Tribute
Renaissance Brewing

TributeTribute
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From:
Renaissance Brewing
 
New Zealand
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
10.8%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.76 | pDev: 11.17%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
37
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 23, 2021
Added:
Dec 09, 2011
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  6
No description / notes.
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Ratings by DannyBaldoni:
Photo of DannyBaldoni
Rated by DannyBaldoni from Canada (QC)

4.5/5  rDev +19.7%

Jun 06, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.96/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This is brewed every year but recipe from 2013 is locked in. The latter recipe is honeyish and taste like maple syrup was added (it wasn't). Earlier versions were uniquely designed to the year.
Sep 23, 2021
 
Rated: 4.29 by Insomniac from Canada (ON)

Nov 01, 2020
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

3.96/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
2011 vintage from Savor Growl in Columbus in a snifter.
This vintage brew pours a muddled dark tea color with
a thin ring and no head or lacing---duh. Nose of raisins,
toffee, booze, brown sugar, subtle prune, and mulled
peaches. Flavors follow the nose with dark caramel and
toffee notes over dark brown sugars and peach preserves
with raisin and plum notes. Nice mouth feel; medium body,
thin carbonation to almost non-existent, warming, moderately
sweet without being cloying, and a boozy warm and very
faintly dry finish.

Overall an interesting little brew.

Cheers
Oct 12, 2019
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

4.06/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2013 vintage poured from fridge temp. Pours a nice dark brown with very little head. Nose is really inviting. Huge toffee, caramel, and malt upfront. Super smooth nose. Really smells like a thick English barley wine. Taste follows the nose. Lots of caramel, fig, nuts, bread, maybe a bit of licorice. Mouthfeel is creamy and robust. A really nice beer.
Nov 18, 2017
Photo of Bierman9
Reviewed by Bierman9 from New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Snagged a 0.33l bottle of this at the Weyermann shop in Bamberg (~€4.00) on 29SEP17. Took care of sampling it back home on 01NOV17.

Filled a small snifte with a mostly clear, deep garnet colored brew. Had some haze and yeasty sediment present, along with a beige head. The foam was creamy and thin, ebbing rapidly, with light lacing. Had a malty nose, with rich caramel and toffee. Was smooth and silky on the tongue, with an almost medium body. Could have had more heft, imo.

Flavor had lots of malt, with more toffee and caramel layering on the palate. Also had notes of brown bread and molasses, and then a bit of cherry action. Rounding things out were some rummy, candied fruit cake flavors. Quite nice! Prosit!

4.15/5 rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

1973
Nov 04, 2017
Photo of Buck89
Reviewed by Buck89 from Tennessee

3.62/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Random find in a CA bottleshop. 2011 vintage poured into a snifter. A rusty, hazy copper-brown color with a minimal tan head. Plums, raisins, cherries, and burnt toffee on the nose. Very sweet tasting. The stone fruits were there, along with leather, tobacco, toffee, and maple syrup. Finished with a bitter, candied cherry flavor. Almost still with low carbonation and heavy on the feel. Warming on the finish. A bit too sweet for me.
Apr 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.67 by AMZB from Canada (ON)

Jun 01, 2016
 
Rated: 3.94 by Eziel from Ohio

Jun 12, 2015
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.67/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
From a 2013 vintage bottle in Edinburgh in April 2015.

Clear orange-brown body.

Borders on too sweet but becomes a bit more balanced in the aftertaste. Swirling mix of toffee, faint dark fruits, a hint of brandy and spices. Some cinnamon in the nose.

Very smooth body! Excellent carbonation. Well-hidden alcohol (feel).
Apr 28, 2015
Photo of DaveBar
Reviewed by DaveBar from Canada (ON)

3.52/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Purchased at the LCBO for a ridiculous $8.00 on a discount no less for a 341ml bottle. Served at 7deg C in a tulip

A- Opens poorly and pours no head at all. Dark brown color.

S- Lost of malt here. Fig, caramel and lots of heat

T- Thank goodness I let this one sit for a year and a bit to get more of the edge off it. Has some nice serious sweetness to it. Lots of fig and plum tones. Not horrible but just so sweet that it detracts

M- No carbonation but being a barley wine that's no excuse

O- Glad I only bought two. Will not buy again. This one will sit for a couple more years before I try it again.

