Ølfabrikken Gæstebryg #1 - Mikes Barleywine

Formerly brewed at Bryggeriet Ølfabrikken (Gourmetbryggeriet)
Style: American Strong Ale
Roskilde, Denmark

Amber colour with an impressively clinging white head. Aroma is filled with nice american hops. Flavour is initially sweet and malty followed by an assertively hoppy and bitter finish.

Bottled. Strong aroma of hops and citrus. A lot of power in this. Very bitter finish. Quite sweet body. A magnificant beer. Soft and dry but still well balanced.

Trademark Ølfabrikken: lots of aroma hops. Funny, considering that it’s actually brewed by Mike Murphy. A powerful beer; some sweetness, lots of bitterness and a warming sensation.

(Bottle 50 cl) Hazy, dark mahogany with a tiny, creamy head. Fat, hoppy nose. Caramelish sweetness atop a rather solid body. Hoppy - but not overly so - bitter finish. Lovely. 111105

Extreamly surprisingly good beer. Very tastefull and enjoyable beer. The label is also very nice.

Muddy brown pour producing an everlasting light beige head. Potent roasted toffee and almost chocolatey roastiness suffer from bold and fragrant hopping, possibly chinook heavy as it has this vegetal aspect I rarely appreciate, though definitely in combination with a more citric kind. Dry, very hoppy palate continues to sing to the hops during a formidable time lenght while the malts barely claim a support role in the flavor venture though they offer a certain chewiness. Thank you for sharing Christian.

Shadowed crimson. Creamy light beige head subsides to an ample ring. Balanced nose of cardboard, plums, star anise, pineapple, and alcoholic esters. Lightly vinous and roasty. Softly carbonated. Slippery but weighty with bright, bready grains. Rounded citric acidity blends remarkably well with the body’s softness. Poignant, yet restrained, pinewood backdrop. Tasty hint of roast couples with supple mandarin orange textures and flavors to perfectly temper the Crystal and maintain an even sweetness. Hint of minty alcohol, but it’s otherwise well concealed. Hops are succulently resinous, and help reinforce the body’s softness, but the late emergence of Cascades deposit harsh, leafy acidity at the back of the throat. Displeasing apple fruitiness conflicts with the leafiness, and the body suffers as a result. Malts remain refined, nuanced, and deeply rooted, though. Finishes deceptively bitter due to the immense softness, as a whisper of roast continues to accentuate the lingering notes of caramel and bread. Aside from the slightly oxidized nose, acetaldehyde?, and rigidly leafy Cascade acidity, this is a shining example. Wonderfully balanced and characterful. All this needs to go alongside is a healthy hunk of Stilton. Thanks, ChristianSA.

Thanks again to sk8viking! Bottle 0.5L BB Nov ’05. Beautiful hazy reddish-brown pour with a tall, dense, and creamy light caramel head. Full dense lacing as this went down. Dark berries, roasted malt, and alcohol hit the nose first... followed by a huge dose of northwestern hops. Creamy mouthfeel and hop presence toward the back of the mouth. Flavor was sweet overall.. with berries and caramel... once again followed by the great Cascade hoppy presence. Grapefruit and alcohol-tipped pine needles provided a long and somewhat dry finish. Excellent brew all around!