Wynkoop Double Barrel Barleywine

Draught, Boulder Strong Ale Fest 2008. Body is murky medium to dark brown. Aroma is moderately malty (caramel), with a strong note of bourbon, lesser notes of alcohol, vanilla, and wood. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly bitter. Medium to full body, syrupy texture, soft carbonation, moderately to heavily alcoholic. Overwhelming bourbon in the nose, overwhelming sweetness in the mouth. Difficult to enjoy.

On tap @ Boulder Strong Ale Fest poured a cloudy dark brown with a small lasting amber head. Aromas of bourbon, vanilla, oak, carmel and dark fruit. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of dates, fig, toffee, carmel, bourbon, oak and vanilla with a smooth lingering bittersweet finish.

8th Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines. Pours clear dark brown with a small, fizzy, light brown head, diminishing with spare lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (cookie, caramel, toffee, nutty), average hops (perfume, grass), average yeast (dough, earth) with notes of brown sugar and vanilla. Full bodied, creamy texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness, light acidity and bitterness.

Tap @ Wynkoop: Wine barrel aged and clocks in at 10.5%. Poured a deep red-brown color with an off-white head. The aroma was sweet with dark fruits and some vanilla. The flavor was fruity, malty and a little vinous. Woody and vanilla notes. Fairly warming with a medium to full body.

Date: 10/11/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

opaque brown, fine beige head, specks of lace, huge sweet dark caramel aroma with winey sweetness and lots of oak, big sticky body, rich malt flavor, nice caramel sweetness mixes well with the wine character to bring out a complex sweetness, well balanced with earthy hops, warming,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 18/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***4