Mash
The Bruery

MashMash
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
Ranked #146
ABV:
12.5%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,465
Avg:
4.07 | pDev: 8.6%
Reviews:
95
Ratings:
600
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 26, 2024
Added:
Jul 09, 2013
Wants:
  53
Gots:
  167
An English Barleywine aged in Bourbon barrels, Mash is an intense yet balanced beer with notes of burnt caramel, toasted bread, ripe pear, dried figs, vanilla, toasted coconut and finishes with oak tannin. This has become an instant favorite around the brewery due to its balance, subtle complexities and overwhelming deliciousness.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Boston_Steve:
Photo of Boston_Steve
Rated by Boston_Steve from Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Feb 01, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.18 by Sparky44 from Illinois

Feb 26, 2024
 
Rated: 4 by BarrelAgedG from California

Nov 27, 2023
Photo of Orca
Reviewed by Orca from Washington

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750mL (vintage 2015) into a tulip. Pours a clear amber with a minimal head that leaves behind a narrow off-white collar around the edge of the glass.

Aroma is sticky-sweet and fruity, loaded with vanilla and candi sugar, maybe some clove and spice and subtle banana peel, apple cider.

Taste is likewise a blend of fruit juice, sweet tea, charred oak, and bready malt. Perhaps not as complex as some other barrel-aged English barleywines I’ve tried.

Mouthfeel is medium-heavy, a bit chewy, palate-coating but drinkable.

Overall a solid if unremarkable barleywine. The label says “best enjoyed fresh” so maybe I shouldn’t have waited so long to open this one.
Sep 05, 2023
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottled on: 12-01-15

A - Nice clear burgundy raisin colored pour with dense off-white creamy lacing.

S - Pears, figs, toasted caramel, vanilla, and a little bit of oak.

T - Starts out with strong alcohol followed with vanilla, oak, lightly toasted caramel, figs, and finishes with light bitterness and more alcohol presence along with vanilla, caramel, and some delicate lingering pear.

M - Big syrupy body with a slight bit of thinness around the edges. First few sips brought some pronounced warming on the way down.

O - Aroma is better than the flavor but held up extremely well at (7) years.
Aug 26, 2022
Photo of EMV
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2015 vintage. Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Copper/burgundy pour. 2+ fingers of foamy white head leave great lacing. Some sediment/debris at the end of the pour.

S: Sweet and boozy. Caramel, brown sugar, dark fruit, and vanilla.

T.F: Just like it smells. Big and boozy... loads of caramel and malts. Bourbon and vanilla... fig, baked raisin, and vanilla.... a little oak. More malts and sweets. Oak.. more booze. Well carbonated... fairly smooth.

O: A well done BBA balreywine. 6 years in the cellar didn't hurt this one bit. Nails the flavors... boozy... but still drinkable.
Oct 16, 2021
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2015 bottle at share. Mahogany pour, small beige head. Aroma is malty, super malty and sweet. Taste brings elements of caramel and toffee, big boozy flavors. A sweet and sticky and potent brew.
Jul 06, 2021
 
Rated: 4.15 by cd34 from Illinois

Dec 06, 2020
 
Rated: 3.88 by TechTriumph from Virginia

Jun 24, 2020
Photo of JohnnyHopps
Reviewed by JohnnyHopps from Indiana

3.85/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Appearance - The beer poured a deep copper color with an off-white head. Carbonation was visible amid the darkness of the pour.

Smell - The nose smells of earthy grains and light fruit. There was no hint of the bourbon in the nose.

Taste - My initial impression was to think I was drinking straight fruit cocktail syrup. There were notes of maraschino cherries and oranges with an earthy barley backbone. The style is supposed to be sweet, but this is a different kind of sweet from what I expected. Toward the back of the taste, there was a touch of bitterness.

Mouthfeel - The beer demonstrated staying power with a full body, that allowed the sweetness to cling to the sides of the mouth.

Overall - I am not a huge fan of the base beer. The variants did wonders for this beer.
Apr 26, 2020
Photo of mdvatab
Reviewed by mdvatab from Indiana

1.36/5  rDev -66.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
“2015 Edition”

Infected bottle —> Drainpour :(

Reminded me of the sourness I tasted in 2015 Goose Island BC Barleywine, which had similar issues.

(I’m not seeing similar comments from other reviewers, so it may not have been the case for the whole batch?)

The Bruery 750s aren’t cheap, so it’s disappointing. This is my first review in a while, but I wanted to get the word out for potential buyers/traders considering this one... I’d never try to obtain this one again.
Mar 15, 2020
 
Rated: 3.98 by Budlum from Maryland

Mar 15, 2020
 
Rated: 4.2 by paresis from Massachusetts

Dec 01, 2019
 
Rated: 3.58 by edthehead from Maryland

Oct 28, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottled 6/20/14; drank 12/4/14 @ California Split.

Murky orange rust appearance.

Khaki head; minimal lace.

Cream soda, vanilla & marshmallow nose.

Medium thick mouthfeel.

Mild flavors of oak, vanilla & caramel; almost no booze heat.

This has the right flavors for the style but not enough 'oomph' to be truly memorable; odd for this brewery!
May 12, 2019
 
Rated: 4.34 by JakerLou from New Hampshire

Mar 18, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by BeardedWalrus from North Carolina

Feb 26, 2019
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.41/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2015 bottle drank New Years Eve 2018, so 3+ years old - 750ml bottle

pours dark amber colored, clear, with thick cream colored head. very nice aroma of vanilla, caramel, toffee, touch of raisin. taste is super smooth for this strength beer, with the complex malt and bourbon flavors melded together nicely. not very sweet. medium bodied.
Jan 01, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Dec 19, 2018
 
Rated: 4.16 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Dec 17, 2018
Mash from The Bruery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 600 ratings