Samuel Smiths Strong Golden

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: Barley Wine
Tadcaster, England

Bottle, bought @ YNWA, Kolding.
[vintage 2000]
Pours a pretty coppery golden. A small bubbly off-white head. Lots of small bubbles sticking to the glass beneath the surface. Aroma is lightly spiced, mostly vanilla and perhaps chamomille. Lots of port as well and apples appearing between the whifts of clear alcochol. Low carbonation, somewhat oily. Flavour at first comes of a little oxidized, then turns sticky caramel with a clear note of port, prunes and raisins. Heavily vinious as well. Wonderful long aftertaste with a clear dryness and notes of pine, oak and herbs - very complex finish. Great BW - a wonderful example of the British way of making one.

Golden colour, small white head. Aroma is spicy and alcoholic. Flavour is malty and alcoholic. Not my kind.

Just noticed the date on this, it’s nearly a year and a half past its best before date, granted, I forgot I had it,I came across it when I was tidying out the boot of my car, well it IS a tiny bottle, so it was easy to lose it.Quite hazy, no head. Rich spicy flavours...nice! Good body, has a heady aroma of dried fruit and spice, finish is good and long. The alcohol is noticable...quite warming! A good barley wine, even after its best before date. Bought from a grocers shop in Musselburgh...about a year ago, so it was still out of date when I bought it!

Bottle from Utobeer. Pours golden brown / rust like colour with small head. Aroma is rich caramel / fruits / raisins / nuts. Taste is malty / some hops / spicy / syrupy. A pretty decent barley wine though. Worth trying.

Bottle from Utobeer. Nose of spices, caramel, dried fruits and alcohol. Pours a cloudy rust colour. Medium body. Sticky and sweet. Malty and hoppy finish. A decent barley wine.

Bottle from Beers of Europe. I am surprised this one is rated to high. To me this is a poor example of the traditional British barley wine in a tiny bottle behind the bar. Alcoholic and syrupy, some treacle and apple. I found this boring.

180ml bottle. Shared with Tranquility. Dark brown, viscous, no head. Dark grainy malty aroma. Yeasty bent to a very strong malt taste. A very good barley wine - alcohol carried very well, not dominant at all, simply warming. As time goes on I also get apple and treacle out of the taste, and perhaps a hint of some kind of sharp spice.

Tiny bottle. Bit hazy rusty colour. Tiny head. Strong flowery aroma, raisins, bread, dark cookie dough and peanuts. Taste very fulfilling, like a good whisky. Strong oaky tones, with a long lingering of cloudberries and perhaps some peach. Not bad at all as you see from the grades.