Samuel Smiths Strong Golden

Brewed by Samuel Smith
Style: Barley Wine
Tadcaster, England

Dark golden with practically no head. The aroma is sweetish with notes of malt, raisin, caramel and fruit. The mouthfeel is oily and smooth. The flavour is fruity and sweet with notes of malt, caramel, raisin and alcohol (a bit bothering). The finish has a nice bitterness. It’s a nice BW, this was young, so I’m sure maturation will do it good!

(Bottle) Pours amber red. Sweet dried fruits, ripe pears and some alchol in aroma with almond and alot of malt. Undertones of peach, melon and cognac. Medium thick mouthfeel. Medium bitter and syrupy sweet flavour with some pepperyness, alcohol, caramel, syrup and fruits. Medium body.

Bottle. Head was small rocky and white that was quickly gone. Fair lacing. Body was clear and amber. Aroma was heavy malt, with notes of molasses, caramel, grain, hay, toffee, burnt, nutty. Some flowers, leather, and wood with vinous or almost Port like notes as well. Full bodied with a slight alcoholic texture and a soft carbonation. Flavor was moderated to heavy sweet with light bitter notes. Finish was sweet, slightly alcoholic and average lasting. I thought this was a quit pleasing Barley Wine and my first attempt at this style!

Bottle "Best by May 06" courtesy of sk8viking, sampled in mid-June ’06: Pours a transparent golden bronze with some thin bubbly lacing, but not much head. Aroma of sweet caramel malt with a hint of light fruitiness and doughy complexity with some alcohol notes. Carbonation comes out once it hits the tongue with a sweet, lightly viscous caramel and butterscotch maltiness along with mild corn drying some toward the finish with lots of alcoholic warmth. Needs more balance and could probably benefit from some more aging.

nose is malty and sweet, with a slight herb note. pours a an amber color with a bit of head that quickly disapates into a thin film. flavor is nicely fruity and sweetly malty, but not cloying. quite enjoyable. slightly sticky and full palate. not a bad brew

Bottled. Mainly orange in the aroma with herbs and varnish. Golden orange color, off-white head, fair lace. Very fruity, peach, orange, very sweet, herbal and hoppy. Nice but very straightforward and lacking complexity. Maybe it was too young.

Bottle. White small but lasting head. Clear amber body. Heney caramel aroma. Sweet honey caramel flavor and alcohol at the end. I like the mixture of the sweetness and alcohol, I guess it would have been too much of a good thing if the beer had been bitter. I also like the looks and the size of the bottle.

18 cl bottle. No yeast at the bottom. Pale amber colour with a little head. Aroma of sweet malt, and hints of caramel and alcohol. Very tasty flavour of malt, and caramel ends up with a warm feeling from the alcohol.