Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot

Brewed by Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Easton, Pennsylvania USA

This is the first barley wine i’ve had and i’m not impressed. Was not the most pleasant beer drinking experience. The aftertaste was horrible.

Pours a thick, hazy, rusty brown color with a small, frothy, cream colored head. The aroma is sweet and malty, with rich caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, boozy vodka, and some mild dark fruits. The flavor is intensely sweet up front. Its like caramel squared, with a brown sugar reduction sauce drizzled on top. Vanilla flavored vodka adds significant heat and another layer of depth. The smooth, syrupy body finishes hot and somewhat peppery. This one was aged about 8 months, but it could definitely use some more time to mellow out.

Bottle aged about 1 1/2 years. Cloudy orange/copper with a smallish head and a lot of somewhat disturbing brown floaters. Aroma of raisins, figs and brown sugar. Taste was a bit vinous and sweet, and a little alcohol was present as it warmed. Syrupy texture.

Great body, nice balance in this barleywine. Not for everybody and probably will age well. The body on this is really outstanding.

12 oz. bottle. Pours orange with amber hues with a three finger off-white/toffee creamy head that lingers. Good lacing. Nose is sweet of carmel and dark fruit, raisin and plum. Bread and biscuit comes through, and lots of alcohol. Fantastic creamy mouthfeel. Fruity front, cherries, plums, raisins, then a touch of carmel/bisuit that’s cut quickly and deeply with a blast of alcohol. The end is fruit and alcohol, both lasting into the after. Good offering, tasty and complex. Would do good to have a year or two under its belt.

12oz bottle via trade with crizay. This is one of those nights I was feeling like a blithering idiot. Pours a clear copper with inch high bubbly tan head. The aroma is a bit light and doesn’t really hide the big ABV. I get plums, raisins, a hint of hay, pale malts (oddly enough) and some alcohol. The flavor starts with cherries, raisins, dates and plum fruitiness. This was followed by lightly roasted to pale malts. Throughout the experience there’s an under tone of alcohol and hotness. Into the aftertaste each of the flavor components lingers for a good while with sweet dark fruitiness cut with alcohol and pale maltiness. Maybe this could use a couple more years to mellow.

12 oz. bottle. Pours a clear, cider color. Very small, white head. Aroma of honey and caramel. Body is somewhat thin. Mouthfeel is sweet malt, some vanilla. Finish is a bit bitter with slight warming alcohol.

alcohol and vanilla aroma at firstfollowed by a burnt caramel with a noticeable metallic very slightly fishy undertone. the pour is a little on the fizzy side and the head is not long lasting. The color is a very warm dark amber with just a hint of haze. The drink hazes if overly cold. The flavor is distintly sweet that lingers some time befor a nice bitter aftertaste. There is a little zing due to the carbonationand overall a nice full pallatee that is thirst quenching despite the sweetness. Overall this beer rivals my favorite Old Horizontal, come close but not quite. Attractive for Pennsylvania Drinkers(State Case Laws) that this very fine beer comes in a variety pack from Weyerbacher with several other excellent examples of various"Big Beer" styles.