Weyerbacher Insanity

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

22oz bomber, aged about a year and a half, from once upon a vine. pours a very hazy, orange-amber with a thin, off-white head leaving a light ring of lace. aroma has certainly mellowed out with age and is wonderful with big, oakey vanilla, bourbon, and toffee malts with dark fruit notes of raisin, date, and fig and subtle hints of orange and berry. flavor is wonderful as well and again, has definitely improved with age as the bourbon has smoothed and mellowed into mildly sweet vanilla, oak, and a touch of smoke backed by caramel malts, dark dried fruits, bitter citrus hops, and subtle hints of sherry with a woody, vanilla finish. palate is medium bodied and lightly carbonated but not sticky or cloying and without a trace of the 11.1%. overall, a very nicely done barrel aged brew that is much better with a bit of age on it.

Bomber, aged over a year. Pours a dark and hazy sienna color with a small, frothy head of bubbly, beige foam. Small, sticky spots of lacing form dotted arches of lacing on the glass. The nose is rich and malty, showing notes of brown sugar, caramel, dates, and figs, with a strong vanilla overtone and wisps of sour-mash bourbon. It smells a little boozy, but that’s welcomed on a cold day. Flavors show notes of dark, bourbon-soaked fruit, sweet maple syrup and oak, all of which meld together well. Vanilla plays a big role, working nicely with the figs and dates, while citrus hops lend bitterness that wasn’t present in the nose, balancing things nicely. The palate is medium-full and rich, moderately carbonated, finishing warm and somewhat drying. There’s surprisingly little cloying sweetness on the back end. Overall, this is quite a nice barleywine, though it remains far from elite.

Got to try a bottle of this courtesy of "hannont". Colour... dark brown with no head at all. Nose... sweetly malty, dark fruitcake, Roman punch, dates, Bourbon and oak. Palate... scarcely any CO2, then loads of Bourbon, fine oak, vanilla, salted caramel, Scottish toffee, pressed dates and one helluva long sweet finish!

Soupy umber, wooly fondant foam. Huge vanilla, almond, and fudgy malt nose; accents of bubblegum, baking spices, alcohol and plum. Thick, buttery malt flavor and mellow wood- plus ethanol, licorice and Jagermeister. Strains of grainy pilsner malt and "C" hops later on. Ends with a sinus-clearing whoosh of alcohol, ginger and cocounut milk. Pencil shavings aftertaste. Thick as gravy. ’Though smooth, oak and ethanol dominate, and the beer becomes somehat lost.

Appearance: Cloudy brown/orange, small white head. Aroma: Honey, peat, alcohol and toffee. Flavour: Extreme toffee, alcohol, floral notes, big sticky mouthfeel with a long caramel and alcohol finish.

12oz Bottle from Firemoose15. Nose is light woodiness, heavy on raisins and brown cane sugar. Flavor is the woody, light bourbon to start, with the dark roasty fruits in the middle and a pleasant spicy warming. LIght vanilla in the finish. Alcoho, while present, is well-integrated. This was a nice winter warmer. Thanks, Mel.

Bottle shared with Angeloregon... Poured amberish/orange with a creamy, beige head. Aroma of boozy bourbon, vanilla and malts. A smooth, high alcohol beer. Very complex with loads of vanilla and oak notes. Dark, dry fruit characters and creme brulee like finish.

Hazed orange with almost no head or lace. Nice raisin and fruity aroma. Brown sugar, orange, bread, a hint of vanilla, and a nice dried fruit flavor. Full bodied with nice mild carbonation.