Newport Storm 00

Formerly brewed at Coastal Extreme Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Middletown, Rhode Island USA

Bottled obtained in trade with desurfer (at the time named risurfer). Vintage is 2000, obviously. Muddy coppery brown pour to this and the head is faded tan froth. Nose is big dark fruits, brown sugar, caramel, sweet malts, rum cake, and hints of port. Taste is more fruit notes (raisins, figs, plums), sweet chewy malts, brown sugar, chewy caramel, light toffee, and subtle alcohol notes. At times this reminds me of the Westvleteren 12 I drank earlier today. Body is slick and creamy with light warmth and a light-medium overall feel. Finishes with more dark fruits (black cherries, raisins and figs), caramel, sweet malts, rum cake, brown sugar and light alcohol. Nice!

Newport Storm 00 pours to a deep brown color with a slight white head, and a soft carbonation. When held to the light, this beer is really a brilliant, deep amber color. The nose on this beer is very impressive. VERY fruity, estery aromas of plum, pear, and pineapple marry with a touch of sweet malt aroma. The palate is a lean malt backbone with a nice back drop of crisp, biscuit malt, sweet malt, and chocolate malt flavors. I was surprised how thin this beer was, but this is not a major criticism. I would have liked this beer to be a little less attenuated, and to have a bigger body, but make no mistake, there is plenty of character and flavor in this beer. As with the nose, ripe, fruity, estery flavors grab hold of the tongue. I picked up more flavors of plum, and pear, along with a touch of yeasty flavor as well. Newport Storm 00 finishes with more fruity flavor paired with chocolate and sweet malt character up front. It is balanced with some nice hop character, and a slightly warming burn. This beer is DANGEROUSLY drinkable, you would never guess from its lean, smooth body, and fruity flavors, that this beer is 11.5% abv. This beer followed no stylistic guidelines, it was brewed with quality ingredients, and this recipe will not be used again, making 00 a very rare and unique beer. It is packaged in a beautiful cobalt blue, corked 750ml bottle, very appealing to the eye. This beer was delicious and very well done. It was a pleasure to ring in the New Year with this beer. This is a strong beer that could be laid down for a few years, and will improve with age. I believe in a few years, some of those big, fruity, estery flavors and aromas will fade, and more of the malt character and alcoholic strength, will come through. This is an excellent sipping brew. I would match this beer with strong and sharp cheeses, desert, or enjoy by itself.

Pours copper with an almost non-existent white head (scattered bubbles at the surface and little more). Smells of oak, scotch, orange peels, dough, and oily (best way to describe it). Taste is very complex with lots of fruit and cognac like qualities. This has definitely stood the test of time. Buttery warming alcohol mouthfeel with a lasting butterscotch like finish.

I fell in love as soon as I poured this in my glass. This is the deep down dark chocolate brown color I look for in a polyester suit and a barley wine such as this . Impeccable taste, just...umm....phenomenal!

Raisins, caramel, brown sugar, and rich vinous undertones in aroma. Sticky, lasting patches of head clinging to the side of the glass. Apple and doughy malt notes meld with alcohol and subtle hops as the sadly uninteresting flat finish reveals honey and vanilla.

Garnet color. Finely carbonated with a cakey beige head. Impressive aroma of brandy-steeped plums and titanic bready malt notes drizzled with vanilla and only hints of alcohol. Dense, but soft and fluffy on the palate. Sweet, but airy and balanced, with a coarse brandy texture shaped and pillared by a sound bready malt base. Slight tannic grip, yet, remarkably, with minute alcohol presence. Completely muted hop flavor. Endlessly dry, woody, and grittily tannic with a relaxed, but rhythmic, silky malt finish interwoven with balancing notes of overripe plum skin and brief echoes of melted toffee, brandy, and vanilla hints. It’s tough to discern if they’ve used less malt in this version, in comparison to earlier releases, or if the, albeit slight, oxidation is to blame for its slight lack of body. Nevertheless, the sweetness is well composed, there’s very little acidity to speak of, and the alcohol is nearly undetectable. Thanks, michiganmiked!

Muddied purple color with a small tan head and nice lacing on the glass. Spicy malts, and citrus fruits, tangerine. Sweet, and amazingly complex taste. Chocolate, vanilla, caramel/toffee, softly vinous, spicy alcohol burn. Very full and round palate. This was freaking incredible, thanks EddieG!

I thought I would never see one of these, until one day the whole set of pre-'03 vintages appeared at the store. This is the first that I am trying. A small tan head sits atop a deep mahogany body. The aroma is heavenly, a combination of woody and vinous notes with just the slightest hint of alcohol. Silky smooth palate, very little carbonation. The vinous notes in the aroma are also in the flavor, dark berries and an alcohol warmth that is very pleasant. Just the slightest bit of hop bite, as this has been aged over 3 years. Dry, warm finish. Absolutely wonderful!