Moylans Old Blarney Barley Wine

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

The aroma is quite lackluster on this beer. A little bit of carmel malt or toffee smell comes through, maybe some nutty or bready smell...just a little, and then maybe a hint of some hops come through. nothin stands out and nothing really "wows" me from it. The body/mouthfeel on this is fairly weird to me, it starts off very thick and creamy...very good, but then finishes very light and almost thin. Not quite sure what to make of it. The flavos are pretty bland, not really my ideal barleywine. its not bad, but far from good...just very mediocore. I dunno, I really just dont have much to take away from this beer...I guess one thing to take away was that the 10% alcohol was very well hidden.

Bottle courtesy of Hogtownharry: Poured a nice burgundy color ale with an above average foamy head with good retention. Aroma of sweet malt and some powerful hops. Taste has some caramel malt with some sweetness reminiscent of plums with an aftertaste that has some citrusy hops. Body is a bit too light for the style IMHO and alcohol was well hidden. Not bad overall but I generally like my barleywine to be more malt base then a hoppy affair.

Pours quite dark for the style, almost like an Olde Ale. Deep red with a creamy head. Very pleasant dark caramel malt aroma with notes of leather, vanilla and hops. Very tart and bitter. Super silky almost slick mouthfeel. Good flavors of toffee and hops with some fruit. The tartness throws me though. Still, I could drink a few and would like to try it closer to the source.

22oz bottle: Pours to a mostly clear, deep amber colored body that shows some pinkish red highlights when held to light. The head is medium sized, tan colored, creamy and lasting. Aroma shows a bit more balance of malt and hops than I’ve come to expect from American brewers, not that this is bad thing. There’s some sticky sweet caramel, toast, along with some fruity scents, possibly coming from the hops, which show just a bit of bitter grapefruit and grass. Taste is bread crust, caramel, light biscuit, light alcohol (though it’s not over-the-top for 10%), apples, figs, juicy pears, floral, grassy, and grapefruit hops, along with just a hint of sherry (maybe my bottle is a few months old?). There seems to be some nice carmelization flavors present and I’m wondering if they just brewed this one with a pale malt and boiled the hell out it to achieve the color and flavor profile. Finishes with some hints of pepper, kiwi, and bitter pine hops. Medium bodied, medium carbonation, nice fine bubbles can be felt on the tongue.

Translucent and opulent pinkish-safire in color with a heavy tan dust and oily lining to the head, though consecutive pours yield a fuzzier creation. Aroma is ripe and deep. Brandy and pitted cherries interweave in vats of fig juice. Rhubarb and red raspberries impart some aromatic color while buckeyes rolled in red clay twine with caramel, spruce and brandy alexanders. Moylan’s flavor house character comes through instantly, and the pralines and prunes then pull through with a liqueur-enhanced mince meat pie filling quality. Peppery spice flicks at the cusp of each sip, bordering cayenne territory, though the next sip’s juicy, dark fruited fig flavor bursts over top of it. Maraschino-basted plums give off flavors of sugary, stewed beets while pomegranate kernels impart an acidic depth as if preserved by brandy. Buttery juniper-spiced almonds come out more the deeper we dive, and the mouth feel remains modestly bigger than medium bodied. Cherry spruce and a lick of authentic tequila fill in for the finish while Asian plum sauce and red currant marmalade smooth over everything. Thanks for the bomber, tpkenned!

Ruby brown, tan head. Nose is lots of dark fruit, some tobacco, a bit of iced tea. Flavor is caramel, tobacco, dark fruits, alcohol. Quite bitter finish.

Cloudy mahogany body with little head. Aroma is malty with significant alcohol. Flavor is intense, plenty of hops there but mostly a rich caramely maltiness. Lots of alcohol warmth. The finish is sticky and bitter. A big, flavorful beer.

Pours deep mohagany w/ a medium semi creamy froth. First aroma from bottle was cotton candy. Aroma from glass is sweet malt, grapefruit rind w/ slight biscuits. Full nectar w/ soft residual effers. Possesses a fresh, semi sweetness w/ leather, tobacco, caramel candy, cocoa, cherries, w/ a zesty orange thing going on. It’s malty alright but the flavor is muted and a little weak on the palate. Theres a hop on the finish pushing a sharp bittering that provides stability to it’s equalibrium. Overall: This brew will get the job done at 10% and not knowing it. Like a bat to the head in a dark alley. The complexities are there but the body/palate left me hangin’. It wasn’t chewy enough. For a barley wine I expected more umph. It’s the best value barley wine at $4.99 for a 22 ozzy.