Natty Greenes Nathanderthal Barleywine

Date: 04/12/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Hickory Hops

Appearance: muddy burnt orange, wispy beige head,
Aroma: sweet and fruity dark caramel aroma with a brown sugar sweetness,
Body: big body,
Flavor: huge sweet and fruity malt flavor, lots of residual sweetness, very low balancing bitterness, hint of alcohol,
Overall: will age very well

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***/4

From notes 329/06: Picked up some take-home grub tonight from the brewpub for the two of us while my wife was studying tonight...and nabbed a growler to go of this long-awaited sought-after gem. And believe me it thoroughly kicked my arse. The chalkboard proclaims this to be an "old English style barleywine". It fills my St. Bernardus goblet with a murky amber/mahogany color seemingly illuminated from within. Little head; just a mere collar of tan foam. Miniscule lacing; just a random sloppy wet froth. Aromas of a collegian Hairy Buffalo party: alcohol-soaked fruits. Sticky malty sweetness with a marked sugary coating. Madagascar bourbon vanilla and a twinge of resinous pinecone hoppiness. Earthen woody maltiness with a sugary stickiness. Ample hoppiness but not over the top. More dark fruits soaked in ethanol. A fruity yet slightly boozy conglomeration of flavors. Stately English character with a slightly brash American bravado. Sticky mouthfeel. Full and smooth. No way the growler can be drained by one soul in one night; this beer carries a hefty wallop. Warming; and again the attempt at draining a growler floors me. A ballsy beer. Well worth the wait and the weekly phone calls asking when this will be tapped.

On tap at the brewpub, pours a hazy, reddish color with a thick offwhite head. Hoppy and fruity aromas. Tastes of some fruit, some malts, and a bit of caramel. Also tastes of hops and and alcohol. Pretty good one.

Draught at the Brewpub in Greensboro 3/25/06: Hazy opaque redish amber body with a well-retained medium, thick beige head. The aroma is fresh & juicy hops, along with some malty dark fruit. The taste is sweet dry caramel, sugar, strawberries, fruity/salty yeast, strawberry seeds, along with some earthy dry malt. Interestingly this one really grows on you and changes quite dramatically after a few sips. A few sips into the beer distinct notes of earthy roasted malt begin to emerge. Finishes with dry roasted malt, yeast, sweet sugar, and lasting hops. Medium bodied, moderately carbonated, sticky and full in the mouth with light alcohol burn. It’s hopped like an American barleywine but I’ve never tasted delayed dry, roasted malt flavor such as this one and I really like it after a few sips.