Schooners Old Diablo

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

02.19.05 2002 on tap at Toronado BWF. Got wind that #55 was in demand so we jumped the gun to get samples of this gem. Dark and clouded, it wasn’t too pretty, even as barleywines go. Massive, malty, oakey, tawny port aromas. Mike, my cohort in the BWF debauchery, agreed that this stuff smelled like an old tawny or good, dry sherry. Tasted like it, too. Nice hops came in to finish, lending a qualifying bitterness but never taking away from the cool, vinous action. Finished bitter or I might have thought it a port to the end. So smooth, so drinkable, so pleasing. Rad beer that I wish more had the chance to try before it kicked early saturday. One of the highlights of the fest.

Served at the RBSG Beer Dinner. Said it was Old Diablo 2007! Nose of prunes, toffee, and oaky vanilla. Clear cherry brown with a medium beige head. Flavor of molasses, medium sweetness, and very light alcohol.

On tap at the brewery. The brewer has no name for this beer. They just call it "the barleywine". On their website, though, its called Old Diablo. This is a really good beer, different than a lot of the other American style barleywines I’ve tried. Its more English, I guess. Very dark ruby amber color with a very small dissapearing head. Aroma is sweet and a little alchoholic. The taste is all caramel, toffee, and a touch of dark fruit. Very sweet and complex, but the sweetness is never cloying. Almost no bitterness. This was the standout from my sample tray of seven beers that they had on tap. Very good.

This 2005 vintage hand bottled 12oz-er is courtesy of the Schooner’s brewer Craig, thanks buddy! Pours clear clean copper with gold edges and nice tan head. The aroma is big with chewy sticky caramelized malts mixed with well aged pine hop bitterness that has rolled over into a nice semi sweet smelling pine hop flavor. The taste begins with a soft pine hop flavor that grows malty with slices of dark fruit like figs and raisins. Then midway pale malts with caramel candy surface along with a bit of alcohol warming. YUM. Toward the finish I get a pine hop leaf vegetable type sensation from what I would guess to be prolonged dry hopping. If so it has been blunted with age. There is also a orange hard candy note that rides along into the after taste along with thick chewy malts and a lingering soft pine hop flavor.

amber body with a samll white head.nice aroma of caramel,brown sugar,and cotton candy.flavor was much of the same with some grapefruit hops in the finish.balance and mouthfeel were perfect.

tap at barclays. This is a comfort beer if there is such a thing. very nice aromas of smoky malts and caramel. Flavors are smoky, woody, a bit of toffee and malts offset by some floral hops. But the soothing, buttery smokiness is what sets it apart. Outstanding.

2002 Vintage:Poured a hazy orange amber color with a minimal off-white head. The aroma was of dried aged fruits. Light earthiness at the end. Malty sweet flavor with notes of dried fruits and aged malt. Very tasty and warming. Light bitterness on the finish. Semi-dry.

Draft. Rich mahogony beer with a light tan head. Rich malty, dark fruit aroma. Rich caramel, malt, sherry flavor with figs and plums. Slight burnt sugar. medium body. Lingering complex malt, sherry, nice dark fruit. Alcohol slightly present.