Schooners Olde Woody Barleywine

Brewed by Schooners Grille & Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Antioch, California USA

Draught at the Bistro Barrel Aged Festival 2009. Red-amber with a small head. Caramel and lots of spicy oak in the aroma. I think this was aged with oak chips (per the description sheet) and that was very obvious because of the very spicy, wood quality that the oak gave, in contrast to the sweeter and more mellow flavors that other beers got from barrels. The flavor had a solid caramel and toffee malt base with medium sweetness and plenty of spicy oak with a hint of whisky hotness. Good but not as integrated as the BA barleywines at the festival.

On tap at the Bistro Barrel Aged Fest. Old Woody, huh? Not too appetizing. Oh well here goes... Pours deep reddish-amber with a small but lasting off-white head. Aroma is caramel, brown sugar, oak, whiskey, and sherry. Flavor is a bit oxidized with sherry notes, but this does not detract. Lots of caramel and toffee, as well as prominent oak, with vanilla and whiskey also in there. Whiskey not too strong like other barrel aged barleywines can be. Medium-full body with a smooth mouthfeel and soft carbonation. I’ve tried an embarrassingly low number of Schooners beers. Need to step that up.

Tap at the Bistro BA fest. As Old Woody 2006 at 10.5%. Poured reddish amber with bubbles. Mildly oaky aroma. Medium body with creamy carbonation. Flavor is vanill, chocolate and more chocolate. It’s weirdly complex. Finish is bourbon, vanilla, mild sweet malt. Quite good.

(Draught) Pours a deep amber body with a small beige head. Aroma of maple, vanilla, vinous and raisins. Flavor of maple, raisins, caramel malt, and vanilla with an oak finish.

On tap. Clear, warm orangey brown with a beige head. Warming alcoholic nose, wood and bourbon. Full-bodied with lots of wood, burned caramel and overripe fruit. Warming alcohol in the finish - perhaps a little overdone. 100709

Opportunity courtesy of ZazuH and Craig - 2006 vintage. First taste from chilled bottle greeted me with fragarent malty aroma with notes of apple spice cake. Excellent creamy mouth feel with pleasant tangy sweetness and a mild hop bitterness cleansing the palatte for the next pull. Slightly smokey similar to roasted caramel malt grain. Beautiful ruby amber color with excellent clarity. After letting the glass sit and reach ambient temperature there was an increased fragrant aroma and intensity to the fullness of flavors. Great job, Craig. 2005 vintage Bouquet of black cherries and malt. Mouth feel not quite as creamy smooth as 2006 but same great smokey sweetness. Excellent clarity with more amber in color. Spice cake flavor more prominent than 2006. Had to hide the bottle from my wife to save the second glass for me!!!

Handbottled, 2005 scotch barrel. A hazy amber beer with a lazing off-white head. The aroma is malty combined with notes of caramel, and some fruit. The flavor has strong notes of malt and caramel, as well as some fruits. Nice

Cellar Temp. 2006 vintage nip via aspidites. Mike you rock. Decided to open this on my own because well whatever. Pours deep orange/brown with a tan head. Nose is kinda like matza with vanilla and oak. Taste is exceptionally smooth quite rich and full of a nice rich scotch feeling. Overall this is a damn fine barleywine.