Upstream Batch 1000 Barley Wine

Brewed by Upstream Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Omaha, Nebraska USA

750 ML shared by eaglefan538. Murky mahogany/amber color w/a decent tan foamy head. Sweet malt aroma. Subdued sweet malt flavor w/traces of caramel, raisins, & nuts. Very smooth & easy to drink; alcohol was well hidden. Short malt finish which wasn’t overly sweet. Good brew, thanks Brian!

Bottle thanks to eaglefan538. Poured hazy amber with with small tan head. Aroma is sweet malt, caramel and hops. Taste is very sweet, some alcohol, dark fruit. and caramel. Nice barley wine. Thanks Brian.

Bottle shared by eaglefan538. Thanks B! Poured a muddy brown color, nice head. Nose was sweet malts. Taste was close to the nose. Sweet malts, caramel, sugary, but not to sweet. Texture was really light and blended well togther. I wonder how old this bottle was. It was very mellow. Easy drinking for a barleywine. Thanks Brian!

Bottle from theisti. Shared at a SSSLT. Pour was deep orange to brown, small head (a quite small pfszt upon opening the cork). The aroma was malty sweet caramel, and strong lighter fruits, seemed rather uninspiring, as did the first few sips. Upon adjusting the buds and letting it warm a tad, this one grew on me from being subpar to decent. The flavors were caramel malts, sweet malts (candy), toffee, light fruits (cherries, apples, maybe pears), a touch of choco/cocoa, hops noticeably absent, as was the alcohol burn (surprisingly drinkable for a BW). The mouthfeel was moderate for the style, again, quite drinkable, although a malt play (yet short of sticky). Thanks, Tim!

A deep brown copper colored brew with a large light khaki head. The aroma has lots of sweet caramel and peaches. There are also some leathery hints. The taste is very sweet with some leather and alcohol. There is also some white peach character. This is lightly spiced with black pepper and wood in the finish. Decent, but seems a little sloppy.

Crushed with Jakebra and Dadbra. Very sweet, caramelly nose. Mouthfeel is nice, but the balance is off. It’s a little too sweet, but still pretty good for a small Nebraska brewery.

750ml $10 Upstream Brewpub 10.2% Batch 1000 pours a surprisingly clear glowing ruby with streams of carbonation rising from spots with other spots being dead. A fingers worth of ecru head formed on the pour and fell to a slim cap with a decent ring. The carbonation bubbles seem to keep the ring alive. Leaves patchy lacing here and there on its way down. You can tell the alcohol pulls away the majority of the head on this beer. Smell is big on the sugary sweet caramel which is basically the steals the show. There is a good amount of fruitiness involved which really adds complexity. Golden raisins, peaches, a bit of pear, and even less apricot. There’s a touch of cinnamon in there although I’m not sure where it’s coming from. Spicy booziness adds to the layers and ends up creating a very interesting, unique barleywine. The more I smell the more I like this big bold barleywine. The flavor seems to follow the aroma fairly closely. The golden raisin, pears, and apricot are all caramel drizzled and delicious. The alcohol is big but never gets in the way; instead it adds spiciness and seems to bring out all the rich caramel fruitiness. There isn’t much hoppiness in the flavor, more big candy like maltiness, but the bitterness grows as I drink. A thick heavy body feels right at home with the sweet booziness of this barleywine. It’s dense but moves very well over the tongue. The bitterness continues to grow until (halfway through the bottle for me) the tongue is stomped on. This is a sipper without a doubt and one to enjoy over long periods but that being said it’s a beer I could sip for quite a while. Warming, smooth, and delicious! I would recommend letting this beer warm up to 60 degrees or so. The booziness dies down and the true flavor really pops. This barleywine grew on me as the temperature rose and ended up being an excellent sipper. If you have the chance, pick this up. 6/7/08

Date: 10/10/2008 2008 GABF Dark fruits and sweet malty aroma. Caramel malts with some dark fruits with low hop flavor and bitterness. Medium body and mouthfeel. Moderatelt sweet finish.