Siletz Noggin Knocker Barleywine

Brewed by Siletz Brewing and Public House
Style: Barley Wine
Siletz, Oregon USA

This is a monster barleywine that I swear to god has more alcohol than 8% that they told me at the booth. Huge roasted maltiness, hugely hopped and nicely balanced, with a heavy syrupy sweetness, but to me this is a perfect representation of how a NW style barleywine should taste. It is beautiful and offensive all at the same time, this is not a pretty beer, and the aroma lingers and calls to you, just as the finish aftertaste urges you to drink more. This is the kind of beer that could get you in trouble if you kept drinking it. Great stuff!

Another discounted bomber, bottled in January of 2006 so this has had some time to develop. Pours thick and oily, color is a reddish brown. Lasting full head with incredibly heavy lacing. Aroma is mostly thick, dark, sweet malts. Scents of dark cherries and raisins are noticeable. There is a robust port wine like quality as well. Tangy-sweet on the palate along with a moderate bitterness. Extremely full bodied, soft and smooth the entire time. It is mellow and drinks nice, although it did start to get overly sweet toward the end. Flavor is a mountain of blended malts, very chewy and creamy. Red grapes, black cherries, plums, raisins, and some sweet chocolate. Lots of flavor and some nicely noticed hops balanced the flavor. The hops are lightly bitter and contributed a nice underlying floral flavor. Very robust and intriguing.

Very dark red color with a tan head. Aroma is very sweet, with cherries and caramel. Flavor is also very sweet with cherries, caramel, chocolate, toffee and hops at the finish. This is probably one of the sweetest beers I’ve tried.

Aroma a bit medicinal. Can be poured as a beatiful, dark ruby - or with sediment. Has that underlying Siletz acidity - sometimes bothersome. It’s bitter, but lacks citrus. Perhaps a bit too sweet, sort of molasses flavor, but the finish is fine.

22 oz bomber witha really nice screen printed label,with a depiction of the Ancient Egyptian diety ,Hathor. Very attractive beer in the pint mug, very dark dark red/brown,almost a cognac colour to it,small bubbly tan head,plenty lacing. Very strong aroma of hops and an almost sherry like tone. The taste is quite unusual..the first sip and its extremelly srong dark fruit tastes that assault the taste buds..like slightly "off" blackberries..then its gone and replaced by a lasting spicy,bitter hopiness that lingers long.slight hint of what appears to be strong alcohol. Nice on the palate..though the mouthfeel seems to be divided in two distinct "areas" the dark fruitiness, then the spicy long lasting bitterness. I found this beer very tasty ,though it has to be said this is not the most balanced beer in the world. The brewer suggests aging this..I think that would be a great idea..maybe the two halves of the taste would meld beautifully in a year.

This dark brown ale poured with a fluffy tan head, eliciting a hearty malt aroma. The flavor is primarily chocolate and caramel with a raisin finish. This is a very nice barleywine with a bit less alcohol than most.

Dark mahogany with an off white head and spotty lacing. Sour grapes and bitter hops. Some figs and caramel. Sour and green. Hoppy with caramel malts. This needs some aging.

This isn’t a typical barley wine, it isn’t trying to be one. It’s more like a Christmas-flavored highly hopped English stong ale. Murky brown and purple colored body with a filmy sand colored head. Intensely sweet nose of brown sugar, maple, chewy, caramelized sugars, woody, mossy hops and some interesting spicy, peppery yeast notes, even containing a little smoke. A little reminiscent of a fresh Bigfoot. First taste is very pungent, striking, pasty texture, with a peppery, biting, sour and lactic grass flavor. I can see what this is trying to do: it’s almost a nice, peppery and grassy hop bomb.. The finish leaves a coating of gritty paste-like resin all over the mouth. Reminds me of an English style barley wine on steroids. It’s very interesting, overall very sweet - but the underlying juniper, pine sap and "tree" spices are surprisingly good after a few short glasses. Dare I say this reminds me of Anchor OSA at times?