Pike Old Bawdy Barley Wine

Very average barley wine...small eggshell head sits atop a fiery orange brew. Very sugary, very nutty, with dark fruits finding their way to the palate.

12oz bottle from Liquid Solutions, 2006 bottling. Deep copper color, comes out of the bottle fairly thin, as if it had several years of age on it already. Despite what’s advertised, there’s a strongly nutty aroma on this one that seems to suggest anything but a PNW hop bomb of a barleywine. Thin body, slightly sugary, with very little character to the brew. Sure, there’s some hops still there (more present in the bite, as there’s nothing you could really describe as floral or citric) and some yeast in there to hold things together too. But there’s not a whole lot to this one, unfortunately. I’m sitting on a second bottle, so will rerate if appropriate.

22 fl oz bottle. Pours hazy and brown with a lacing tan head. Aroma is solid fruity to hoppy. Smooth hoppy and slight woody dry flavour. Mild spiced to solid dry spiced. Dry and slight caramelish finish yet dry and brett.

2006 bottle @ the brewpub. Pours a slightly hazy dark golden color with a small white head. Sweetish malty and very hoppy grapefruit aroma. Sweetish and very malty sugary dark fruit flavor with hoppy hints. Long warming malty dark fruit finish with some hoppy hints.

2007 bottle. thanks gk. chestnut pour with thin frothy head. lacing and light carbonation. aroma is hoppy with nice fruitiness, big heavy malts, sweet and a bit of sugar. smooth for such a young bw. well balanced with nich plum and raison. light bitterness that lingers after sipping. sweet caramel and toffee. very enjoyable.