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Pugsley's Signature Series: Barley Wine
Shipyard Brewing Company

Pugsley's Signature Series:  Barley WinePugsley's Signature Series:  Barley Wine
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From:
Shipyard Brewing Company
 
Maine, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.65 | pDev: 12.6%
Reviews:
169
Ratings:
254
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 09, 2018
Added:
Nov 12, 2008
Wants:
  9
Gots:
  23
This addition to the Pugsley's Signature Series collection is a big beer made with six different malts and balanced with a very full hop charge. It is a deep reddish brown in color with a complex fruity nose, a very full body, and an interesting balance between grains and hops which ends with a pleasing dry taste.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ebrauser:
Photo of ebrauser
Rated by ebrauser from Utah

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

May 30, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of Boto
Reviewed by Boto from Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle: This one pours an opaque dark brown color. There was quite a bit of a frothy tan head on it. The more you sniff it, the more you get out of it. Some roast, vanilla, caramel, spices, chocolate, some smokiness. The taste is good. Roasted malts, faint chocolate, some spices, smokey, dark fruits.
Dec 09, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by thoglund from New York

Nov 24, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.64/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
The appearance was a very dark black/brown body with a small white head that dies within several seconds, body was too dark for any carbonation to be seen. Some light spotty lacing is left. The smell had a roasted barley and chocolate come out pretty strong. Some malts and alcohol come out as the beer warms. The taste had a roasted barley and chocolate come out fairly strong but some dark fruits come out in the taste as the beer warms. The aftertaste is a bit smoky. The palate sat about a medium to heavy with a good carbonation felt. Overall, its not bad, there seemed to be a lot of different flavors going on. I liked this and am pretty sure Iā€™d have this again.
Jun 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.25 by djrn2 from New Jersey

Apr 04, 2017
Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

2.42/5  rDev -33.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.75
I have had this beer for quite a while at least 5 years if not longer. I tried to find a date but I did not have any success. A monster 2 finger light tan head with with good retention. The color of the beer is a dark brown with some ruby highlights. Not a bad showing for an English Barleywine.

A musty vinous toffee aroma leaps from the glass. The malt is bready, with some yeast, and , dried figs and some vanilla. The nose seems flat. I cannot detect any hops, ie floral, citrus, or perfumes.

Dried musty figs, toffee, bread, yeast, floral, wood, vanilla, vinous, and some port notes.

Honestly I did not care for this beer at all. I really enjoy barleywines; however, this is downright foul. I understand the vinous notes is from aging. I would have expected a bit more chew in the mouthfeel. I would have expected some harmony and balance in the beer. I still can taste the hop profile after all these year; however, this is just a poorly made beer. I don't understand the better reviews on here. From my studies this beer really misses the mark for an English barleywine. I have tasted better, chewier, balanced English Barleywines.

Mouthfeel: is carbonated slightly bitter, and astringent.
Jul 07, 2016
 
Rated: 4.13 by Electros from Canada (ON)

May 15, 2016
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.74/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
2011 vintage. Bomber poured intoa tulip appears a very dark chestnut brown with rich mocha head that fades leaving stringy lace.

Aroma is pretty neutral with a scent of grain like toasted bread, slight citrus hops, mild alcohol and toffee to molasses.

Taste displays quite a dry bready grain flavor, slightly toasty with some lingering bitterness and toffee/smokey molasses lingering long into the aftertaste.

Medium in body with modest carbonation. This has some mineral flavoring going on that reduces its overall drinkability for me but regardless its a decent brew.
Feb 23, 2016
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4.04/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
L: Pours clear deep chestnut with 1/2 ā€œ clingy tan foam collar S: raisin and fruit aromas T: Rich dark malts, dark dried fruit, raisin and prune, dark toffee, wine notes, dark biscuit, bitter hop accent. F: Creamy, soft palate, full bodied, medium to medium low carbonation. O: A big beer with a luscious body.
Aug 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.54 by MDHopster from Maryland

May 10, 2015
Photo of scotorum
Reviewed by scotorum from Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Another in brewmaster Alan Pugsley's Signature Series of premium issues. XXXX IPA from that line is a personal favorite, so let's see how good the barleywine is!

Bought on sale at the end of November 2013 and aged a year plus.

Poured from the 22 oz. bomber into a Victory Donnybrook Stout nonick.

a; Semi-clear dark brown with copper/ruby highlights at the bottom. Inch and a half tan head receded slowly to heavy surface foam and very dense lacing.

s: Mild caramel and alcohol.

t; Dark roastiness with some very mild ripe dark fruit notes and moderate bitterness which lingers at the sides of the tongue.

m; A very smooth medium to full, considerable carbonation tingle.

o: A flavorful and sexy-smooth barleywine. Aging may have muted most of barleywine's fuirtiness in favor of the malt and a smoother, fuller mouthfeel.
Feb 20, 2015
Photo of samtrillo
Reviewed by samtrillo from California

3.79/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Surprising amount of audible carbonation on the pour and it almost bubbled over when I opened it. The pour is a midnight amber under a London streetlight....

Nose is sweet toffee and caramel. Dried dark fruits. Prune, dark cherry.

Taste is skewed in areas a bit different than a lot of barleywines I've had. Smokey, woody characteristics, a lot less sweet and syrupy than others. Toffee, butterscotch, burnt caramel, brown sugar, prunes, dark raisins. It's all tied together by the dry smokey qualities. No noticeable hops like american styles. The aftertaste on this beer ruins the whole thing, however. There's an obvious bitter-charred-alcohol flavor that's making me wince.

The mouthfeel is crisper and spicier than I'm used to, which was nice at first but difficult to keep going.

Overall, this barleywine is dark smokey treat. Definitely an English version.
Jan 22, 2015
 
Rated: 3.42 by rderedin from Maine

Jan 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.67 by DrJay from Texas

Jan 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.06 by st9647v3 from New Jersey

Dec 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by huddyball from New Hampshire

Dec 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by spycow from Illinois

Nov 30, 2014
 
Rated: 2.5 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Nov 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.84 by ADKbeerguy from New York

Oct 28, 2014
Photo of VelvetExtract
Reviewed by VelvetExtract from Massachusetts

3.56/5  rDev -2.5%
Bottle. This was several years old when I tried it. Poured a ruddy, dark brown with a minimal head. It has clearly oxidized; raisins are huge in the nose. Brown sugar sweetness. The flavor has eaten the alcohol effectively. Just a soft rap of booze. The flavor is very raisiny. Dark fruits and brown sugar. A slight fruity tartness. Body is surprisingly light. Carbonation has clearly fallen off a bit but the softness works here. Pretty cool, after I'd say over five years of age.
Oct 24, 2014
Pugsley's Signature Series: Barley Wine from Shipyard Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 254 ratings