Thomas Hooker Old Marley Barleywine

Brewed by Thomas Hooker Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Bloomfield, Connecticut USA

brought to me by way of jjpm74(.2005 bottle sampled from a cognac snifter)pours pretty dark for a barley wine until held to light.then i got a orangish/red body.smells of coca-cola,ginger,vanilla,and sweet candy.the first sip was very impressive.oak,vanilla,coca-cola,malts,and a nice hops bite.this is extremely tasty and one of the best b.w.’s i have had yet.

Bottle. Deep copper in colour, very thin brown tinged head. The aroma was of gingerbread, candy apples, brown sugar, earthy, maybe a bit of oak. The flavour showed some light warmth from the alcohol, light sweetness from some caramel, sugary and syrupy, dark fruits and some hop bitterness. Rich mouthfeel, medium body, medium carbonation. FInishes with somemore alcohol warmth, lingering, slightly dry. Its ok but I felt a little disappointed.

500mL bottle courtesy of my SecretSanta. A DEEP plum pour with a thin sandy head that leaves a little webbed lacing. Lots of brown sugar, hops and some grapefruit in the aroma. A rich, full-bodied beer. Nice balance. Ample spices. Lots of hops to go along with the smooth oakiness. Starts off with a caramel sweetness and finishes with some bitter hops. Piney.

One of the thickest pours known to barleywines, seeping into the sifter as a translucent crimson brown. Some hazy galaxy wisps for the head. Aroma is sweet and seductive: maple, brown sugar, oak, caramel, amaretto and a subtle hop bouquet. Smooth oak properties thickly sedate the tongue, basking in a blanket of bourbon and vanilla eloquence. Accents of maple vats, singed cedar and a bite out of the barrel itself round out the flavor pool. Thickest and heaviest palate feel I’ve known for a barleywine. Smooth and symbiotic as all can be. Finishes with a comforting warmness and flavorful oak resonance. Another tally mark in the win column for beers scored by tpkenned!

Poured from the kick-ass blue flip top bottle - extra appearance point for the packaging. Cloudy copper with a dense brown head. Really nice aroma - caramel, brandy, brown sugar, maybe a hint of apple butter. Nice thick, viscious palate. Strong caramel and toffee flavors up front, mixed in with some vanill, then a surprisingly bitter hoppy finish Note of pine, resin and maybe some smokyness round it out. 2K5 vintage. Thanks to Springslicker for this one!

Bottle sampled @ RBSG 05’ (Montréal) Post-Cidery Impromptu Hotel Room Tasting
Dark amber, light head, some lacing. The nose is strong with alcohol and fruity roast, light mushroom. Medium body with balanced flavors. Nice. Yes, I’m sucking at rating right now. As Peter Griffin would say, "I’m not drunk, I’m just exhausted from drinking all night."

Swing-top bottle sent by ClarkVV in a trade. 2004 vintage. I had strikes one and two at the "It’s No Montreal" gathering in Rockville two weeks ago. Both the Liberator and Imperial Porter were infected. They exploded out of the bottle and smelled atrocious. Would this be strike three? I took the bottle and set it in the sink. I popped open the swing-top fully expecting it to bubble over. However, there was no violent reaction. Poked my nose around the top to get a sniff and it smells "normal". Poured it into a snifter and a wonderful ruby brown body is revealed. Small tan bubbles meander on the surface before retreating en masse to the edge of the glass. Initially I smell the hops. I delve deeper to get toffee, light caramel, hints of chocolate and wood. Lighter vanilla, alcohol and sugary notes. Excellent aroma. Had I not known what this was, I’d think tamed Old Crustacean and Thomas Hardy blended. Taste is vanilla, light wood, alcohol, light toffee, brown sugar, caramel, and mellowed hops. There’s a bit of pine coming through at times but is does not detract from this at all. This is a wonderful sipping beer. Body has mild alcohol warmth, light lingering bitterness and has a medium overall feel. There’s some syrupy notes at times but is rather smooth overall. Minimal carbonation. Finishes with more alcohol, vanilla, caramel, wood, bigger hop profile, light brown sugar and creamy maltiness. So thinking back, after the Liberator Doppel (strike one) and the Imperial Porter (strike two), the Old Marley swung on an 0-2 count and hit it over the fence. Definite homerun, with me at least, and very enjoyable. The only thing I’d change would be changing today’s date to December 21st, rather than July 21st, but we can’t have everything we want, can we?

Mahogany color, tan head. Pleasant aroma of brown sugar and vanilla. Flavor and mouthfeel are very boozy, almost overpowering. What is there is malty, light fruit. This puppy needs some time to mature.