Ølfabrikken Clansman Richards Barleywine

Formerly brewed at Bryggeriet Ølfabrikken (Gourmetbryggeriet)
Style: Barley Wine
Roskilde, Denmark

Clansman. Poured a clear ruby-amber color with an off-white head. Mild to moderately sweet aroma. Fruity and doughy. The flavor starts sweet and fruity, dark fruits. It then drys out a good bit. Bitter hopped finish. Medium body.

Bottle. Dark red bronze with a smallish, but stable tan head. Raisins, nut and caramel aroma. Flavours are sweet, with a good deal of raisins, but caramel and nuts take over. Noticeable alcohol. Well-balanced. Tastes stronger and more barley wine-like than its actual strength indicates.

Name: Clansman
Date: 10/10/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Logan Pre-GABF

hazy dark amber, fine beige head, sweet dark caramel aroma with a touch of fruit balanced by lots of earthy hops, big body, rich dark caramel malt flavor, nice fruity sweetness, balance by lots of earthy hops, lasting bitter finish,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Blood red/deep dark amber pour with a mid-sized, very creamy and very slowly receding, never fully. Fruit baskets waft through the air as the glass is drawn to the nose. Pineapple puree, apricot nectar, pulpy fresh orange juice, nectarines and passionfruit all stream into consciousness. Astringent caramel and reiny hops collide in the backdrop of typical barleywine structure, a burned grain centerpiece set ablaze by light spice drizzled with hop dust and malt oil. A mosaic of scents weaves its way into my nose and into my heart, only further cementing Ølfabrikken’s victorious position as one of my most respected brewers. Alcohol is modestly concealed - the ethanol characteristics are lightly caustic but not bothersome. Malt dominates the flavor, very fresh, with notes of cookie, cake icing, orange, unrefined sugars, fresher caramel, burned toast, hops and a touch of alcohol that imparts a raspberry toxicity. Sweetness is medium and controlled by moderate and resiny bitterness. Acidity is very low, astringency is mild and adds a dimension of restraint to a well-structured barleywine. Additions to the flavor include a small nutty component and more dark fruit, less citric acidity than was eluded to in the nose. The finish is balanced, warming from alcohol, sweet but drying slowly and steadily, apricot and honeyed caramel lingering. Actually, the finale is the best part of the flavor. The mouthfeel has medium carbonation, lightly fizzy at the beginning and end. Medium-heavy bodied, dense and packed to the hilt with ripe flavor, mostly smooth. Very good, expressive of the brewer’s intentions and interesting. This brewery amazes again, as they do around almost every corner

Bottled. A hazy deep red beer with a fast disappearing beige head. The aroma is sweet fruity and malty combined with notes of caramel and light notes of alcohol. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of caramel and lighter notes of alcohol and over ripe fruits, leading to a dry finish.

(Bottle, Ölbaren, Copenhagen, 4 Aug) Dark ruby colour with frothy beige head. Fruity nose with notes of wild berries, cherries and darkish citrussy hops. Fruity, malty taste with wild berries, dark fruit, marzipan, roasted nuts and dark rye bread. Citrussy notes of blood oranges in the finish. Full body, but smooth and fairly easy to drink. Very good balance between malt and hops. Great beer.

0.5 l bottle. Mahagony color with small head. Hoppy, honeyish and caramelly aroma with flowery and grassy hops, tobacco and raisins. The taste is initially rummy and caramelly leading the way to nutty, toasty, chocolatey and bitter finish. The bitterness is fairly strong giving a mentholy and vinous edge. Some mango and lemon in the taste also. Tasty!

Bottle, bought @ Havnens Vin og Tobak, Vejle. Pours a deep red-brown with a thin creamy beige head. Aroma is great! Lots of hops, chocolate, roasted malts and nuts. Low carbonation. Flavour is great as well. Quite a lot of chocolate, a good dose of bitterness. Really complex flavour - some plums and roasted malts as well. There is a distant fruityness as well - a light vinious edge and a clingyness to my teeth. Great BW!