Moylans Old Blarney Barley Wine

Brewed by Moylans Brewery & Restaurant
Style: Barley Wine
Novato, California USA

Dark color. Smell of nuts, dark fruit, alcohol, malt, caramel, bread and hops. Taste of pine nuts, hops, salt, caramel, toffee, citrus, dark fruit and alcohol. Way too bitter and salty.

Wow. Hands down the easiest barley wine I’ve ever had. Aroma was so so. All caramel and nothing else, just not very strong. Pour was a clear deep amber with a one finger tan head. Not murky and unmoving as most. Taste was great. This is how I imagine a well aged BW is. Strong malt flavor in the front, then a heavy roastiness comes out of nowhere and comes up through the sinuses. The roastiness turns to burnt caramel and the aftertaste is strong bitter hops. Very little carbonation, but that roastiness makes up for that. Thinner mouthfeel than a lot of barley wines which I welcome as well. This is one of only a few barley wines that I will buy again.

Medium dark amber color. Lick your lips thick syrup chewy mouthfeel. Sweet carmel flavors balanced by long hoppy finish. This beer almost reminds me of what S.N. Bigfoot tastes like after a year or two of ageing. Flavors are all well balanced. Like a good ’wine drink it now or rest it for another year and see what flavors develop.

Very agressive, especially in the finish. This one is dominated by bitterness, so if you’re looking for thickness, this isn’t it. Strong and agressive throughout.

22 oz shared bomber. Clear copper/tea color w/no head. Strong alcohol aroma. Strong, almost whiskey like flavor to it w/a little bit of tea or toffee to it. This stuff was still way too hot for my taste, I think if you were to age it a few years it might develop some subtleties, but for now it’s just an alcohol bomb. No sweetness or balance on the finish; there are way too many good Barleywines on the market to drink this.

From a bomber. pours a brownish copper color. caramel, tea, and toffee in the aroma. More dark malt, toffee, tea, and some hops in the taste. Alcohol starts to show in the finish.

Bomber. Pours clear copper with a dense and lacy pale tan head. Aroma of caramel, shortbread cookie dough, just a smidge of citrus. Full body and moderate carbonation. Sweet taste of caramel, figs, citrus, leather, whiskey. Pine and earth hop finish. Basically, caramel from start to finish with some supporting flavors.

Bottle: Pours a hazy copper with an off white head. Aroma, citrus and earthy hops, some caramel, slight boozy notes. Flavor, sweet caramel and brown sugar up front, with some citrus and earthy hops on the finish.