Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot

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

Pours a nice brown color, quite hazy, with a thick head of tan foam initially. After a bit, however, it was gone. Where did it go? I didn’t drink it. Nope, no lacing. Nice but mild aroma of vaporous dark fruit - like date and plum and fig. Malty and full of flavor, lots of brown sugar, a little fruit, a little chocolate, a little rum, and a little more rum. A little bit of grain in the finish. The hops give a good balance, but don’t really lend a flavor of their own. That’s okay - this is a nice malty brew. Very smooth body and mouthfeel, the carbonation is moderate, and the alcohol presence (apart from rum in the flavor) is not apparent. Deceptive - this one would smack you a lot if you hade more than two.

I am really stuck here for multiple reasons but here’s an accurate description since I am trying some now. First off the aroma: A medium-powerfull but still not overwhelming aroma with a touch of fruit and sourness. It pours a thick medium to bright orange and thick meaning cloudy; you can’t see through this one but it does glow a nice color with light behind + a slight head. The taste for the ABV% is; if I may make a comparison a far cry better than "Camo Black Ice" a FAR cry better. The alcohol is well hidden but by a bitter-sweet and back to bitter but not bitter meaning nasty flavor and is complex. In mouth it’s thick but not overly thick and a little syrupy but still not overdone. They seem to have taken their time developing this recipe in which I say thanks for showing that not all 10%ABV and above tastes not very good but it’s still not the best flavor wise...it is however my first Barley Wine and this may have something to do with it as I’m usually an Ale fan weather it’s an IPA or not (which is why I picked up this Barley Wine ’Ale Style’), a lager, and porter fan. For experimenting ’out of the box’ so to speak it’s not bad into itself but against others is where you get my rating. The finish is very smooth almost a 10 second linger then absolutely nothing, and no I can’t place what is in here at all; it’s pretty complex and possibly not meant to be totally de-ciphered. This is a very crafty brew. This is a first impression rating. To those of you at Weyerbacher you are now my benchmark for Barley Wines....can anyone top you? We’ll find out but I also am not bias; never have been never will be...must keep an open mind and palate. Cheers to getting more both when I can and want it to effect me in a hurry! Hmmm the tip of my tongue feels funny...oh wait I’m just a blithering idiot...don’t listen to me.

On tap...very dark copper...little present head soft subtle aroma strong alcohol present!!!...lacing is sweet... hop aftertaste, bitterness, and too much alcohol....syrupy style...good out of bottle too

Bottle. Aroma is reasonably complex: sweet with dark pitted fruits and tons of malt with a distinct figgy note, toffee and caramel notes ala a Brown ale, and a looming haze of raisins and chalk dust. Gradient amber body with a sticky, creamy tan head. Initial taste is sugary and sweet, in the same vein as one of DFH’s specials, but not nearly as extreme (i.e. this isn’t cloying). Loads of malt crawling all over itself, dried fruit and caramel and figs and molasses with light prunes and peppery spice (and don’t forget the light cloves). Slight tongue numb, pleasant throat warming, but the alcohol is subdued on the whole. Great balancing bitterness attacks the mid-back palate and lasts very long into the finish. Full body with a soft, smooth feel. A special brew.

I finally took the leap and purchased this wonderfully-nomenclatured beverage at a local beer purveyor, not because I’m any type of Barleywine lover, but because I love Weyerbacher and I love the name. It poured a rusty brown, with the visual luster of African pond water, and hardly any head. The flavor was characteristic for a barleywine ... stinging and alcoholy, caramel and malty. On the first swallow, I must say, I was not floored the way I expected to be. This was relatively mellow, although warming in my throat. The 11% is more than evident, but well balanced within a fig cookie, a prune shake, a sugarplum. If I need to cozy up to the fire this February with a barleywine, this will top my list. (#2678, 2/3/07)

Bottle (trade with nolankowal). Strong spicy vinous alcohol aroma - like a mulled wine. Cloudy orange-brown color with small ehad. Taste of mulled wine as well - red wine and fig with mulling spices - nutmeg, cinnamon - just get a bit of alcohol burn and moderate hops at the end. Nice fig aftertaste. Well made.

THOUGHTS: I liked the aroma but wished it was stronger. A great beer, but not as good as the barrel-aged version (Insanity). I like it but I only like one of these at a time. It was tingly and spicey on the tongue. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, dark red-brown with a small white head that fully diminished and left virtually no lacing. The aroma was moderate to heavy caramel malt along with apple and alcohol, but not much for the abv. The initial flavor was moderately sweet and lightly bitter, while the finish flavor was moderately to heavily sweet with light to moderate bitterness and a long duration. The body was medium to full and syrupy with fixxy carbonation and a light alcohol finish.

Surprised to find that I hadn’t rated this one. Deep ruby red color with substantial head. Fruity aroma (banana, fig( with a tad bit of alcohol in the nose. Taste is richly sweet with lots of fruit and strong malts. Mouthfeel is very smooth, as is the finish. The problem I always seem to run into with this one is an imbalance - too sweet, too malty. I know they make it different than some others, but Blithering Idiot never tastes quite as good as most barleywines.. The oak aging with insanity, and the higher IBU of other barleywines are much tastier in my opinion. Still a big fan of Weyerbacher, and I commend them for offering a barleywine year-round (especially considering their size).