Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot

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

Clear, reddish bronze pour. Pasty and sweet aroma. Oranges, cinnamon bread, and thick fruit syrup on the nose. A whiff of the bathroom floor. Hot, taut flavor of honey, strawberry, expiring dark fruits, and vanilla toffee. Sweet nutty tones and cranberries for a dark, booze-soaked trail mix crunch. A mild medicinal tang and an even quieter hint of steak sauce. Simplistic. Thin, slick palate. Earthy warmth and dirty candy in the finishing pulse. Empty. Too fresh, but likely to be insubtantial in any case.

This one pours a deep reddish brown with a head that quickly fades. The nose is not as big and sweet as many other European b wines. It has a mild bitterness, but not too much hoppiness going on. The taste has a prune, or raisiny taste to it with a brief shot of vanilla candy at the end.

I’ve had Blithering Idiot "fresh" and it is not very good. You have to let this stuff bottle "condition" for at least 6 months upon purchase. I’m drinking a bottle from this past winter that I had in my liquor cabinet (from the point of purchase, aged in the bottle for about 6 months). Pours hazy caramel ruby, off white head. Aroma is raisin, port, sourdough bread, ginger (the aroma becomes more natural ---loses the acetone---and blends as it ages). Flavor is the same and a bit shy and quick to dissipate. Leaves behind alcohol and caramel.

Date: March 30, 2003
Mode: Bottle
Source: Whole Foods Market, DC
Appearance: dark amber, thin beige head
Aroma: strong tart malty aroma
Flavor: rich malt flavor, lots of fruity essence, becomes slightly alcoholic after warming

Date: March 07, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: blind tasting
Vintage: 2002
Score: 2.7
Appearance: hazy dark amber, fine beige head
Aroma: sweet dark caramel aroma with a light fruity and an earthy balance
Flavor: tart and oxidized dark caramel flavor, touch of fruity character brings back the sweetness, earthy character keeps it balanced, light bitter finish, past its prime

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Drinkability: 5/10
Score: *4

bottle: pours a beautiful cooper orange with a small whiteish head. aroama of sweet caramel malts some alcohol, the hints of dark sugars and fruits ans some floralness. flavour is biteing and alcohol like upfront, it then fades into touches of dark fruits and candy sugar. finishes drying and somewhat bready and dense caramel.

last beer of the night....deep orange brown with a bigger head than I expected...sweet aroma of concentrated raisons and prunes...sweet malts....rich taste of dried fruit and caramel...bitter alcohol finish....slight yeasty texture with a dry bread flavor...alcohol finish but not overpowering....barley wines are moving up on my list

1/2 inch tan head that laces well. Deep red caramel color. Delivers the wine side of barley wine. Alcohol is very present. Full bodied and effervescent. Tastes sweet, bitter and sour. A meal in a bottle, very filling. Tastes better when not very cold.

Poured a dark brown. Creme colored head. Aroma is raisins and some alcohol. Flavor has medium sweetness with light bitterness. Overall, definitely something I’d like to pick up again.