Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: Barley Wine
Newport, Oregon USA

Poured from the Isaaquah Ale House tap. The color was dark caramel with a small white head. Smells like malt, prune, dates, and caramel with some pepper as well. The taste is booze, pine, sweet malt, toffee and sherry, Full chewy mouthfeel like a thick oil. Great brew.

1994 nib bottle courtesy of Sloth! Bottle opens without a hiss. Pours a thick, opaque mahogany with a cherry edge. Rich malt, prunes, raisins, caramel fudge cake in the nose. Mouth is flat but thick and viscous. Touch of oxidation. Bold, rich flavors with banana nut cake, dark fruits, and toffee. Very nice. Would have been stellar with bubbles. Thanks Bert, an awesome trader!

2004 Vintage XS ceramic bottle. Pours dark brown. Smells vaguely of pine with dried fruit and coffee notes. Tastes like raisin, pepper, and a bit of caramel. Very solid.

Bottle ’02. Pours a hazy brown. Nose is boozey, surprisingly hoppy still, sweet malts, mild oxidization, raisin, dark fruits. Flavor is boozey, pine, sweet malts, toffee, caramel, cardboard, sherry, grapes and marachino cherries. Full chewy mouthfeel. Super!

2006 750ml Ceramic XS bomber:
Appearance: Pours a dark red with a off white head
Aroma: Roasted barley, caramel and fruit
Taste: Dark malt flavors and caramel at first with bitter hops at the finish

I didn’t hate this beer but I wouldn’t drink it again. Once again, I guess I just don’t like barley wines. This one had a very nice dark amber appearance. The aroma was ok with coffee, and chocolate. Tasted like an imperial stout at first taste. Not that balanced, tends to be too bitter

Bottle. Golden brownish with a medium-sized white head. Some lacings. The smell is malty with notes of caramel and butterscotch, coupled with muted and/or fading hop aromas of grapefruit, pine-needles and grass. The flavor is sweet in the mouth and I pick up decent notes of caramel malts, vinous fruits and chocolate. Vanilla. Nice, but muted hop aromas (grapefruit, grass). The finish has an almost harsh bitterness to it, clearly out of sync - it basically stumbles in like a drunk uncle ruining the party. Some complementary resiny hop notes in the finish is well. Full bodied and fairly slick. I’m not a big fan of the way this brewery deals with the bitterness in some if their bigger beers - it’s untimely and a bit harsh. Other than that, this is a decent barleywine, a bit too pricey in this part of the world though.

2008 XS version in ceramic 750. Pours dark brown with a fluffy tan head and a fragrant aroma of fruit, sweet malt and alcohol. The taste is mostly chocolate with subdued sweetness, much less sweet and fruity than most barleywines. There is a very nice blending of malts and hops that provides a seamless flow of balanced flavor. Well done.