 muzzlehatch (4422), Burlington, Vermont, USA
Mar 5, 2008
22 ounce botttle from Richmond Beverage in Richmond, VT (March 2008), sampled at cellar temperature froma Maudite glass. Sooth light tan head starts at about 2 fingers and dies fairly quickly, leaving spidery lacing atop the near-opaque dark maple body....massive piney hoppy aroma at first dominates all else, but thick caramel notes show up before long along with lemon Pine-Sol; it’s a bit heavy and noxious at times....I have less problems with the mouthfeel and flavor; the sweetness is restrained, the powerful hops helping cut the very thick and slightly syrupy palate....there’s an odd touch of mint at the front, otherwise it’s citric, lightly woody and becoming just dry enough at the finish...carbonation low and fairly natural....not a great barley wine by any means, but the alcohol is barely apparent and it’s quite drinkable and pleasant in a simple, rough sort of way.
porterhouse (878), Alna, Maine, USA
Jun 28, 2008 (22 oz. bottle (labelled "12 07") from Julio’s Liquors) Pours dark reddish-brown with one finger of tan head that recedes to a thin covering with pretty good retention. Aroma is initially quite hoppy - mostly pine with a little grapefruit. Also a slight bit of sourishness - a bit unpleasant like used dishrag. As head recedes there is more candy malt - like cotton candy. Mouthfeel is medium-full, a touch syrupy. A syrupy film coats inside of snifter with bits and dabs of lacing. Flavor is quite hoppy in the fore, mostly pine. A candy-malt sweetness underneath. Medium bitterness builds toward finish, providing a little pinch in finish. This beer is quite hot and may benefit from some cellaring. This one also kicked me in the ass quite quickly. Not the most complex or best of barleywines but certainly a big step up from the Ridge Runner version. Certainly richer and tastier.
fishingnet (696), Brandon, Florida, USA
Jun 23, 2008 Bottle courtesy Gillard. Pours amber with a small off-white head. Aroma of alcohol and sweet caramel with notes of floral and citrus hops. Taste is the same as aroma. Medium mouthfeel with a moderate amount of bitterness and slightly warm alcohol. Good.
gunhaver (517), Tampa, Florida, USA
Jun 17, 2008 Bottle, courtesy Gillard. Pours a coffee colored hue, with a thick foamy head, and nice lacing. Slightly boozy aroma, cotton candy, caramel. Flavor has a lot of caramel and some booze, tea, some spices, with a bitter finish. Smooth, full-bodied. Drinkability is hampered slightly by the big ABV.
jefcon (820), Arlington, Virginia, USA
May 17, 2008 A piney, but very drinkable barleywine that hides its ten percent alcohol very well. Yeasty and caramelly at first, the beer slowly reveals its big hop presence. Not as delicate or as delightful as some bourbon-styled barleywines, becuase this beer is a bruiser -- and it lives up to its name.
HopBackDoc (326), Hatboro, Pennsylvania, USA
May 7, 2008 22 oz. bomber poured a hazy brown with thin head. Aroma of fruits, bread and hops. The flavor was a ton of malts, doughy and sweet caramel, followed by two tons of hops. I liked the initial malt attack to give this beer real good body, and the citrus and bittering hops just finished it off quite nicely. Full bodied and full of flavor, with a great stickiness. Delicious.
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