Food Pairing

This ok beer went well with..... BBQ'd T bone steak. The sweetness hammered right through the BBQ smoke which was nice. Tough beer to get used to

Enjoy
Feb 19, 2015
Photo of byronic
Reviewed by byronic from Canada (ON)

3.16/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
2012. Quite a nice appearance a dark almost opaque amber with barely any head. Sweet, very sweet upfront. Caramel, dark fruits and brown sugar. Almost a straight up sugar bomb, overpoweringly sweet there are hints of complexities and flavours but unfortunately the sweetness masks all. Very sticky and coating mouthfeel. Lingering warming booze aftertaste. Definitely sip this one as dessert.
Jan 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.79 by Wajohnst from Canada (ON)

Jan 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by ZachT from Canada (BC)

Nov 29, 2014
Photo of Franck
Reviewed by Franck from Canada (QC)

4.5/5  rDev +19.7%
2012 vintage, aged 2 years. Smell of barley sugar, caramel and berries. Mouthfeel is intense. Good roundness. Sugar and malts are dominant. Very smoot. High abv is well-hidden. Presence of hops. Sweet bitterness. Nive barley wine
Nov 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by AugustusRex from Canada (ON)

Sep 28, 2014
Photo of SebD
Reviewed by SebD from Canada (ON)

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: It has a nice deep copper/amber color to it. It has a small creamy beige head that dies down somewhat fast and leaves next to no lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of sweet caramel, candied sugar, dark fruit (raisins, figs, dates) and some nuttiness.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a loads of sweet candied sugar, dark fruit, sweet caramel/toffee and some nuttiness.

Mouthfeel: It has a low carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied by good flavors and aromas. Maybe a bit too sweet but an enjoyable Barleywine.
Aug 14, 2014
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

3.95/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
The bottom of the bottle is caked in such a dark, thick slurry of sediment you can't see through it even when held directly into the sun - what a relief none of it loosened on the pour, it would have totally destroyed this clear, colourful, lustrously tawny complexion. Tribute is a sleek looking beer indeed, one topped by just a sprinkling of white powder.

This barleywine has a bouquet that should entice fans of fortified wines as much as whiskey lovers; it has the candied and dried fruitiness of a port as well as the spicy, grainy aromatics of a rye. Hints of pralines and the overall 'buttered rum and raisin' profile make this a strong candidate for a new Ben & Jerry's brand. It's ambrosial and intoxicating.

This beer could definitely serve in a number of dessert capacities: it has the cream and burnt sugar notes to be baked into a crème brûlée, and also has the dried fruits and baking spices to supplement rum in a Christmas fruit cake. There's even enough marmalade and plum jelly notes to just spread it over toast or biscuits.

This 2012 Vintage shows the poise expected of a year-and-half old barleywine; it has a mellow, sticky-sweet mouthfeel void of any alcohol presence or bitterness. Subtle bergamot-like florals and Earl Grey-like notes creep in on some sips, adding to what is already an exceptionally agreeable, approachable ale for something with this much strength (10.8%).

If Tribute didn't cost $10/330ml bottle in these parts I would have bought plenty more. It is a delightful barleywine with plenty of flavour and is showing good potential for extended cellaring. It was worth every penny. Anyone in New Zealand piling up a vertical tasting - and I'm sure there's a few people doing so - please invite me. This may be a new favourite of mine.
Apr 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

Apr 05, 2014
Photo of taxandbeerguy
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottled served well- chilled into glassware. 2012 Vintage 341 ml bottle purchased for $9.95 CDN from LCBO. Steep price, but it's not everyday one can try beer from New Zealand. Begrudgingly after seeing this a few times, finally caved an picked up a bottle.

Appearance - Brown with red and orange hues depending on how the light hits the beer. Very hazy. Only 1/2 finger of head that dissipates into a soapy residue and slight foam collar around the glass.

Smell - Candied sugar, dates and dark low-hanging fruit. a sort of earthy vinous grape aroma seeps through after repeated whiffs. A full-bodied aroma but not necessarily the most intense one.

Taste - The candied sugar and dates shine through transitioning to an earthy grape flavor. Slightly bitter finish with a sweet sugary aftertaste. Quite malty at the end. Booze is fairly well masked by the high sugary content. Overall though sweetness prevails and dominates this brew. Perhaps a bit too sweet for my liking. Elements of other styles in terms of sweetness (here's looking at you Dubbels).

Mouthfeel - Syrupy, sticks to your lips and the insides of your mouth. Lingering aftertaste. Nice warmth in the back of the throat assuring you that the ABV is quite significant.

Overall - Something I'm glad I tried once, and while this is definitely a "big" beer, it's not something that can be consumed quickly. Would try again if offered, but overall impression of the beer doesn't warrant the price.
Mar 08, 2014
Tribute from Renaissance Brewing
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 37 ratings