Woodfordes Headcracker

Brewed by Woodfordes
Style: Barley Wine
Broadland Brewery
Woodbastwick, England

Many thanks to JK for sharing this one. Copper color with no head. Very strong, fruity aroma. It definitely fades back in the taste, but blends well with a strong wheat kick. Almost tastes/smells like strawberries. Not bad, but not what I’d expect from a barley wine at all.

I missed the one at RBSG 07, luckily JK picked up a 500 ml from the event and shared with me. Pours a dark golden amber brew with a thin off-white head that quickly dissolves to a white ring and spotty lacing. Aroma of light bready malt, some citrus and then more distinct scents of rice vinegar, ripe plums and a touch of sour dark fruit. Taste is medium bodied, very light carbonation with flavors of light bready malt, a touch of vinegar and some sour apple. Finish is semi-sweet, a wee-bit oily with no bitterness.

A Mes rate: 50cl bottle from god only knows where. Dark amber colour, slightly hazy, plenty of yeasty floaters and a head that fell pretty quick but the film is clinging on reasonably well. Smells American rather than English. Thinks it’s the hops. Slight barley and a bit of wheaty funk. Rather sweet in the mouth. Lots of barley, slightly medicinal and big old hit of hops at the finish. Sadly it has a acrid feel to it topped with some cardboard stuff. Palate is good though. Just how a barley wine should be. Not sure how barley wine it is elsewhere however. Very slight burn from the alcohol but it’s tolerable. At least I can feel it working after a heavy day at work. :) Might not be a great beer but it still saves the day.

Gold amber. Sweet malt and grass or nettle hop aroma. Sweet malty taste followed by a citric sourness that merges into a bitter finish. Quite good.

Mild compared to American barleywines, but a nice change. Gold and only a little cloudy. Considerable hops for the style, and they come through with fruit in the aroma. Flavor has malt, some sugar, wildflowers, and light hops.

RBSG 2007: Poured gold with a white head. Aroma, sweet pale malts, floral hops. Flavor, bready notes, pale malts, grassy and floral hops to it.So so.

Sampled at the RBSG 07 Grand Tasting. Light amber color with no head. Floral hops and sweet malt in the nose with sweet malts dominating the body. Thanks to whoever brought this over.

Cask Pale amber, clear beer; small off-white head. Flowery, herbal hoppy nose, UK yeast esters very apparent. First hit is maltsyrup taste, ending in a more cookie flavour. There’s a liqueurish taste there as well, maybe upheld by some fusels. What’s gone are the hops. Ending, warming up, as some oversugared orange marmalade. Quite slick, nearly oily. Well, yeah... not without its merits. A sugared, beefed-up Bitter?