Schooners Olde Woody Barleywine

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

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

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

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

Bottled. Clear red. Intense roasty, woody nose. Sweet with very rich deep malt character and soft, dense mouthfeel. Lots of caramel, with plenty of wood on top of it, but also some honey and syrup. A lot of similarities to Lees Harvest Ale.

Name: Old Woody
Date: February 26, 2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Vintage: 2004
Appearance: clear dark amber, frothy off white head
Aroma: sweet dark caramel malt aroma with lots of oak
Body: thick body
Flavor: big sweet dark caramel malt flavor, touch of liquorice, oak character is well balanced with everything else, hint of alcohol

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Name: Olde Woody
Date: July 10, 2009
Mode: Draft
Source: RBSG Dinner
Vintage: 2006
Appearance: clear dark red, fine beige head, streaks of lace
Aroma: sweet and fruity aroma, ripe plum, vanilla, oak, touch of winey sweetness
Overall: big sweet vanilla and oak, dark caramel, ripe dark fruits, earthyness along with growing oak, touch of peppery alcohol

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***4

Golden-brown colour. Big, rich malty aroma with strong wood and booze influence. Very sweet flavour. Big vanilla notes amidst the malt assault. Pretty well integrated.

(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.

Sampled at the second annual Bistro’s West Coast Barrel Aged Beer Fest: Transparent copper bronze pour has a nicely-lacing off-white wispy head. Sweet dark caramely malty nose has some good fresh oaky complexity and a touch of light fruity esters. Starts with a good caramely malty sweetness and some earthy bittering hop presence with big fresh earthy woody complexity and warmth toward the finish.
Earlier Rating: 5/5/2007 Total Score: 3.7
2004 bottle sampled on 2/26/07: Pours a transparent copper orange with a thin, wispy ring of light tan head. Aroma of big, fresh earthy wood with some piny peppery spice notes. Body starts with a fresh peppery, piny oaky flavor with lots of earthy caramel and toffee flavors toward a slightly warming finish. A pretty decent brew that seems to have aged fairly well.