Ridgeway Criminally Bad Elf

Brewed by Hepworth
Style: Barley Wine
Horsham, England

Pourd a deep amber, was lighter than your average barleywine and the alcohol was well camouflaged. This one was different.

500ml. color is bright and bronzey, with a lovely pumpkin luster. very clean looking with a thin white head. aroma is extremely sweet, with brown sugar and toasted grain standing out. flavor is less sweet, and more sharp and boozey. strong hoppy bitterness appears on the finish. palate is thick heavy and cloying. lacks complexity and balance, but it is strong as hell

Bottle brought over by my Dad. Pour was godlen amber in color, weak initial head and lacing. The aroma was fruity. The flavor was fruity and finished with a firm bitterness, a nice balance to the experience. Some faint grain and caramel notes also underneath supporting this one. Mouthfeel was light for a barleywine, as this entire concoction was dangerously drinkable at a pretty high abv.

(50 cl bottle at Haket, Göteborg) On November 28, 2008. BB 24 7 11. Clear copper color, off-white head. Sweet, aclohol, sugary, spicy scent. Sweet, alcohol taste. Warming alcohol feeling. Smooth mouthfeel, medium bitterenss.

Clear copper to amber beer with a thin and diminishing head. Thin but tight lacing. Intensive aroma is a mixture of fruits, sweet malts and hoppiness. Wine gum-like fruitiness: maybe plum and grapes. Toffy malts and a hint of alcohol. Flavor is sweet malty with toffy and medium bitter, a bit alcoholic finish. Medium to full bodied and thick palate is quite sypupy and sticky. Some alcohol burning in the finish. A Barley Wine with powerful aroma, malty body and bitterish finish. Slightly too alcoholic to be fully enjoyable. After a year of maturation not much has changed. Time has cut the sharpest edge of the alcohol sensation but it´s still evident. Hops in the aroma have got weaker. It is still sweet but more in a darker way: a bit raisiny and darker syrupy. Now I also found strawberries. There´s no radical difference between the aged and young and I can´t say which one is better. Anyway, I decided to lower my rating a bit.

Amber/reddish color, one-finger head that retained a thin film and left decent lacing. Sourness hits first on the nose, like a granny smith apple. Sweet tea and honey are also evident. Malt sweetness was the strongest flavor - caramel, really, and the sour apples were there, as well as a slight hops bitterness. Medium to full body, good carbonation, and I had no idea this was a 10.5%. Seems like a mild version of the style, one that might be a good introduction.

Bottle: Pour was medium-light golden with a short lasting creamy white head. Aroma is sweet malt with light fruit and yeast. Flavor was very smooth and sweet with a light palate. Alcohol was pretty well hidden. Not sure why this brew rates a 57. It’s not the best barley wine but definitely not the worst. Good brew.

Clear deep amber color pour with a sticky off-white head that lasts a while. Aroma of citrus peel, fruit, caramel malt and a bit of hops. Flavor is similar with a bit of an alcohol kick. Not bad, but the flavors aren’t quite as big as a great BW.