Nils Oscar Barley Wine

Brewed by Nils Oscar
Style: Barley Wine
Nyköping, Sweden

Nearly translucent amber body, ranging from a cherry-mahogany blend all the way across the spectrum to deep orange. Thin off-white head is mostly diminishing. Oily appearance. Aroma is mellow and smooth, accessible. Caramel, nuts, minor must, yeast character is mild, light floral hops. Flavor melding signifies at least twelve months of age for this lightly filtered beer(unsure of age). High residual sugars streamline the malt profile and ease the transition down to the belly. Caramelization and pan-scorch notes are pleasant. Sweetness is medium to medium-high, bitterness low-mild, lingering mild astringency. Finishes lightly bitter, caramel reluctant to fade. Minor oxidative sherry notes and hints of a brandy wash. Soft, mellow carbonation, smooth and medium bodied with light airy pockets. An all-too-typical offering within the genre is still very pleasant and highly drinkable.

Bottle from Capone’s. Clear copper with off-white head. Aroma is funky yeast, figs, hops, fruit, cabernet, very Duck Rabbity BW aroma. Tastes caramel malty, with hops, fruit, and some funk notes.

50 cL bottle. Pours golden amber to deep orange, clear, with a diminishing light orange head. Deep barley and malty aroma, clear notes of alcohol and slight dried fruity. Flavour is soft malty with a dried corn/barley fruity note blending well in with the strong alcohol flavours. Ends slight warming and with the same persisting barley flavour. Soft mouthfeel and good balance.

Bottle thanks to the Pud: Pours a clear copper color with an off white head. Aroma, caramel, malty notes, sweet with some smoke and fruity hints. Flavor, boozy fruits, caramel, brown sugar, some earthy bitterness on the finish. Pretty good stuff.

Thanks Bobo!!!! Pours a nearly crystalline copper color. Aroma is warming and a touch muted. Some dried orange peel and caramel. Interesting spicy component, cardomon I think. Flavor is a bit flat, but is still interesting. An odd leathery finish. Very malty and sweet.

330ml bottle (Porvoo Harvest/Dark Beer Festival 2007) orange, no head. sweet, slightly nutty, pleasantly sweet malty sticky and pleasant.

Bottle. (2002 vintage) It pours quite clear and copper-colored, but there are lots of floaties in it, and it is topped by a minimal, off-white head. The aroma is quite lovely and sweetish, with some alcohol and hints of hops, as well as beef-stock and hermetized pears. When in the mouth, it starts sweet and caramel-ish, with a good alcohol burn coming after a while, and lasting all the way. There’s also some fruityness, but not much bitterness. The fruityness is like in the aroma, reminiscent of hermetized pears, and follows the alcohol until the very end. So does the sweetness. It is quite full-bodied, but not as full as one might expect. Someone mentioned honey in their ratings, and I can see that as well, it even gives me some thoughts of heather, but it is quite subdued. It is a nice beer, I wouldn’t mind having more of it, but then I would like to try a fresher specimen, I am a bit curious of the alcohol-flavors in it, as it is quite evident after five years, it may be dominating in a fresh sample. To put it short, a nice beer. (071025)

Bottle @ ST. Albans BF. Looks like scotch with a slightly off white head. Aroma of butterscotch, malt and yeast. Sweet and malty with notes of toffee and yeast. Belly warming alcohol in the finish. Much enjoyed.