Sprecher Barley Wine Ale

Brewed by Sprecher Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Glendale, Wisconsin USA

Had the 16 oz 2006 bottle, which had the wax on the cap. Opened this in 2009, and I must say I was immediately impressed by the complex balance in the aroma. There was some slight alcohol present in the background, but overall, it had a lot of fruity aromas and strong malt, with a nice hop background. The appearance was hazy and a medium copper color. Upon tasting, I found a bit of alcohol present, but an incredible complex malt profile going on. I get a bit of raisin with a bit of sweetness in the background. The hops are definitely still there, and are balanced nicely. Overall, this is one of the nicer american versions I have tasted in quite some time and I feel a lot of it may have to do with the aging.

Orangish red pour with minimal head. Aroma of over ripe fruit, plastic, feet. Flavor is like alcoholic fruit snacks with a really strong over ripened fruit and carpet cleaner notes. Maybe apple sauce? Lots of rubber too. Thin mouthfeel, watery waxy finish. I wonder how much of the 8 dollars I spent on this went to the fancy bottle, but this was awful. Would rather have the pizza beer.

Medium amber with a thinning head. aroma is prickly with hot alcohol note- brown sugar, molassess, toffee and ahrsh caramel- light acetaldehyde and solvent. Slick oily meaty flavor with ligth smoke, caramel malts, citrus harsh solvent apple cidery and a spicy phenolic kick. Harsh and not really smooth- lots wrong with this one.

Bouteille 500ml (2006), courtoisie de Blankboy. De couleur rouge-brune et légèrement voilée. Nez malté de caramel toffee légèrement boisé (bois humide, notes de fût de chêne) et aux notes rôties, fruité (raisins vineux, notes de pommes) avec des petites notes de sucre brun, léger de houblon herbeux et avec des notes dalcool liquoreux. Moyennement ronde en bouche avec un pétillement bas et une texture très légèrement sirupeuse. Goût fruité (raisins sucrés vineux, notes de pommes rouges, traces de cerises et de prunes vieillies) accompagné dun léger goût boisé (fût de chêne, présent en arrière-goût durant toute la gorgée) lors de lentrée en bouche auquel se rajoute un goût malté de caramel toffee assez sucré, légèrement rôti et aux notes terreuses ainsi quavec des notes de pain. Parallèlement, lon retrouve un léger goût dalcool liquoreux (brandy) et un peu réchauffant jusquen finale, où se rajoute un léger goût de houblon herbeux avec des traces de noix asséchantes. Post-goût moyen-long et aux notes sèches, léger-moyen amer dalcool doux, de rôti, de houblon herbeux (notes terreuses) avec un goût fruité (moût de raisins) et des notes boisées.

sample on Nov 6, 2008. pours amber/red color... some sweetness on the aroma... nice med and smooth body... sweet caramel malts over the palate... a decent english style barley wine.

I toured the Sprecher brewery, which was lots of fun, and the tour guide played this up big. Apparently it uses a particular wine-style of fermentation? Anyway, I was underwhelmed. The fizziness was short lived, it felt too watery in the mouth, and the flavor was just the wrong combination of citrusy and nutty. I MUCH preferred their traditional beers; the Abbey Triple was my favorite!

This was an utter failure when it comes to barley wines. Pours an orange-ish color with a very fruity aroma. Also had very little head to it. Aroma is kind of like bad cough syrup, a jolly rancher and ass. Seriously. Where is the rich malt character and alcohol that we all know and love in a barley wine? Taste was just as disastrous as the aroma. Completely one-dimensional in terms of the fruitiness I was getting. This was unlike any barley wine I ever had, and that is not a good thing. Hell, even Tyranena’s barley wine went against the grain, but at least it was drinkable. Uber failure on this one.

New bottle style. 16oz bottle that is wax-dipped, and has a metal plate adhered to the front stating ’specher barley wine ale.’ Brewed in 2007, slightly chilled. Pours a caramel color - golden color with some ruby hues. Has a small soapy head that fades quickly, leaving no head and no lacing. Smells unlike any Barley Wine I’ve had. It is overwhelming citrus hops, maybe some rasperry and lemon zest, with some caramel malts in the background. Taste is very light, almost watery. It has no thickness to the mouthfeel that you tend to get with Barley Wines. Tastes much like the aroma......the fruity characteristics tend to define it more than the caramel malt complexity typical of this style. Good, but really doesn’t seem like a Barley Wine to me...lacks some complexity that it needs and that "barley wine" mouthfeel.