Sly Fox Panacea

Earthy orange pour lifting a light white ring above its substance. Hoppy, earthy, the strong vegetal kind in which I would assume Chinook and sweaty Columbus to have an important part. It feels like a double IPA with darker malts in that regard. Green and earthy flavours, woody, soily with tree bark and toasted bread notes. It feels still a little bit raw, rough around the edges and without the malt complexity I expected. Lasting syrupiness in mouth, oily medium body, growing alcohol presence sip by sip. Very hoppy take.

On tap at the Phoenixville location. Poured a darker brownish/amber color with almost no head at all. Aromas oranges, caramel, citrus and other fruits. Tastes of oranges, caramel, and a little earthy. Medium to stronger alcohol burn in the finish. One thought came to my mind - fresh orange slices that were soaking in alcohol.

Any first impressions?
-There is barely a ring of head to top the ruby red.
-A quaint aroma of sweet apples and oranges brushes the nostrils.
-Cranberries and resinous hops bathe in a pool of alcohol.
-Body is somewhat thin for its size, and too liquorous for my tastes in the style.

What if you dig deeper?
-Complexity levels are disappointing for the style. Maybe it’s too young?
-Carbonation’s too important, perhaps showcasing the malt’s meagerness.
-Hops develop strength in the flavor spectrum, but appear muddled, perhaps scared of the alcohol.
-A drinkable barley wine liquor, but nothing spectacular imho.

Sampled at Extreme Beer Fest ’06.

Draft in Phoenixville. This one poured clear deep copper/orange with little head. The aroma was very hoppy, with some heat and fruit noted, in addition to some fruity cherry bourbon wafts. The taste had a firm malt presence backed by big hops and subdued fruit. I like a little more dark fruitiness to my barleywines. The finish got a little hot, and the hops kept on coming as it warmed. This one reminded me a little of Avery Hog Heaven. As a side note, I did side-by-sides of this and the Odyssey, and this one made Odyssey its bitch in the IBU department. If this were an IIPA, I’d raise the score by a tenth or two.

Tap at Barcade. Deep ruby-amber beer topped by a creamy tan head. The aroma is quite fruity. Cherry and light plum over a sweet malty base. There is a touch of sweet pale malt, cherry/plum and a sweet tropical fruit hop flavour. There’s also a touch of grapefruit citrus over the top. The bitterness is quite moderate but there is lots of sweet hop flavour. I’d like a bit more oomph in both the hops and the malt, but it’s a novel take on the style. The bitterness is very smooth. A tasty brew.