Barley Wine (Pilot Series)
Alaskan Brewing Co.

Barley Wine (Pilot Series)Barley Wine (Pilot Series)
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From:
Alaskan Brewing Co.
 
Alaska, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
10.7%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.14 | pDev: 9.42%
Reviews:
302
Ratings:
625
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 30, 2022
Added:
Mar 18, 2007
Wants:
  138
Gots:
  151
Alaskan Barley Wine is a full bodied ale, deep mahogany in color and brewed with an array of complementing malts to achieve its high original gravity. Multiple hop additions in the boil and dry hopping during fermentation provide contrast to the big malt character resulting in the smooth balance that distinguishes this specialty brew. Like many fine wines, Alaskan Barley Wine may be aged in the bottle and gains deeper malt complexity and smoothness over time.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by JamesQuaff:
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Reviewed by JamesQuaff from California

4.3/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2011 batch. Poured from a bomber into two Sam Adams tulip glasses and a small wine glass and shared with my lady and my best beer geek buddy. We all stood around my kitchen and poked, prodded, inspected, inhaled, swished, and discussed the brew for a solid half hour. Good times.

Pours a beautiful deep copper-red with a taut light-mocha colored 1/2" head. Medium carbonation. It looks 'dense' when held up to the light.

The aroma is a constantly shifting palette of goodness as the temperature changes. It smells MASSIVE. The initial cold pour had a generous amount of hops with mild buttery notes, malts, dried fruits. As the beer warmed the hop aromas gave way to raisins, plums, dark berries, grains and lightly browned butter - at one point it smelled like a berry pastry. Then it started to veer well into port wine territory. The ABV is well masked at all points. I think we huffed our glasses a good 5 minutes before anyone took a sip.

Oooh, this beer is nice and big. At first the hop bitterness was rather prevalent, getting right up to the edge of "whoa, too bitter" before leveling off into rich malty sweetness. As the beer warmed the bitterness faded considerably and the flavors became much more balanced and complex. Reminiscent of a good port wine. Dark, rich sweetness with loads of plum and molasses, and a long malty finish with a little reminder kick of bitterness at the end. A bit of warmth from the high ABV but the alcohol is hidden very well in the flavors. A true sipper.

Mouthfeel was very agreeable. Medium-full body, a tad sharp on the carbonation at first but as the beer warmed the carbonation smoothed out and by the halfway point it was just about where my mind thinks "mmm, barleywine". Oily, sticky, tongue-coating goodness.

Overall we were very impressed with the Pilot Series barleywine and completely enjoyed it wire to wire. It was my lady's very first experience with the style and she was completely blown away. My beer geek pal and I are a tad jaded and weren't exactly blown away, but it was still an excellent representation of the style. He and I both recently had our tongues scraped raw by a fresh 2013 Bigfoot and were very pleased to be able to spend some time enjoying a really good barleywine with a bit of age on it. The rest of the 2013 Bigfoots (Bigfeet? Bigs Foot?) have been sequestered in deep storage to avoid any further unpleasantness and to hopefully achieve the blissful state that others report is possible. But this Pilot Series effectively wiped away the memory. Will definitely be seeking out another bottle or two for safe keeping.
Mar 26, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of Fordcoyote15
Reviewed by Fordcoyote15 from Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.75
2008 bottle being drank in 2022 so who the fuck knows.

Look asserts all the normal carbonation and attributes of.. a beer.

Smell is so old school. So bigfoot ale there's no mistaking this is a barleywine of former year. To be honest, it actually smells exactly like a hoppy ass bigfoot and im not upset about it.

Taste is stale, putrid and spoiled. It was probably once exquisite but today its moldy fruit.
Dec 30, 2022
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
This is a review of a 2009 bottle, consumed in early 2019, at Shawn's place for the Royal Rumble. Can't believe I actually thought Kenny Omega would be a surprise entrant, but at least I got MVP right. Was fun watching Shawn get tossed again though.

Pours closer to black than it does dark brown. I guess with 'normal' beers they darken up a bit with age/oxidation(?), so no difference here I guess. The aroma is mostly roasted malt, dark fruit like notes. Not the usual toffee and caramel interplay, or even hops since this is an American barleywine.

