peach and hint of butter. Full bodied with a sticky and alcoholic texture. Moderated sweet flavor with light notes of bitterness. Sweet finish.

(Bottle 65 cl) Pours a hazy, reddish amber golden with a small, off-white head. Lightly tart caramel aroma. Medium body with sweetish caramel and fruit. Very subdued bitterness with a vague, underlying tartness. 170607

Sampled May 2007
Pours with a slightly cascading, initially three-finger thick, amber-tinged, tan colored head that has some staying power. The beer is a clear, dark, purple tinged, deep amber color that shows some ruby hues around the edges if held up to the light. The aroma is a rich mix of malt and hops; aromatic notes of caramel, toffee, sweet citrus, bergamot, caramelized-candied orange peel, tangelo, lychee and a touch of warming citrus brandied alcohol overtones towards the end. Biscuit malt notes, slightly roasted soda crackers are noticeable in the finish if you really dig for them.

This beer has a medium fullness to it, that is perhaps a touch light for a barleywine, but given that this predates the Double IPA phenomenon, it is quite appropriate. The malt sweetness really accentuates a candied orange peel-like flavor; fresh, vibrant and citrusy, this is a really clean, fruity hop character. The beer finishes with a toasty malt character, as well as a lingering sweetness and a touch of balancing bitterness. The bitterness is not at all abrasive, but does have a hint of astringency to it, perhaps accentuating a touch of herbal pine-like character, and even hints of dusty cocoa powder.

This is a really nicely crafted Barleywine; it is not the biggest or the baddest, but is clean, well balanced and quite vibrant tasting. It is quite quaffable too, which at 9% is certainly a bit dangerous. One of the better Barleywines I have had in a while. Actually it is one of those Barleywines that I think is meant to be drunk young, as I don’t think it will improve with any real age to it.

Poured from a 22 oz bottle a hazy red to brown with a medium tan head and moderate lacing. Nose was of fruits and floral hops, and the mouthfeel was rich. Flavor was sweet malts and hops. and you can sense the alcohol. Finish somewhat bitter with a nice hoppy finish.

Transparent cherry amber in color with a milky, tan khaki wrung and a thin ice sheaf on top. Aroma hums with red currant, licorice, anise and plum port sauce. Candied beets and rutabagas make it in through the earthen gate hatched at the back door of the nose. Flavor pushes through with toffee and rum buttering caramel-soaked graham cracker crust. Full bodied red currant jam massages oil throughout the palate. Bing cherries capped with plums, port and brandy stew form a highly palatable crème brulee. A hint of mulberry slips through the oil, and the caramel amaretto liquor sauce gets chewed on as the substance is digested. Perhaps the thickest mouthfeel I’ve felt through a barleywine. Licorice root and herbal gardenias team with a cherry hop bitterness as the thick caramel, plum and port convection squeeze a touch of baby concords in the final recession. Thanks much for the 2005 bomber, tpkenned!

$4 tap pour from Stone. Nice clean hoppy aroma. Dark color for a barleywine. A little young, but great for it’s age. Cell balanced, but maybe a hair on the bitter side. Decent lacing. Better after it warms up a bit. 4/29/08: Rerate. same as before. See my rating for the barrel aged version (kicks A: 4.9)