Pike Old Bawdy Barley Wine

Sample @ Coles Barleywine Tasting Buffalo NY. Pours a medium amber color. Slight medicinal & styofoam taste. some bandaid & grapefruit also. Smooth sweetness & light alcohol burn

Draft from Toronado Barley Wine Festival. Darker colored. Aroma is earth, sugar, caramel, moderate hops. Decent, but forgettable given what it was next to.

Pours a three finger, cream head that slowly fades leaving a little lace. Nose is alcohol and hops. Cloudy amber color. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Flavor is a balance of alcohol and grapefruit hops, some sweetness. Decent barleywine. Pricey - $6.87 for a 12oz bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.

The Dan Journal #150. Tasted 1/14/08. 12oz bottle. Clear body yet sedimented. Ruby hue. Musty cocoa with a touch caramel and apples. Citrus and alcohol. Full bodied sweet and sticky. Nice burn. Nutty toasty flavors. Peppery and bready. Big bitterness but off set by fruity esters. Anise and touch rye. Big hop profile. Citrus grapefruit pepper and resinous hops. Too hop driven, but definitely above par! By far!

12oz bottle from kp. Thanks Keith! Hazy reddish orange. Big sweet crystal malt, cherry and cedar in the nose. Smooth, oily, thick, woody and nutty and still retaining some very fresh tasting raspberry and other fruit. Fantastic barley wine that tastes well aged.

Bottle 2006 vintage poured a clearorange with a minimal lingering ring of amber foam. Aromas of oak, carmel, toffee and fruitiness. Palate was light to medium bodiedand smooth with a dry warming finish.Flavors of carmel, peat, wood, light fruitiness and a hint of pine with a smooth dry warming finish.

On tap at brewpub (2006 vintage)

After checking out the Pike Market it was time for a beer or two. The natural choice was the nearby Pike brewpub. When I got there they had just finished the Monk’s Uncle so I opted for this instead. It was a nice experience though perhaps a little heavy for an early afternoon beer. This is not sessionable in the least; if you don’t eat some food with it it will sneak up on you quickly. I can’t wait to open my bottle after letting it sit for two years.

Aroma / Appearance - The opaque caramel colored body was dark enough to filter out almost 95% of light. There was no obvious carbonation though even if there was it would have been hard to see. Resin, spruce, cherry and wood notes create a cohesive collection of enjoyable scents. It did smell a little fresh; I suspect with cellaring it will begin to settle down.

Flavor / Palate - The dense mouthfeel coats every corner of the throat almost immediately. Creamy resin contrasts against the strong maltiness. For a 10% ABV beer it is suprisingly easy to drink. As I said this could sneak up on you if you aren’t careful.

Bottle, Pours a clear bright copper with a dense but fading off-white head. Mild and sweet aroma of fruit, peat, citrus. Thick and chewy, with light carbonation. The taste starts sweet, oranges, toffee, brown sugar. Lots of bitter grapefruit pith on the tail end. In a year or two this is gonna be great.