Speakeasy Old Godfather Barleywine

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

tons of caramel in the nose.. . fantastic foam, A+ lacing .. . very clean, very smooth, way to much fun .. . abv is dead on perfect .. . a fantastic underrated barleywine, like i said before, just a fun enjoyable beer.. . i wish i had a few more .. . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DG4xfAFL7U

Vintage 2006
Hazy ruby-amber color; creamy head. Creamy aroma, malty, with some vanilla and cookies. Very thick mouthfeel, a bit oily too; huge malt and caramel aroma, sweet; the alcohol warmth is clearly perceived; the final is thinner than expected, but with a good mix of caramel and hop; strong bitterness. Excellent.

(26Dec2002--draft) A wonderful surprise! Excessively thin head, though surprisingly persistent and effervescent. Still, undercarbonated. Is this a cask-conditioned ale? Again, like the Alaskan Smoked Porter, it may be the bar's fault. For a strong ale, what a pleasant nose; pronounced peaches, with Cascades hops in perfect amount. The best use of Cascades I've tasted yet. Deep copper color. Flavor like the nose. Alcohol (9%) hidden well. Bittering hops balance the malt and fruitiness well. Bravo! Although listed as a barley wine, the bartender called it a 'double IPA'. Makes me wonder if I wasn't indeed drinking Speakeasy's double IPA. Judging from the spotty CO2 priming at that bar, I'd not be surprised. Reminds me more of a seasonal like Sierra Celebration than a full-fledged barley wine.

Dark brown amber with a big thick creamy head and sticky lacing. Big hops and ripe fruit aroma. Flavor is overripe fruits alcohol and caramel...I can really taste the caramel! Finish is caramel and citrus with a nice alcohol bite.

A good-looking brew with a nice balance of malts and hops. Has some initial molasses but a lot of upfront alcohol; too much so. The flavor has some present hops, esp. near the end. An okay barleywine.

Sparkling rusty orange, thin tan fizzy head. Room temp brings an intense nose of grapefruit, spruce, brown sugar, mango, and underlying tones of pineapple. This BW is hop-sided, but the deep malty caramel and brown sugar notes aim to balance. Never quite makes it which is fine with me. Rreminds me a bit of a fresh Bigfoot if I was comparing. Full bodied, soft carbonation, fruity, bitter-sweet finish. A real nice after dinner sipper...

Bottled. Thanks Fredrik. Dark amber colour. Sweetish, hoppy aroma with esters. Light toast. Flavour is rich estery-fruity. Smooth, oily mouthfeel with loads of malts and grapey-citric hops. Bottle was 1/2 year old.

An amazingly drinkable barleywine. Deliciously malty with a pop of hoppy goodness at the end. Speakeasy is the best California micro, bar none.