Middle Ages Druid Fluid

Brewed by Middle Ages Brewing
Style: Barley Wine
Syracuse, New York USA

Bottle shared with and courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a slightly hazy ruby with an average size diminishing off-white head. Decent lacing. Nice, complex aroma of hops, fruit (especially berries), sweet malt, brown sugar and alcohol. The taste follows the aroma but is a bit of a letdown, it’s a little harsh and the alcohol is quite present. Maybe aging it would smooth out some of the harshness and alcohol burn? Full bodied and smooth. It was good and I did enjoy it but there are much better Barley Wines out there.

Bottle (12oz). Shared with blankboy. Poured dark clear amber with plenty of tiny bubbles and a solid-looking foamy straw-coloured lasting head. Aroma of dry roast malt, dried berry fruit, dry almost stale hops, and alcohol - develops very nice warm caramel character on warming, as Indra notes, almost a lactic tartness. Taste follows the nose, but is boozier and a little harsh - a fairly long, woody, bitter finish, the fruit character isn’t really there as it was in the aroma. Mouthfeel is sticky, still, fairly thick, and alcoholic. Not bad, but definitely in the middle of the second tier of barley wines.

12oz. bottle, 2004 vintage. Enticing and complex aroma, fruity, sweet and lightly tart, nearly lactic, with suggestions of berry (strawberry, cranberry, raspberry), pomegranate, bubblegum, light brown sugar, faint cinnamon-like spices, red wine, dried, leafy, minty herbs, peppery alcohol and a light, woody yeast element underneath it all. Deep, dark red-orange color, lightly hazy, with a very slight, fine head. Flavor profile is darkly fruity to start, some light citrus noted as well, becoming sweeter midway, the rich malts infused with a certain hop spiciness and for the drying finish, developing some mild bitterness and alcoholic warmth. Lingering fruit aspect and faint tartness, perhaps some very slight acidity and even some mild roastiness very late. Character on the palate is quite smooth and clean, body is appropriately full. This is nearly great, but as it stands is merely very good. Good do with slightly better flavor integration, something I don’t guess aging would correct since the hops are already dropping out of the frame as is, and this unique Barleywine does seem to benefit from their presence. I would certainly think it worthwhile to experiment with different vintages and the effects of proper aging on them, however.

Sweet malty amber fluid. Nice english style barley wine. Subdued hops ride along quite nicely with the malt. It as a malty fruitiness that is not all that defineable. Not overly dark/raisiny/plum like nor is it citrusy/grapefruit like, just nicely in the middle. No oxidation notes. The alcohol blends itself in well although it seems to be creeping up fast. Enjoyable.

Bottle: Courtesy of TheBeerCellar2 via trade. Huge citrus aroma. Lots of orange with moderate caramel and light grapegfruit hoppiness. Pours a dark transparent amber with a big creamy off-white head with great retention. Light caramel up front with a big citrus grapefruit hop and and moderate flowery hop finish. Pretty big alcohol profile in the finish in flavor and warmth.

Medium amber-red. Caramel nose at first, then the harsh alcohol shone like an officer’s flashlight in your eyes. Big caramel malts throughout. Grassy, one-dimensional bitterness. Slight hint of sour milk. Took a while, but sharp alcohol eventually built up the courage to surface, and it proceeded to ruin the nice party goin’ on. It then robbed some complexity and took the stage, annoyingly so. Overall, the beer was kind of nice in some respects, but harsh and erratic in others.

Murked golden caramel color with a small, firmly soft, delicate ivory cap. Cap fades slowly to a thin skim and tight collaring with some bubbles remaining. Intricately strewn inky lacing is etched well across the glass. Aroma has a nice waft of caramel and candied melonish fruit sided alcohol. The heat has a slight spicy mint to it as well as carrying a distinct, clean, woody-like dryness. Taste is pleasingly simple and medium in length with a mild moderate display of caramel, gentle honey, and light butterscotch warmth. Melonness sudsides until the finish where it floats across adding some husks, orange oil, and pear. A slight airy dry woodish hop heat is briefly approached in the alcohlic warmth towards the finish along with a pinch of peppery mint. Tender and warm medium body, adequately soft and smooth with a creamy, easy going texture. Hits a grainy point just before the finishing areas start to do their thing with melony stuff. Nice little finish though, the subtle dryness is just that, subtle. Favorable little turn into warmth with light woodish hops and minty pepper. Very subtle nuances late in this one. A decent sipper here. The warmth is good and the flavors develope nicely. Not the beastly barleywine it could be, but cleanly smooth, soothingly warm, and tender to the buds. Gives more of an impression of an English style then the bigger, hoppier American brutes that I tend to favor. Not bad though.

Dark orange color. Sweet fruits (strawberries and raspberries), as well as some medicinal, herbaceous aroma hops in the nose. Hops are piney and medicinal, while the malt backing is strange and unfitting. Very sweet and just not all that exciting, at all.