Samuel Adams Griffin's Bow
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Samuel Adams Griffin's BowSamuel Adams Griffin's Bow
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From:
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
11.5%
Score:
80
Avg:
3.52 | pDev: 17.9%
Reviews:
235
Ratings:
665
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 27, 2017
Added:
Oct 28, 2011
Wants:
  21
Gots:
  73
From the aroma and notes of sweet honeysuckle, pineapple, and grapefruit, to richer hints of burnt sugar, and toffee, this intriguing brew is full of complex flavors. The distinct character of toasted oak adds depth and contrasts the light fruit sweetness. This unique take on a barley wine ale surprises with its smoothness and balance of fruit, hop citrus, and warmth.

Hops: Nelson Sauvin, Zeus
Malts: Two-Row Harrington, Metcalfe, Copeland Pale, Paul’s Caramalt
Aged on toasted oak
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by seplo:
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Rated by seplo from Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%

May 21, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by bshefftz from California

Apr 27, 2017
 
Rated: 3.76 by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

Mar 09, 2017
Photo of craigbelly
Reviewed by craigbelly from Iowa

3.43/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
To sweet, to syrupy, just to much going on hear. That all boils down to a beer that's just hard to finish. SA just doesn't seem to grasp the style or thought the hops would take it somewhere new.
Feb 06, 2017
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.32/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
An auburn and brown kind of color scheme, small 1/3" head, off white on the top. Average retention. Aroma of burnt sugar, alcohol, plums, a little more dark fruit bitterness than I would expect. Hops are definitely there too. Its like damn, where were these for the first 20 years you were making beers.

Taste, more alcohol, dark fruit bitterness, the hopping is nice here. More caramel, burnt dark sugar, toffee. Some dankness in the mouthfeel, citrus, this is pretty layered. Mild oak presence. Lotta malt, a little thick, boozy and syrupy at times. Its decent, but at its format and price I doubt I will return or age any of these.
Feb 02, 2017
Photo of barczar
Reviewed by barczar from Kentucky

3.54/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Batch 1, five years old, so rating set to current average.

Aroma is honey like, with notes of cardboard oxidation and a touch of dates and figs.

Flavor is sweet initially, with toffee notes becoming bready, oxidized, and moderately bitter in the finish. Still significant alcohol heat. Fairly banal.
Nov 16, 2016
Photo of WickedBeer
Reviewed by WickedBeer from Alabama

4.2/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The second of the re-releases by Samuel Adams during American Craft Beer Week, Griffin's Bow did not disappoint! This second brewing was a little bit lower in ABV, ringing in at 10% as opposed to 11.5%. Poured after aging about 4 months; small dissipating creamy head with very little lacing. Upon first opening I was a little disappointed at the smell coming straight from the bottle, as it was very similar to a slightly more potent Boston Lager. However, upon pouring into a 12oz snifter, all the fantastic aromas came out. Sharp notes of citrus and wine with underlying notes of burnt oak were clear, and I was surprised at how light-bodied this take on a barley wine was. Beautiful orange-amber color, seltzer-like carbonation. Extremely tasty beer, again with a slight but sharp citrus hop focus that sits on a toasted caramel aftertaste that lasts. Overall a very good beer, an interesting take on a barley wine. Samuel Adams was also spot on with pinpointing the experience, I was easily able to pinpoint all elements of this beer. 4 / 5!
Sep 14, 2016
 
Rated: 3.73 by puftdank from Illinois

Jun 14, 2016
 
Rated: 3.48 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Nov 06, 2015
 
Rated: 2.97 by SadMachine from New Jersey

Aug 31, 2015
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had a fresh bottle and one aged a year. L: Pours brilliant amber under a 1” sudsy white foam collar that provides good lace.
S: alcohol, vanilla, oak, malt.
T: Malt loaf and toasty sugars – caramel to toffee, citrusy hops, some apricot. Malt driven with ample help from the hops.
F: Very creamy full bodied, medium low carbonation some warming
O: This is a good barley wine that gets even better after a year.
Jul 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by BigBry from Canada (AB)

Jun 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by rossracing from Illinois

May 12, 2015
 
Rated: 3.35 by connecticutpoet from Connecticut

Apr 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.71 by gouettn from Washington

Apr 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.12 by swierczt from Connecticut

Apr 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.41 by gopens44 from Virginia

Mar 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.21 by IMSPEAKNOENGLISH from Illinois

Mar 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.53 by Dicers from California

Mar 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.15 by SABERG from Massachusetts

Feb 23, 2015
Samuel Adams Griffin's Bow from Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
Beer rating: 80 out of 100 with 665 ratings