Pelican Stormwatchers Winterfest 2007

10/10/2009. 22oz bottle. Pours an ominous dark red... it almost wants to be brown. Rich intertwining aroma of fruitcake crusts and sherry. Reminds me of a slightly cleaner version of Thomas Hardy. Sweet sweet caramel, toffee and hint of toasted malt comes through in the viscous mouthfeel... long and meandering... followed by a well balanced subdued but moreish bitterness. A slight medicinal flashback from the alcohol warmth and malt sweetness doesn’t detract from this beer, it only throws an extra positive thought its way: it must be restorative. Perfect Sunday evening company with the kids asleep, dinner on its way and Arab Strap on the stereo.

In an effort to knock out the rest of my backlog, my ratings will be fairly generic and sparse. If the beer had anything special to offer, it will be noted following this disclaimer. The number ratings above are accurate based on my tasting notes. Following the elimination of my backlog, all beers will be entered in real time and will be more useful. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Special thanks to JMFG! Thick dark brown. Strong malts and toast. Sugary and thick like molasses. Great barleywine. Amazing aroma.

22 oz bottle. Dark brown, just allowing some light. A beige ring and a splotch on top. Nose is raisin, molasses and chocolate with bits of pine and mint. Medium body with a tang. Initially very tasty; chocolate, caramel and orange peel. Develops a vegetal bitterness with prominent alcohol. Better fresh or needs more aging?

Bottle. Severe dark brown pour with a thin broken off-white head. Rich malty aroma, peppery hops, leather, alcohol. Robust malts on the taste, a light burn on the way down, molasses, white pepper. One of the better barleywines I’ve had in the last few years.

(22 oz. bottle via trade with explosivebeer, thanks Brandon!, cellared for 10 mos. after trade) Sweet, hot, licoricey...Pours slightly hazy red-auburn. Just a bit of tannish head around the edges. Aroma of candy-malt, licorice and pine. Palate is smooth but syrupy, minimal carbonation. Very light rings of lacing and a syrupy film inside snifter melt away quickly. Flavor of sweet candy-malt and a nasal-burning ABV presence. Light-medium bitterness overlays some other light notes of pine, licorice, tar and caramel. A bit too much alcohol and sort of a fatiguing beer in general.

22oz bottle acquired in trade with bitbucket (thanks!). I needed something strong to figure out Eric’s bike! Poured a deeper brown color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of caramel, dark fruits (raisins), and toffee. Tastes of dark fruits, caramel, nutty, and toffee. Some alcohol in the finish (but not 13%).

Poured a red brown color with a small, off white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of oxidized sherry, caramel malts, rum soaked raisins, dark fruits, and alcohol. Taste of dried fruits, caramel malts, toffee, nuts, raisins, some wood, and a sharp alcoholic finish. Thanks to Steve for sharing and helping me put together my new bike!

22oz bottle. Pours deep brown with a faint reddish hue. A small beige head with spotty lacing left behind. Big nose of sweet caramel, toffee, dates, raisins and other dark fruits. Flavor was mostly toffee, caramel, prunes, raisins, dates.....much like the nose but not quite as forward. A full bodied brew with some heat in the finish.