Fresh bottle. Cloudy, maroon/red color with a small white head. Big nose of malt and booze. This one tastes more like a spicy IIPA than a barleywine with that peppery spice flavor. Bitter, very boozy finish that lingers for awhile. Great stuff, and if I remember correctly, it’s better with age, so I’ll have to rate an older one.

Bottle Thanks to BuckeyBoy. Poured nice red brown with thick head. Aroma was very malty, hops, syrup, and dark fruits. Taste very malty maybe a litttle too malty, but nice hop flavor after, with syrup, and dark fruits. finished thick and smooth with a bit of alcohol finish.

Bottled. Pours nicely dense brown with decent head. Strong malt aroma but also slightly sweet and hoppy. Flavor is intense; malt, dark fruit, maple syrup, bitter hop and alcohol finish that lingers for awhile. Palate is rich and thick, really nice. Definitely something to drink slowly and really good with something salty.

pours a dark mahogany with a small head. aroma of cherries, hops, raisin, and some sweet malt- very nice on the nose. Flavor is excellent- surprising amount of bitterness, but still with the sweetness character of barleywine. Palate is very nice- sticks to the tongue, but not so aggressive that it’s not drinkable. Really well crafted brew, one of sierra nevada’s better offerings.

Gonna crush with Jakebra and cellar a few. Lots goin on here. Now that is an aroma. Oooh yeah. Got some fruitiness and some awesomeness and maybe some smokiness. Flavor kicks some serious ass with a badass bitterness in the finish. Now that is a barley wine. Nice.