allendodd (55), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| 4.1 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 18/20 |
Nov 28, 2009 Bottle from bhops. Thanks, Bernard. It’s too much trouble to go looking for the brew date, but I’m going to guess that it’s a couple of years old, and I’m liking this a lot. Two more bottles (thanks again, Bernard) are going to wait in the cellar for a special occasion. I didn’t know what the beer was when I pulled the bottle, but the nose screamed "BARLEYWINE" as soon as the top was off. Pours a cloudy browinsh beer with a thick brownish/yellow head. Initial taste is barleywine sweetness and hoppy bitterness. There might be more hops here than I would have liked, and the alcohol burn is a little strong too, but there is still enough sweetness, candied fruit, and chocolate to more than make up for those minor shortcomings. Good beer, Texas!
 joeneugs (341), Livermore, California, USA
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 9/10 | 3/5 | 18/20 |
Nov 27, 2009 Thanks to Ucusty! This was definitely up my alley. I don’t know when this was bottled, but I assume its been aged a while. It pours brown/orange with a creamy orange head. The aroma jumps out with chocolate, prunes, toffee, raisins, and caramel. Very potent and tempting. The flavor is the same with a very earthy bitter finish. Overall, this is why I love barleywines. Complexity and knock your socks off flavor and potency. A diamond in the rough.
blankboy (3212), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| 3.9 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 3/5 | 16/20 |
Nov 23, 2009 Bottle [12oz] shared with the gang at ’WaterlooWeekend Oct.’09’ -- c/o beergeek. (I got the bottom of the bottle) Pours a murky amber with tons of floaties of various sizes and colour and an average size creamy beige head. Aroma of caramel malt, lots of resiny hops, dark fruit, light alcohol and some light sugary sweetness. Flavour follows the aroma, malty, fruity and hoppy with a big bitter finish. Alcohol’s there but not too bad considering it’s 10%. Medium bodied, sticky mouthfeel. Quite nice and enjoyable, always a pleasure to drink these Divine Reserves.
Sonicdescent (379), Donora, Pennsylvania, USA
| 3.9 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 5/5 | 15/20 |
Nov 11, 2009 Aroma is hops and caramel over a small hint of booze. Appearance is quite good with a decent sized head giving way to great lacing throughout the drink. Taste starts off much hoppier than I would have expected considering this has been laying down for a bit. This is not a bad thing at all! Hops, sweet malts, and then even a cool and roasted finish make this not seem nearly as heavy as it is. Mouth is just perfect, creamy, thick, but just carbonated enough to avoid the barleywine sticky disease. A great brew.
HogTownHarry (4020), Toronto (Harbourfront), Ontario, Canada
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 |
Oct 24, 2009 (bottle ( 12ozl ). shared at October 2009 WaterlooWeekend. Cloudy deep orange, smallish frothy off-white head. Nice floral, alcohol, sweet caramel malt aroma. Taste is more floral, and I get jasmine - building alcohol and bitterness, seems more a double ipa to me. Average body, alcoholic and bitter mouthfeel, light carbonation - very nice, very bitter.
MrBunn (1542), Western, Pennsylvania, USA
| 3.9 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 |
Oct 23, 2009 Bottle. graciously shared by coyotehunter. Pours a medium brown with a small head and lots of crud floating around in it... suspended particles and clumps suspended in the liquid and in the surface film. Aromas are a thing of beauty... first thing to notice is a sharp bit that is boozy, a bit of dark fruit and red wine or port, brown sugar, a little bit of chocolate or something similar and a bit of a chalky smell. Flavor is bold and boozy. Brown sugar, brandy and port are my first thoughts. There’s quite a bit of carbonation across the palate, which seems a little odd for the style and then there is the alcoholic warmth and flavor in the finish. It’s warmth is nice, but the flavor in the aftertaste is a little astringent. Still, this is mighty fine stuff.
BeerandBlues2 (3223), Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
| 3.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 14/20 |
Oct 14, 2009 Bottle shared with Kevin and KAggie97. Pours clear tawny with an average, frothy light brown head, somewhat diminishing with fair lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (cookie, caramel, toffee), heavy hop (flowers, perfume, pine, resin), average yeast (dough, earth) with notes of heavy alcohol, plum, date, apple, and maple syrup. Full bodied, alcoholic texture, lively carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness, heavy acidity and bitterness.
coyotehunter (551), , Michigan, USA
| 4.1 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 5/5 | 16/20 |
Oct 14, 2009 12 oz thanks to Thickfreakness!! Wow! Big nose of pine resin, caramel malt, dark fruit and alcohol. Pours a thick oily brownish orange with a moderate tan head. Flavor is downright warming...hot alcohol burn with notes of pine, caramel, some raisin, and brown sugary goodness with the lightest note of chocolate. Leaves the lips a little sticky which to me signifies pure goodness.Rather warm on the way down...outstanding.
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