Thomas Hooker Old Marley Barleywine

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

500 ml. swing top blue bottle, bottled in 2006, sampled in snifter. L: Cloudy deep reddish brown with a tan head of compact creamy foam. Good head retention and a fair amount of lace sticking. S: Taste inducing nose of chocolate caramel, molasses, prunes, purple plums and figs. Further whiffs reveal vanilla and traces of smoky whiskey soaked wood. F&T: Syrupy smooth malty body that is oily slick on the tongue and dry in the finish. A nice blend of flavors, prune juice, plums, caramelized sugar, cocoa and caramel, toasted vanilla and licorice. The hops have a acrid green wood oiliness, ending with a mildly bitter herbal spiciness. The alcohol provides a light, low spicy warmth in the palate, it true strength is well disguised. Lingering in aftertaste is a subtle nutty barrel woodiness. This was a pleasant easy sipper, I found it to be very enjoyable on a cold winter night.

Bottle: Pours a dark, murky, brownish ruby with evidence of mild carbonation (hardly any head) Nice aromatic, traditional American style Barley Wine aroma. Nice malt presence, almost chocolatey, but leans toward a rich vanilla/caramel nose and some mild oak notes as well. The body is a bit thin, with hardly any carbonation, but it’s not watery. The flavor is nice with a solid malt character. Rich and mildly sweet with lots of vanilla character and toasted wood and sweet bourbon. There’s also some late, residual earthiness of smokey tobacco. It’s nicely balanced by a late, American hop dryness, with subtle oak suggestions as well. A well crafted and balanced Barley Wine.

swing top bottle poured a dark brown in color, thick looking, with a minimal frothy tan head. aroma is sweet, light smoke, brown sugar, and malt. mouth feel is on the thick side, almost cloying sweet, hits of oak and vanilla, heavy malt, some hops wrapped up in a sharp frothy flavor that as many have said here resembles aged cheese, just strange in my beer. not sure about this one it has some very sharp flavors that i am not convinced really go too well together. just too many directions here it is sour but sweet, bitter and dry, and the almost creamy texture just throws me off.

Thanks to boboski for opening this brew. Pours dark brown with minimal head. The aroma is light with sweetness, hints of alcohol and not much else. The flavor starts with light dark fruitiness that is exceedingly smooth. Then the sweetness hits with hints of molasses, sweet roasted malts and faint caramel. Then the taste turns more bitter and slightly tart with vague hoppiness and a bit of astringency. The alcohol shows up near the finish along with more caramelness.

Almost opaque brown color, with a thin tan head which faded really fast. Nice sweet aroma with some oak notes. Flavor was initially sweet balanced out by some alcohol notes and some hops. Body was thin for a barley wine. Still good.

One of my many copious trades. Murky brown with little to no head. Brown sugar and oak on the nose. Hops are almost gone at this time. Lightly sour.

[Bottle, thanks Brewfiend] Pours fairly dark brown with a light tan head. Aroma is strong and sweet with grape and prunes. Taste is fruity and intense. Low bitterness with only a little in the finish. Medium mouthfeel. Pretty good, not great.

01 Nov 07, BW Tasting. 500mL Blue-Glass swing-top bottle. 2006 Vintage. Aroma of caramel, licorice. Dark brown color. Sharp hop florals dominate the malt. Piney, citrus and malt flavors.