Thirsty Bear Bearly Legal Barley Wine

Brewed by Thirsty Bear Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
San Francisco, California USA

Poured from tap at brewery an orange color w/medium sized white head. Aroma was light with malt and some toast. Flavor is somewhat sweet with honey and malt, then a little toast and some tart cherry notes. Easy drinking for a barleywine. I may be back for more.

Golden-amber colour. Sweetly malty with light fruit notes. Though a year old, it’s still very sweet with bright fruitiness and late alcohol. I like the flavours but would prefer to try again in a few years when it’s dried out a bit and hopefully the complexity has come into form a bit more.

Draught at the brewpub. Lightly hazy amber. Sweet malt dominates this beer. There’s lots of toffee, butterscotch and some light orangey notes. The sweetness feels somewhat saccharine-like and starts to burn your throat. The hops play second fiddle to the malt, but some salty bitterness takes the edge of the sachharine sweetness. Has potential to improve greatly with aging.

Had the 2003 edition on tap. A very flavorful and complex barley wine. I was pleasantly surprised.

Not on the menu but told by our server it just became available. On tap, at the brewpub. Dark orange, thick white head. Some sweet caramel and alcohol in pleasing aroma. Very very sweet flavourful taste. Light on the hop side, but similar to the old crusty I had on tap earlier in the day at Rogue. Not overly complex, but then again, quite drinkable at this alcohol level. Just a tad watery. Very good and a great way to end the night.

Draft. Rich deep amber with a HUGE off-white head. Sweet malt aroma, spice, and a bit of something resembling wine that turned to vinegar. Caramel malt, and a slightly burnt flavor. Enough hops to keep it interesting. Nice and complex.

2/21/04. On draft at Toronado Barley Wine Festival ’04 in San Francisco, CA 2/21/04. 1999 Vintage. Straight orange amber color. Rocky, off-white head. Small, but with very good head retention. Decent, spotty lacing. Aroma is of orange candy, slightly metallic and with some brown sugar sweetness and depth. Pretty lovely. Mellow amber malts and rich honey creep in with the first taste. Caramel malts and rounded hop character too. Pretty smooth body, but there’s a bit of a metallic edge (probably from subtle oxidation). Finish is long and very smooth. Very drinkable and quite elegant, but lacks the bang of a great aging beer.

Slightly hazy orange color with a creamy off-white head. Strong grape tootsie pop aroma. Rich sweet malty, caramel, and grape tootsie pop flavors. Pretty thick feel, with a somewhat dry finish. My favorite Thirsty Bear brew!