Sonoran Old Saguaro Barleywine

Brewed by Sonoran Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Phoenix, Arizona USA

Nice orange color, with a tiny lace head. Sweet start with a nice hop bite. Finished with a warm alcohol burn.

Clear orange-copper color. Quick fizzy head that disappears fast. Now I love barley wines (as per my pleabargain with the National Barlywine Commission), but something in this particular brew, I felt was amiss. Finishes very sugary sweet, which almost turns to sour. I'm no scientist, but perhaps some more hops would even out the sweetness. At first I attributed the problem to the beer being from Arizona (which, until recently, I was unware was an inhabited state), since lizards love sugar--from what I've been told. But despite my observations, it's worth a taste.

A pretty brown/amber ale that only forms a head with an agressive pour. The aroma is rather sharp and solventy. The flavor is standard barley wine-lots of malt and hop. The finish is a bit crisper than the norm, however, giving it more drinkability than usual for the style.

Beautiful orange/brown color with a ruby glow. Alcohol, bubblegum, clove and malt aroma. Sweet bubblegum, alcohol, and green bean flavors. Nicely carbonated.

Thanks to GeoBrau for sending me this Arizona barleywine. It's like others of its ilk except for two things: it's got a head (at least a shortly-lived one) and is a touch lighter-colored than most. Otherwise, the taste is what you'd expect - bitter, bitter hops with thick oily malt that coats the mouth. Alcohol burns, as expected, but not all that badly given the abv.

Thanks to SDbruboy for sending this out to me! Pours almost ruby with a nearly non-existent tan head. Nose is sweet like oatmeal-raisin cookies. Some nutmeg or ginger as well. Very little in the way of hops. The taste is pleasant. Malt sweetness, along with brown sugar, more nutmeg/cinnamon notes and alcohol. Finishes with sweet and spicy remnants in the mouthand onmly the lightest of bitter hints. This was good. I'd like to try this aged also.

Very fruity aroma with strong brandy like essence. Copper red with a very small off white head and little lacing. Flavor was strong and spicy with sour and spice tones and a little too much alcohol present. The flavor changed drastically throughout the drink. Palate varied from bitter to sour, I think this one can be a good barley wine given the proper aging. I tried this one on Nov. 14, 2003. The label said produced in 2003, aging will definitely benefit this one.

A decent barly wine with a lot complexity and potential, but the overall result does not measure up to many others I've tried. I think this one definitely would benefit from more aging.