McNeills Bucksnort

Formerly brewed at McNeills Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Brattleboro, Vermont USA

On tap. Dark red/brown with white head. Aroma is powerful of alcohol and fruit. Taste is super complex with fruit, chocolate, molasses, maltiness, hoppiness, all sorts of stuff. Hold on, I thought I didn't like barley wines. I was WRONG.

Reddish color with candy corn in nose and flavor. Mildly bitter finish. Good but not great.

On tap at the brewery, 3/8/03. Totally opaque reddish brown, thin wispy bubbly head; really powerful sweet fruity nose, predominantly grapes and cherries. I am off. The beer geek in me starts to fade. I am transparent, I am open to this experience. I know that what hits my tongue will not merely be beer, it will be Something Else. It is malt that hits me first, thick, rich, syrupy malt. Potent flavors come next, cherries and raspberries and vanilla; the fruitiest non-fruit beer, the fruitiest non fruit-juice that has graced my lips. Caramel, chocolate, rum all appear in their turn. The world is whirling; I don't taste alcohol, but I believe this is 14%, this half-pint is blowing me away will I return will I return do I want to return. Hops bring me back, potent Seville-orange bitter marmalade hops; a powerful teeth-and-tongue cleaning finish, toothpaste for the soul with bitter chocolate for the Devil.

McNeills best, which means, one of the world's best. I would give it a perfect score, but I challenge Ray McNeill to do even better. Be the world's greatest brewer. You are close, oh so close.

14% abv. This beer is freakin phenominal. Pours a deep ruddy ruby hue. Smells of dark fruit and port. Big chewy malts, full bodied, candied fruit, vinous, raisons, plums dates, molasses chocoalte and all sorts of other stuff. I have this all the time on draught at a lovely little bar in Amherst. Most impressive, very quaffable at such a big weight. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!