Wild Duck Old Gnarley Head Barley Wine

Formerly brewed at Wild Duck Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Eugene, Oregon USA

gabf 2003, many many samples: wow! Some candy and dark spice qualities aggresively firming to a substantial bitter through along a roasty bridge. Full bodied and richly textured. Warming. Excellent.

ON CASK AT THE DUCK: soft, vibrant ruby body. DENSE foamy white head, perfectly uniform. teeny tiny bubbles. Nose is lightly fruity, floral and sweet. some candy, ripe fruits as well as the alcohol (it is 13.9% in this case!). Syrupy and intense. Front is sweet and fruity, followed by wonderful grainy character. Smooth, soft and velvety. warm and inviting, big, full mouthfeel. Chocolate and woody notes emerge through the syrupy sweetness. I couldn't believe it was so strong until I stood up. One of my all time favorite barley wines, I am eternally grateful for even geting a glass off the cask. A freind who works at the resturant let me know it was on the cask. I went in for a glass that night and the next. Unfortunately though, that next evening, the cask had run out 10 minutes prior to my arrival. Awesome nonetheless!! I cant wait for the next!

GABF 2003 (six ounce pour, plus numerous other 1OZ samples): Murky brown color, molasses, caramel ginger bread aroma. Syrupy palate, starts a tad sweet and gets really bitter fast. A great barleywine with a long bitter aftertaste.

On tap at the Sasquatch brew fest in Eugene,OR. Pours a red/copper color, slightly cloudy with a off-white head. Strong sweet aroma of carmel. Sweet flavor of carmel and slightly fruity taste. There was a slight alcohol taste near the end. Very smooth barleywine with a nice slight bitterness towards the end.

Tap @ Bier Stein - Amazing how well this one has held up. You could definitely tell this had some ages on it, still very sweet and syrupy, with some nice maple syrup and brown sugar notes. Caramel maltiness, with cherries and grahams. Very heavy alcoholic mouthfeel combined with alot of sweetness. This would make a wonderful desert beer.

Wonderful nose, alcohol, fruity, burnt aroma - chewy, sweet and nice balance of malt and hops. This lingers on the palate - a very good brew.

On tap at the 2003 Great Alsakan Beer and Barley Wine Festival (which this beer won BTW). Murky dark orange with off-white lace. You can sense the alcohol in the nose with lots of malty sweetness. Caramel and burnt toffee flavors with lots of other malt sweetness and a great hop bitterness in the finish. A really great barley wine.

New: (gabf'03) Rich texture of plum, caramel and zesty spices. Didn't get a change to wait until it warmed, but it was very flavorfull. Old: On tap at the Toronado Barley Wine Festival 2003. Dark pour. Very smokey and peaty. Caramel flavors. As it warmed, the bitter/sweet flavors intermingled and made this a bit lip puckering.