Barley Wine
Microbrasserie Sainte-Hélène

Barley WineBarley Wine
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From:
Microbrasserie Sainte-Hélène
 
Belgium
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
12%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.47 | pDev: 12.39%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
11
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 25, 2017
Added:
Sep 29, 2011
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by drpimento:
Photo of drpimento
Reviewed by drpimento from Wisconsin

4.06/5  rDev +17%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Aroma is kind of a standard BW with caramel, toffee, raisins, bittersweet. Flavor's like nose plus a little blast of zingy tartness in the finish that is very nice. Carbonation is just right for good body. Appearance is ok. Nice brew.
Nov 30, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.84 by Antyk from Belgium

Feb 25, 2017
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
From the bottle in a snifter. This Belgian barley wine pours a murky
amber tinged brown with a small big bubbled head of white foam that
falls flat with a thin ring. Nose of raisins, plums, some light citrus,
and a good dose of brown sugar. Flavors lightly exceed the nose with
currants, brown sugars, light zingy herbal hops, subtle lemon zest, and
dark brown sugars. Decent mouth feel, slick, smooth, lightly coating,
and low on the carbonation with a warming finish.

Overall, a nice barley wine, but in need of a touch more finesse. Still a
good little finisher.

Cheers
Oct 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.28 by Evil_Pidde from Sweden

Jul 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.4 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Mar 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.7 by mattfancett from England

Nov 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by spycow from Illinois

Oct 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by AlexFields from Tennessee

Mar 10, 2013
Photo of Radome
Reviewed by Radome from Florida

4.09/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a green 375 ml bottle into a snifter.

A - The beer pours very cloudy and murky with a thick sediment left behind n the bottle. The color is amber to orange. The head is almost nonexistent, even on initial pour. The high alcohol content is hinted at by the impressive "legs" and thick, creamy lacing around the glass.

S - The aroma is strongly centered on hops, which are piney, spicy and peppery. They seem to be a US variety, but I'm not sure which one. There is also some malt and sweet alcohol in the background. From the smell I am reminded of some of Dogfish Head's higher alcohol offerings.

T - The flavor is also dominated by the hops. Again it is piney and spicy and gives an impression of freshness, like a hop harvest beer. Toward the end of the palate the hops develop into a slightly harsh, soap-like note. The malt is fairly subdued, but alcohol is assertive and provides some complexity beyond the hops. There are also some Belgian yeast notes.

M - Heavy body. Lots of hop bitterness and alcohol that give an almost chili-pepper-like burn in the mouth. There is a mouth-coating sweetness.

O - This beer is unusual in its US hops assertiveness, but it retains some of the elements of a strong Belgian ale. It is sweeter and has more yeast notes than a true American Barley Wine, reminding me of strong DFH styles or Stone Old Guardian. I enjoyed it.
Dec 26, 2011
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

2.72/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Shared this brew with some friends over the weekend. Poured from a green bottle into a couple of snifters, this brew appears a clouded amber color. When held to the light it almost has a green tinge along the edges. A tan frothy cap forms across the top and recedes leaving some spots of lace on the glass.

The smell of this brew was a mixture of cheese, veggies, minerals and well poopy diaper. It is a bit yeasty and off in a bad way. A faint amount I citrus hops and fruity character is evident from the hops that quickly turn herbal and grassy.

The taste is quite mineral filled with some flavoring of raw veggie hop matter mixed with dirty yeast flavors that bring forth a mineral aspect in the mouth just like the aroma led on. There is a faint amount of citrus and fruity hop to alcohol inclusion. The aftertaste is a little toasty with a mix of alcohol and caramel malt.

This is a medium bodies brew with a light level of carbonation. For 12% the alcohol was masked fairly well. Even though the label claims American barleywine, it's not quite there. Just not enough hop punch and a bit too much dirty characteristics that need cleaned up. I didn't particularly care for this while the other 2 people sharing this with me were on opposite ends of the spectrum. One loved it, the other hated it so obviously this one is subject to opinion. As for myself, I won't be lookin to try it again anytime soon.
Nov 09, 2011
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.12/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottle: Poured a clear copper color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of candi sugar and bitter hops is somewhat interesting. Taste is an interesting mix between some caramelized sugar with notes of candi sugar and some American bittering hops. Body is lighter then average with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Nothing here that has been made much better in the US before – It would have been nice to find a Belgian twist to this one.
Sep 29, 2011
Barley Wine from Microbrasserie Sainte-Hélène
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 11 ratings