Thomas Hooker Old Marley Barleywine

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

Pretty sure this was an 04. Poured a dark ruby brown with no head. Still looking brew. The nose is sweet, lightly oxidized, caramel, still a little citrusy, some grapefruit rind. The flavor is waxy and astringent, bitter, thin. Not very appealing.

500mL bottle, no date--I apologize to whoever sent me this, I can’t remember. Cloudy reddish brown with a thin beige head, fading to a film rather quickly. Tangy raisins and cherries up front with old earthy oak and caramel behind. A hint of vinegar acidity and leather is also present. Flavor has a bit of bourbon mixed with all the tanginess, and it’s kinda weird. Some alcohol is present in the finish, with bitterness peaking around a 3-4. Full body with minimal carbonation. This was definitely strange, and not what I had expected at all. Seems a bit oxidized and infected.

Tasted at the Carolina Crew gathering, Greenville NC not sure who brought this one! Thin tan pour with a lack in carbonation. Dark fruits (raisins?) soaked in bourbon is a great synopsis of the aroma. Brown sugar, oak, toffee, and fruit. Very nice!

500ml swing top - Has not held its carbonation levels which is a shame. Oxidized sherry notes in the nose and also slightly vinous with a sharp but flat mouthfeel. Some dred fruits with a sweet brown sugar maltiness. Bottle from Jjpm74.

Poured a muddy dark brown with basicaly no head. Aroma was of dark fruits and alcohol. Flavor was mostly whiskey alcohol burn with some brown sugar in there. Blah.

Bottle. Pours dark brown with a light tan head and spotty lacing with good head retention. Aroma of caramel, dark fruit, molasses, oakiness, and a touch of toffee. Flavor is caramel, vanilla, wood, toffee, dark fruit, light bourbon, and slightly smokey. Alcohol was well hidden. Excellent barley wine

2004 bottle (I’m almost positive.. the date over the cap is no longer there). Poured a deep, murky, intriguing reddish-brown with a rather short-lived cap of bright beige head. The aroma had a very welcome English-style barley wine feel to it accompanied by a subtle barrel impression (I didn’t realize it was barrel-aged until I started drinking).. clean, deep aged caramel and chocolate were laced with a dollop of sweet bourbon, vanilla, and sour oak.. brighter on the back of the nose with a little more of the barrel. The flavor had a very nice sweet core of toffee and aged caramel, but the barrel left too much of a sharp, sour impression.. the oak was heavy and abrasive, amplified by sour borbon.. the back end picked up a little chocolate and more toffee.. left a blend of sour oak, bourbon, and vanilla on the finish. Medium-plus bodied with very little carbonation on the palate.. the balance was thrown off after the initial impression, and unfortunately my enjoyment dropped as the drink progressed. This wasn’t bad by any means, but it may have suffered a bit due to age or to poor use of the barrel.

Bottled in 2006

5/06/2008: Old Marley Barleywine-Style Ale pours a clean, dark brown color with a nice golden-amber sheen to it. There is absolutely zero head and no carbonation (I figured that this would be the case since there was no sound when I popped the top). The aroma contains rich and complex caramel maltiness, aged sweet citrus hops, and some soft vanilla. The flavor is malty as well (roasty toffee and caramel chews) with some citrus hoppiness and accompanying mild to moderate bitterness that kicks up the in the finish. There is also a nice balance of vanilla and bourbon woodiness as well. There isn’t really any alcohol in the flavor except for the bourbon accents, but the alcohol definitely provides a warming effect! The body of the beer is medium-full and comes across slightly syrupy since there is not any carbonation left. I think this beer would be even better with some carbonation and it would also seem more like beer and less like and overly sweet and malty bourbon-like beverage. Overall this is a nicely complex and extremely well-balanced barleywine. Actually, it is a lot like a Scotch Ale in flavor profile, but that’s absolutely fine by me since Scotch Ale is my one of my favorite styles!

500 mL blue flip-top bottle () from jimbowood. Thanks Jimbo! Rating #211 for this beer...