Malty domination continues in the taste, still kicking plenty of dark fruit notes, but they aren't uber bitter at this point in the beer's life. The toffee is there, but not huge, but bigger than the aroma. A bit of earth, tobacco and leather note to it. Props to this maintaining its carbonation level a decade later.

You can do a lot worse than these $5 bottles that held up just fine 10 years later.
Feb 24, 2021
 
Rated: 3.71 by Ajlvt from Washington

Nov 17, 2019
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

4.46/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2011 Vintage
22ox bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours a deep amber-brown color with a one-finger foamy off-white head that reduces to a ring

S- a nice array of dark fruits up front; raisin, fig & prune. Caramel, toffee, fruitcake, banana bread, tobacco, leather, orange peels, bread pudding and brown sugar

T- bold malty notes up front give flavors of booze soaked raisins & figs, followed by sweet notes of caramel, toffee, brown sugar and molasses. The finish gives notes of Christmas cake, orange peels and earthy tobacco. The linger is long, with fruit and caramel notes sticking around long after the finish

M- medium body with low carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel that turns creamy into a slightly warming finish

O- this one has aged well, slight oxidization but tons of dark fruits and caramel. The long linger is perhaps the most impressive part
Aug 25, 2019
 
Rated: 4.27 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

Aug 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by NickThePyro from Washington

Oct 09, 2018
Photo of Avitra
Reviewed by Avitra from California

3.97/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Interesting how different the nose which is all Stout and the taste which is all red fruit us. Intriguing. Also some charcoal and a hint if chocolate. A little boozy but drinkable
Aug 26, 2018
 
Rated: 3.85 by Futbolmanby from Michigan

May 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.16 by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

Mar 25, 2018
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.26/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
2013 vintage.

This one pours a slightly murky dark brown, with a small head, and no lacing.

This smells like bready malt, port, caramel, toffee, and slight hops.

The aging has done this well. It's got a wonderful port/sherry thing going on, with a nice malt complexity- lots of spicy breadiness, caramel, and toffee, and really absolutely no booziness. There's a slight hop character left as well, but it's mostly faded.

This is lightly carbonated, with a somewhat light body and mouthfeel.

This is a really great example of a non-barrel-aged barleywine. I usually don't care for the style much if it hasn't been barrel aged, but this is still awesome.
Sep 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4.26 by StormAles from Canada (ON)

Jul 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.9 by crobinso from Colorado

May 19, 2017
Photo of Shawnadams330
Reviewed by Shawnadams330 from Ohio

4.69/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
2010 bottle, opened Jan 1 2017, dark fruits, raisin, sherry aroma. Awesome. Taste follows aroma, more sherry as it warms. Warming alcohol, pleasing. Finishing dry! Held up incredible well for a 7 year old beer. Please make it again!
Jan 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.08 by DutchcdnTEXAN from Texas

Dec 07, 2016
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Rated by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

4.03/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2013 vintage from whole foods las vegas for around $10. RIP to their beer guy Chris.
Dec 01, 2016
Photo of unclekeith
Reviewed by unclekeith from Alaska

3.76/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
From a 32 oz growler into a tulip - 2015 vintage - Old Growth - may be a different recipe

L: Deep reddish-brown, no haze, thin beige head
S: Dark fruit, malt, a bit of sweetness
T: More malt, nice bitterness, a bit of heat, caramel
M: Thin for style, resinous
O: Very nice barleywine - glad this one made a reappearance up here!
Nov 14, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by Birdlegs from Washington

Aug 27, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by waddellc2 from Pennsylvania

Feb 10, 2016
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Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.96/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
barley wine bottle share on 1/31/15, 2008 vintage. What a away to finish the night. Pours beautiful orange-red with thin white head, aroma has awesome notes of rich caramel, toffee, vanilla, some candied fruit, sticky honey, and some slight bread notes. Perfectly aged barley-wine. Taste is sweet and sticky caramel, vanilla, toffee, honey with some slight bitter hay and grass, finishing dry and slightly sweet.
Jan 13, 2016
Barley Wine (Pilot Series) from Alaskan Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 625 ratings