Scuttlebutt Old No 1 (Vintages 2004 and later)

Brewed by Scuttlebutt Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Everett, Washington USA

12 oz. bottle, 2004 vintage. Pours a Tootsie-Roll brown color, with very little head. Aroma: Some alcohol, with a hint of caramel. Flavor: Very malty & sweet, and the alcohol isn’t as pronounced as I would have thought.

12oz bottle 2005 Vintage: Poured a dark dirty brown color, with almost no head. It had a pleasant aroma and a verysweet flavor that consists of caramel, maple, malts, and fruits. This is a much better BW than the rating shows, of course this was aged for 2-3 yrs.

12 oz. bottle - 2006 vintage, pours dark amber with no head and slight haze throughout; aromas of hops, sugar, malts, dates and alcohol; drinks thin, but a little creamy as well; alcohol is well hidden and flavors come off a little bland; but i will say this might be the most easy drinking 13% i’ve ever had

Vintage 2006, 12 oz. bottle, with a crimp cap on a twist off bottle?! Pours a deep cloudy brown color with some red highlights. Very little off-white head (could be from the weird capping). Leaves a touch of lace. Smells of some hop spiciness along with some malty sweetness in there as well. Tastes alot like it smells. Alot of hop spiciness up front, then an almost sickly sweet amount of maltiness towards the finish with some alcohol in there as well. Nice thick and full mouthfeel, some carbonation but not much. I’ve never had an English BW before, maybe the low carbonation is a charecteristic of Englsih BW’s.

12oz bottle acquired in trade with Larry Pitonka (thanks!). 2005 Vintage. Poured a deeper and cloudy mahogany color with an averged sized off white head. Aromas of caramel, dark fruits, a woody earthiness, and a little nutty. Tastes of caramel, nuts, toffee, dark fruits, and wood. Medium alcohol burn in the finish.

2005 bottle tasted Dec 2007.

Pours deep red caramel with a long-lived head that clings aggressively to the sides of the glass in foamy sheets. The nose is strong caramel, oxidized hops, a slight smokiness, and a whiff of ammonia. Intense flavors: sweet covered by an undrinkable sour-bitter saltiness, again some smoke, still some serious hops on the close at 2 years plus. This is one of hottest beers I’ve ever had as well, the alcohol comes on like a cask-strength scotch.

I don’t know whether it’s infected or just horribly overdone, but this is absolutely undrinkable. Drain pour.

’05 bottle from the man formerly known as Pitonka. Hazy mahogany, film for head, decent lacing coats the glass. Aroma and flavor very hot. (old notes) Plenty of the standard caramel/toffee with faint fruity esters, again tons of alcohiol. Very straight forward, average bw.

2004 vintage. poured heavy and with a small head, thick and syrupy. mellow and well rounded, plum and raisin, sweet toffee. alcohol sting is still present, it could age even longer.