Schooners Olde Woody Barleywine

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

(10/29/08) Bottle at Valley Brew brewery in Stockton (thanks a lot Mike!). 06 vintage. Dark amber color. ARoma of malt, wood, vanilla notes, some fruits, alcohol and caramel. Sweet malty flavor with plenty of cookies and biscuits, chocolate notes, nutty notes and some fruity notes and quite a bit of alcohol. Full, thick, body. Didn’t really liked it at first, but grew on me a bit as I continued sipping.

From a Keg. Brownish color with lots of dark fruit and malty aromas. Similar flaovrs with wood and more sweet fruity flavors. Very tasty

2008 Bistro Barrel Aged Fest. Amber, dark fruits, roasted malts, vanilla, spice, wood, brown sugar, little alcohol.

6oz bottle (2006) thanks to the guy at Ledgers (sorry I can’t remember the name). I was in there last December to grab a Firestone 11 and left with this sweet freebee - thanks! This one has a nice amber color with a sweet aroma of sugar, oak, cinnamon, vanilla, and dark fruit. Flavor had lots of cinnamon, sweet vanilla, oak, mild hops, and a sweet thickness that made it very enjoyable. Really good stuff.

6oz bottle, courtesy of aspidites. Thanks, Mike! Pours a clear, honey-orange color; light-tan head with fine-bubbled lacing. Lots of dried fruits and honeyed sweetness in the aroma; coconut, dried fruits. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: lengthy malt presence, toasty oak, chewy dried fruits, and sweet vanilla / oaky character; really nice, dense barley wine. Lengthy finish: toasty oak, sweet malts, and toastiness.

2004 vintage, courtesy aspidites. Dark amber color, almost brown, with a sparse thin tan head. Killer aroma of dark spicy wood, grain, robust malts, alcohol. Some sweetness also, a hint of dulce de leche-like sweet spice. Taste is a complex mix of tannic oak, malt, toffee, earthy hops, vanilla. A fantastic barleywine that was right up my alley. Was a pleasure just to sit there and take in the aroma.

22 fl oz handbottled, 2005 scotch barrel. Pours golden orange with a lacing white head. Dense malty and fruity aroma and flavour. Solid caramel malty flavour. Smooth and fruity into the finish. Fruity and caramel finish.7-4-8-4-15=3.8

From tap. Pours almost clear and deep golden amber with a small tan head. Light roasted and spiced aroma. Mild vanilla touch. Roasted and dark malty. Dense caramel and toffee malty flavoured. Mild acidic and roasted flavoured. Smooth vanilla finish.8-4-8-4-16=4.0

From a 6oz bottle, 2005 Vintage. Mostly transparent, light golden amber colored pour with a well sustaining finger of fine bubbled white foam. Remarkably clear and carbonated considering the age. Wonderfully complex nose, bringing out the best qualities of malt, age, and the barrel. Loads of light fruits leap from the glass, suggesting apricot, peach, and green raisin. The level of fruit is just right, as no detrimental oxidation effects are noticeable. The oak adds a wonderful layer of vanilla and spicy wood that integrates smoothly with the fruits. Medium-full bodied, moderately carbonated mouthfeel with a smooth, gently warming finish. Flavors of honey and toffee malt up front, followed by more fruits - apricot, nectarine, peach, and raisin. A spicy barrel character pops up mid-palate along with a wave of vanilla. Long and lingering finish with soft and refined alcohol notes warming the cheeks. Flavors of light fruits and oak dimensions are left behind to tease the palate. Marvelous beer. Thanks for sharing, Julian!