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Holidale
Berkshire Brewing Company
- From:
- Berkshire Brewing Company
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 9.5%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.87 | pDev: 13.18%
- Reviews:
- 185
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 19, 2022
- Added:
- Mar 07, 2001
- Wants:
- 37
- Gots:
- 33
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Arbitrator:
Reviewed by Arbitrator from California
3.2/5 rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
3.2/5 rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
2009 vintage, chilled bottle into a glass. A generous extra from portia99. Thanks, Bill.
A: Pours a deep, murky amber body that glows burnt orange against the light. A short-lived off-white head leaves a few dribbles of lace as it recedes.
S: Dark multi-grain bread, caramel, honey, and raisins. It really needs to warm up to get the aroma going, though it's never pungent. I'm assuming this was a pretty hoppy beer when fresh, but it's not, anymore.
T: On the sweet side; I don't know if it was mis-classified or if the age just took all the hop edge off, but there is very little hoppy flavor here. The beer is instead lightly spiced, with overt tones of caramel, brown sugar, and raisins. There isn't even much bitterness present.
M: Medium-full bodied. The finish is relatively clean, though there's a very light retro-nasal effect of honey.
D: This is a pretty decent beer, but it demands slow sipping owing to the richness of sweet flavors. It would benefit from being drier, or failing that, having more balancing hop bitterness.
Dec 28, 2010A: Pours a deep, murky amber body that glows burnt orange against the light. A short-lived off-white head leaves a few dribbles of lace as it recedes.
S: Dark multi-grain bread, caramel, honey, and raisins. It really needs to warm up to get the aroma going, though it's never pungent. I'm assuming this was a pretty hoppy beer when fresh, but it's not, anymore.
T: On the sweet side; I don't know if it was mis-classified or if the age just took all the hop edge off, but there is very little hoppy flavor here. The beer is instead lightly spiced, with overt tones of caramel, brown sugar, and raisins. There isn't even much bitterness present.
M: Medium-full bodied. The finish is relatively clean, though there's a very light retro-nasal effect of honey.
D: This is a pretty decent beer, but it demands slow sipping owing to the richness of sweet flavors. It would benefit from being drier, or failing that, having more balancing hop bitterness.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by liquorpig from Massachusetts
3.92/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.92/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2013 vintage- dark brown color, dark fruit aroma, subdued flavor of figs, plums and raisins rounded out by orange rind. Smooth mouthfeel. Nicely carbonated.
Mar 19, 2022Reviewed by muchos from Pennsylvania
4.22/5 rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.22/5 rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2015 version. Enjoyed on July 4th, 2017.
L. Very dark brown to black. Nice frothy tan head.
S. Boozy, nutty, caramel, sweet dark fruits, toasted sweet malts, toasted grain, slightly smoky. Smells awesome.
T. Mild toffee, nutty caramel, smoky grain, grainy bread, fruitiness comes along in the middle, a little honey and wheat toast in the end. Smoky, nutty aftertaste.
F. Full side of a medium body, limited carbonation, a bit dry in the end.
O. Looks like a stout at first, but it's a really good barleywine, in my opinion. Cheers!!
Jul 04, 2017L. Very dark brown to black. Nice frothy tan head.
S. Boozy, nutty, caramel, sweet dark fruits, toasted sweet malts, toasted grain, slightly smoky. Smells awesome.
T. Mild toffee, nutty caramel, smoky grain, grainy bread, fruitiness comes along in the middle, a little honey and wheat toast in the end. Smoky, nutty aftertaste.
F. Full side of a medium body, limited carbonation, a bit dry in the end.
O. Looks like a stout at first, but it's a really good barleywine, in my opinion. Cheers!!
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont
4/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a snifter, the appearance was burnt dark caramel color with a light tan foamy head that stiffened and let up to a sly stringy lace after dissipation. The aroma had some sweet dried tobacco leaf, nice caramel/toffee malt base, citrus rind, soft dark bread, light toast, subtle butterscotch, some damp word, just a touch of vanilla, light red cherries and ended with a little bit of earthy hops. The flavor blended fairly nice the sweet to a light yet firm bitterness from the hops. Tobacco dry sweetness clings to the dark breadiness and hits upon the aftertaste in the same sort of way. Light tobacco in the finish with a touch of vanilla and citrus rind. The feel was about medium bodied with a good sipping quality about it. Carbonation was fine and the ABV felt god as well. Overall, pretty nicely done English styled barleywine that I would have again.
Jun 21, 2017Rated by NolaHopHead from Louisiana
4.25/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2011 bomber. Was surprised how nice this 5-yr old bw tasted, mild flavors, slick feel.
Dec 03, 2016Rated by Jjmj51 from Rhode Island
4.25/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2016
Nov 20, 2016Reviewed by ClavisAurea from New York
2.67/5 rDev -31%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
2.67/5 rDev -31%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
2015 vintage served in a snifter
Appearance: dark brown with a tan head. highly carbonated.
Nose: dark fruits, sweet alcohol, cherry juice, kinda boozy
Taste: alcoholic cherry juice. The carbonation is prickly and sharp. The cherry notes are over the top in this one and not balanced.
Overall: this one needs work. Age is only going to thin it out. I feel like it is more like a Belgian Strong Dark Ale or a Quad. It is somewhat like an English Barleywine but absolutely not an American Barleywine. Where were the hops? This could have been a bad bottle.
Mar 13, 2016Appearance: dark brown with a tan head. highly carbonated.
Nose: dark fruits, sweet alcohol, cherry juice, kinda boozy
Taste: alcoholic cherry juice. The carbonation is prickly and sharp. The cherry notes are over the top in this one and not balanced.
Overall: this one needs work. Age is only going to thin it out. I feel like it is more like a Belgian Strong Dark Ale or a Quad. It is somewhat like an English Barleywine but absolutely not an American Barleywine. Where were the hops? This could have been a bad bottle.
Reviewed by BeerAndGasMasks from Virginia
3.96/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
It is labeled with a 2013 label, but it pours a dark brown with a nice head. Nice scent with notes of many things. : chocolate, nuts, caramel? Taste is pleasant, with the alcohol evident. Wow! I grab this whenever I can get it.
Just found a 2015 bottle in the basement. Still ok after three years.
Jan 02, 2016Just found a 2015 bottle in the basement. Still ok after three years.
Holidale from Berkshire Brewing Company
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
323 ratings
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