Pisgah Hellbender Barley Wine

25.4 oz bottle. Clear, deep garnet brown that kicks up some bone froth. Nose is sweet red berries, toffee apple and a touch of grass. Medium light body, a tad thin, with a faint tingle. Taste is caramel, orange peel and rose water. Bitter pithy finish.

Bottle dated April ’08. Opaque ruby pour with a dense white head and good lace. Rich dark fruit aroma with molasses, sharp pine and wet oak. The flavor follows through from the aroma with a sweet honey finish. Sticky, medium-full body with soft carbonation.

Metro Tasting. Poured a cloudy orange brown. Aroma is tangerine, dark fruits and sweet malt. Taste is caramel, orange, earthy dry hops, with a bitter finish. This was alright.

750 mL (the only size bottle) Appearance: Cloudy caramel-toffee brown with abundant antique-white, foamy, frothy head. Looks like carbonated madeira! Aroma: A nose that tells a story! Toffee, caramel, vanilla, Old Library, hay, hop resin, violin rosin, dark chocolate, madeira. Taste: A bit tangy and sharp, perhaps -- but this bottle is still in its infancy! This incipient sharpness leads into a smorgasbord of vinous delights. Lots of caramel, toffee, hop, and vanilla, with a sweet finish. Palate: As the brew is still young, it’s a bit hot, but a nice spritz on the tongue and throat. Overall: Well-nuanced, well-balanced, really and truly excellent. I imagine this beer (I got two bottles just for this reason) will be stellar in a year or two. Good by itself, but I can imagine this next to creme brulee, dark chocolate, roasted almonds, or a pipe! And kudos on the percentage donation to keeping the endangered Hellbender salamander in our midst. Who says organic beer’s no good? This stuff is tip-top.

Pours a clear amber with a khaki head. Nose is caramel, raisins, booze, figs, and sugar/ honey. Flavor starts off fizzy then comes in with caramel, hops , barleywine fruits, and finishes off with some more hops. Medium-bodied and somewhat fizzy. Nice BW.

Bottle, about 18 months old. Pours deep clear copper with big beige head. Nose of hops, though no longer fresh, and not huge anyway. Malts are more bready and dry than sweet, which surprised me a bit. Some toffee and mild fruit as well as brown sugar. Some booze. Dry palate. Not bad, but not my favorite Pisgah offering.

Pours dark caramel color with no head. Nose and flavor go as bit oxidized, but brown sugar and caramel also persist. Medium to full mouthfeel.

Shared at DDG release. Orange/caramel color in the glass with off white head, lace, and ring. Chunkies suspended throughout. Nose is maly, vanilla, and spiciness. Taste is creamy and spicy sweet. Alcohol. More spice and bitterness as the glass is emptied.