Viking Brewing Berserk Barleywine

Brewed by Viking Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Dallas, Wisconsin USA

12oz bottle.
Pours a dark, slightly cloudy ruby-brown with more carbonation and head than one might expect from a Viking product, but still not an overabundance of either as is appropriate to the style. Aroma is nice tobacco-leaf hops similar to DFH Olde School, plus rich sweet malt and some dried fruits (cherry, raisins). Flavor basically follows suit, its intensity starting out modestly but growing into a full-flavored barleywine as it approaches room temperature. The tobacco-like hops show a bit more bitterness than in the aroma. That said, hopheads accustomed to West Coast-style high-alpha-hopped barleywines will find this version a letdown. Those who lean more toward the more traditional English style will be more pleased. Strong, thick palate with subdued hop-spice aftertaste. Still a long way from an English classic such as Hardy’s; then again, a 4-pack of this stuff is two bucks cheaper than a single bottle of Hardy’s, confirming a growing recognition that Wisconsin microbrews have the best quality-per-dollar ratio in the American craft-brewing scene. Viking may have its issues elsewhere in its lineup, but this one is a solid hit.

Bottle. Interesting that Viking gets brewed out of a tiny town in the middle of West Central Wisconsin. We had a college friend who was from there and I didn’t even know they had a brewery in town. The aroma here is a little subdued for the BW style. Flavor is thin...how can this beer be 12% ABV? Sweet somewhat interesting but odd flavor. I can’t quite put my finger on what the flavors are, but I’m pretty sure there’s something in here that’s a little off. Kind of chalky, not super smooth as I swallow this. Not as hoppy as I’d expect for a barleywine. Thin up front with a little bite on the finish. Somewhat unrefined but not terrible, although IMO this ranks as one of the lower tiered barley wines I’ve ever had.

Almost no head and no carbonation. Little bit of sudsy bubbles floating on the surface. Rich meaty aroma with caramel, prunes, raisins, molasses and a hint of olives. Hmmmm. Head reforms nicely upon swirling. Color is a muddy dark brown with a hint of red. Roasty and tasty. Roasted grains, more caramel, a touch of coffee and a little tartness. Pretty darn good. Looking at the liquid you would expet it to be a little thicker and fuller in the mouth. Thinner than it appears. 12% alcohol huh. Either it really hides its alcohol well or this is not a 12%er. Almost no alcohol detection. Finish is oily and roasty with a bit of tartness again. A decent barleywine but not one that I guess would improve that much with age. Thanks to robertsreality for this one.

12 oz bottle- Redish / brown in color with limited head and lacing. Citrus aroma with a hint of vanilla. Nice syrupy sweet mouthfeel almost cream like the more you drink. Dry finish that lasts. A nice offering from an inconsistent brewery. Would have again.

Bottle. Pours a hazy brown body with very light carbonation. There’s a thin but dense ring of tan foam that leaves thin soapy lacing. Malty-sweet plum pudding, sweetened tobacco and alcoholic aroma. The flavor brings out more complexity starting with brown sugar and plum leading to cigar wraper and a light peppery alcohol. Pretty much just sweet though. Throughout the flavor is a vanillay, bready yeast component that keeps the fruity malt from really shining through. A tasty but middle-of-the-road BW.

12 oz twistie bottle. Likely a 2005 vintage. The beer pours to a murky dark mahogany body with a light tan head. The aroma is dark cherries, molasses, light tobacco and sweet malts. The flavor is sweet molasses malts, light cheap tobacco, vanilla, simple malts. The palate is medium bodied, velvety, smooth drinking.

Poured a very dark ruby-brown color with a medium sized tan head. Creamy head with almost a cascade as the tiny bubbles rose through the thick beer. Aroma of sweet malt with a citrus hop mixture. Sugary with notes of fruit, chocolate and alcohol. Sweet malty fruity flavor. More notes of chocolate. Finish has a slight acidic hop flavor and light bitterness and plenty of warmth. Alcohol taste stays mostly hidden. Full bodied but not syrupy. Not bad.

12 oz bottle from Cellars in Minnetonka, MN (Dec 2005). No idea what year...vintage, what vintage? Cellar temperature, Maudite snifter. This pours quite dark, nearly opaque purple-brown with a smallish receding dark tan head....dark sweet cherries and burnt sugars dominate the sweet, lightly spicy and somewhat alcoholic aroma....a bit of licorice and tobacco emerges on further investigation....on the tongue, quite syrupy-sugary at first, but almost immediately a big alcohol burn takes over, and a tarry/leathery character sets in....there is a bit of dried fruit and caramel, but from midpalte to finish this is predominantly thick and somewhat oily, ashy and bitter. Strangely, I rather like it though it finishes too quick and is a bit hard to drink. At any rate, it’s a bit of a challenge and rather different from recent barleywines I’ve had, so props for that.