Speakeasy Old Godfather Barleywine

Brewed by Speakeasy Ales and Lagers
Style: Barley Wine
San Francisco, California USA

Bottle (2006): Poured a ruddy copper color with a smaller beige head and thick lacing. Nose is rich of malts and dark fruits. Taste is malty, dark fruits, caramel, and citrus hops. Enjoyable combination of bw and strong ale characteristics.

Bottle via Naven. Cloudy redish amber color. Smell of dark fruit, nuts hops, malt, caramel, red wine and spice. Taste of caramel, prunes, malt, hops, honey, nut, bread, alcohol, rasins and toffee. Alcohol is present and warms your body up!

Name: Old Godfather
Date: 10/07/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Trade
Vintage: 2006

clear dark ruby red, whispy off white head that can be easily roused, rich sweet malt aroma with a bit of an alcoholic burn and some light floral hops, creamy body, rich carmel malt flavor, nice fruity character that starts off light and grows, touch of alcohol that disapates,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Speakeasy does a great job with hops. This is a well hopped barleywine with a nice herbal and citrus aroma. Red in color, almost no head, and little carbonation. Sweet sugary aroma but with bright hops as well, nicely balanced and I am surprised it is not rated higher.

2006 Vintage. Courtesy of Skyview. Copper color with no head. Big caramel aroma. Very sweet malt and caramel taste. Plenty of hops to keep the sweetness from being overpowering, but not enough to turn it into a malty IPA. The hops do taste a little on the raw, leafy end of the spectrum. Quite nice.

A 2006 vintage, picked up a single 12-oz bottle at John’s Market Place in Portland, OR. Pours a clear dark amber brew with a thin, fast dissolving off-white head that leaves behind a ring and spotty lacing. Aroma of sweet caramel malt, orange zest, roasted nuts, toffee and sugar cookie dough. Taste is full bodied, very light carbonation, syrupy texture with sweet caramel, brown sugar and orange zest flavors. Finish is semi-sweet, high alcohol warmth with a slight bitter aftertaste. One of the more hoppy barley wines I’ve tried.

2006... Poured a clear, dark amber color with a fizzy off white head, that faded to a thin collar, leaving light lacing on the glass. Aroma of caramel malts, dark fruits, light oxidation, molasses, citrus fruits, and floral hoppiness. Taste of dried fruits, wood, sherry, metallic hoppiness, buttery malts, with grapes, and some alcohol as well.

I picked up a bottle @ Foodery II in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. Speakeasy’s barleywine brought me disappointment. Flat pour, light malt, caramel, fruit, and a spicey bitterness. I can best describe Old Godfather as a barleywine spritzer. Other than heavy hops and sweet alcohol flavors it was missing the maltiness to balance the barleywine out.