Odell India Barley Wine

Brewed by Odell Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Tap at gabf and taproom. Everything a beer should be. A great malty bw with a citrusy hop profile. No overwhelming bitterness like Bigfoot. Great.

2009 bottle. Pours a murky, rusty, copper color with an off-white, massive, creamy, fluffy, rocky head which sticks around through and leaves plenty of sporadic lace. Nose is very fragrant and potent out of the bottle; very juicy citrus hops noting tangerine and pink grapefruit, some mango notes, pineapple, a nice resinous pine undertone, nice floral tones, light rustic notes (almost simcoe-like), fainter notes of toasted caramel, buttery biscuits, and cotton candy. So much going on in a super hopped BW which is somewhat rare. The flavor is similar with the hops dominating again but less citrus-like and more rustic; citrus and fruity notes are still there with tangerine, light grapefruit, and still some mango and pineapple, rustic notes are prominent bringing an almost earthy character, spicy hops, leafy hops, toasted caramel, light buttery biscuits, very light dank notes, and more candy. Palate is good with a moderate to full body, drying, a sticky and oily mouthfeel, and a lively carbonation. Finishes mostly bitter with rustic notes dominating, lingering tangerine, some leafy hops, and some light pepper. The bitterness is nearly high and the sweetness is moderate. In my opinion, this is more of complex IIPA but does have plenty of some overhopped BW characteristics. It was a very nice change of pace from any BW or IIPA that I have had in a while with so much juicy fruit and citrus and the rustic notes coming through in the flavor. The best thing I have had from Odell.

750ml bottle - pours a turbid copper, with a thick, lasting, frothy head - juicy, resinous hop aroma, with a lot of citrus character, dry, woody/pine qualities, and a tiny bit of rustic earthiness - full and lightly oily in the mouth, moderate carbonation - big citrus hop flavors up front, with a potent, spicy quality that builds, and reaches its peak in the finish - along the way, the malt profile swells, bringing with it some sticky sweetness and flavors of caramel, cherries - there is an underlying earthiness that adds a really interesting dimension to the beer - the bitterness tempers the sweetness well, though, and is so strong that it borders on being astringent - it never quite makes it to that point, though, so the beer remains tasty and balanced throughout - more of a DIPA than a barleywine, but it’s really good regardless of what you want to call it.

Big thanks to Jake for hooking me up with this growler. Pours a great, murky amber with touches of red and orange. Nice swirling head. One of the best smelling beers ever. Fantastic mix between big juicy hops and dark fruit. Flavor is a perfect IIPA/Barleywine mix, with great citrus, dark fruit, carmel, malt, and bitter hops on the backend. Very juicy. This beer is big in every way, giant aroma and flavor. Delicious.

This is a good beer but WTF man. I needed a pair of vice grips and a wine rabit to get the fxn cork out. Not to mention only after I realined my teeth, on both sides. This is a double IPA with no sign of BW in sight. Good strength of flavor, hop, malt, aroma but very IPA. I don’t believe in naming your beer "whatever". Your beer is a style not a marketing ploy. This is a damn good DIPA though. Big effers, big hop component, balanced. Seriously, I laughed my ass off at how much effort I used to get this freakin cork out. The cork is in three pieces. Definitely a unique experience.

(Draught) Pours a clear golden body with a medium cream head. Aroma of grass, caramel, orange, apricot, and pine. Flavor of hops (juicy citrus, pine, grass), caramel malt, and earth with a dry, bitter finish.

750ml bottle. Pours a hazy reddish amber brown with a huge rocky off white head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is piny resiny peppery hops with a little fruits and sweet caramel malts.

The flavor is toasted sweet caramel malts with some melon leading to a big piny resiny hop finish that has good bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with some sharp carbonation.

Overall, a fun beer. I’ve liked this on tap. It reminds me a bit of Hog Heaven. It’s a bit pricey ($15 per 750ml). At that price it would be a rare buy (more often on tap).

GABF 09. This was delicious, although I saw it more as a DIPA. Big, hoppy citrus flavor, yet it was easy as pie going down. Lots and lots of grapefruit gives way to a smooth finish. Chuggable.