Old 320 Barleywine
Max Lager's Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery

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From:
Max Lager's Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery
 
Georgia, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
9.8%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.78 | pDev: 8.47%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
11
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 03, 2017
Added:
Feb 21, 2005
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.8 by mush from Illinois

Mar 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.54 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Mar 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by bcrossan from North Carolina

Feb 12, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by rolltide8425 from Pennsylvania

Jul 23, 2012
Photo of glid02
Reviewed by glid02 from Georgia

3.66/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at the brewpub.

Pours a muddy dark copper color with a one-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving thick lacing.

Smells of buttery caramel malts with good amounts of medium and dark fruits - golden raisins and plums. Also present are good amounts of darker chocolate and roasted malt aromas that intensify as the beer warms.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sticky caramel malt flavors with good amounts of diacetyl kick things off. The fruit flavors are less intense than the smell intimates, with only mild amounts of dried plums and golden raisins. Near the end of the sip very dry roasted malt flavors enter into things and carry through to a sollidy bitter ending. Char and roasted malt flavors linger on the palate after the sip.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a very nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is OK. I finished my glass without any problems however I'm not sure about another.

Overall I have to admit I wasn't a huge fan of this beer - the buttery flavors weren't overpowering but were still unwelcome and the roasted malt flavors seemed out of place. I could see some people being a fan of this unique beer so it's worth a shot to see for yourself.
Jun 01, 2010
Photo of RustyDiamond
Reviewed by RustyDiamond from Georgia

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pretty mahogany in a snifter during Atlanta Beer Week. Almond colored head. Smell of fig & raisin with a touch of honey.
Piney & citrus hops up front. Molasses, fig, raisin and finishes with a nice bitter hop flavor. More bitter and hoppy than sweet and syrupy like some of this style. Very drinkable
May 19, 2010
Photo of Cyberkedi
Reviewed by Cyberkedi from Georgia

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Color is a nice clear reddish-brown. Aroma is strong and malty, not complex but promising. Flavor is strongly malty with quite an alcohol bite - typical of a barleywine - and a hint of caramel or toffee. Texture is smooth but a little edgy, and it goes down with a hint of liquid fire.
Feb 10, 2008
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.12/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Appearance: Pours a murky, dark brown body with a thin, wispy beige head.

Smell: Muddled aroma of various notes - dark caramel, citrus, pine, and even a pinch of roast.

Taste: Earthy, soil-strewn dark caramel flavor with, well, not much sweetness. Citrusy, piney hops with a moderate bitterness that lasts into the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: One of those beers that is only a barleywine by name alone.
Jan 30, 2008
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Seasonal still on tap in the late winter. 9% abv. Some body, some hops, sourish finish. Not a bad one. Caramel and Lots of cane sugar to make it drinkable and give it some unique but not necessarily interesting flavour as well. West Coast influence is presence of hops throughout.
Mar 10, 2006
Photo of warmstorage
Reviewed by warmstorage from California

4.4/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Max "Old 320"
My tasting notes indicate: "sweet, brown, tastes of toffee, casks; musty sweet, fun! whisky? citrus hints? molasses?"

This seasonal was the highlight of the day. The bartender who served me didn't know the style off hand (?), and I guessed it at an interesting... imperial brown? Or maybe a strong abbey brown ale, but without Belgian yeasts, if that makes any sense at all?

In any case, it was delicious. Nose is somewhat muted (it was served quite cold), but hinted at complex sweetness.

Appearance is a musty, unfiltered, semidark brown, suggesting a strong unfiltered porter.

First taste is sweet, strong, with notes of fig, toffee, casks, and a powerful musty sweetness. The mustiness/sweetness carries all the way through, with various flavor hints the whole time. It's a roller coaster of a beer. The mouthfeel is very nice and full, slightly sweet, but not uncomplicated.

The finish sticks around with complex fruit/cane sugary tastes, high alcohol is clearly present with a tiny burn.

Summary: it's really not a typical barleywine style (indeed, neither the bartender nor I knew it was a barleywine, until I came to BA and saw it described as such.) nevertheless, it's a very tasty, unique beer, of rare strength and complexity for the South, and I would definitely order it again.
Feb 25, 2005
Photo of Maestro
Reviewed by Maestro from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer has a tan head with lots of lacing. The color of the beer is red. The nose proclaims a malty sweetness with noticable hops. The taste is a great balnce of malt and hops. Usually a barley wine is all malt, but this baby has hops. The only drawback is an odd sour apple aftertaste. This may be due to too much cane sugar in the wort. Just a guess. The mouthfeel leans toward dryness, as a result of the hops. Drinkabliity is good, but beware the high alcohol.
Feb 21, 2005
Old 320 Barleywine from Max Lager's Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 11 ratings