Oak Aged Barleywine
The Schlafly Tap Room

Oak Aged BarleywineOak Aged Barleywine
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From:
The Schlafly Tap Room
 
Missouri, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
Ranked #166
ABV:
10.2%
Score:
88
Ranked #13,482
Avg:
3.94 | pDev: 12.69%
Reviews:
282
Ratings:
601
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 18, 2023
Added:
Nov 22, 2002
Wants:
  46
Gots:
  102
Our Oak Aged Barleywine has a deep copper color and an intense malt flavor balanced by assertive hops. Fermentation with American ale yeast allows the caramel malt to shine. We age the beer on new, medium toast Missouri Oak to enhance its complexity and to develop its smooth, luscious character.

Barleywine is a classic English-style hearty ale. The term refers to a beer with the potency of wine and is often vintage-dated.

This beer will continue to age well in a cool dark place for several years, but it is ready to enjoy now.

40 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MJR:
Photo of MJR
Reviewed by MJR from Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Growler

Pours deep ruby with perfect clarity. A thick, dense tan head sits up top and holds strong all the way to the bottom, leaving sheets of lace clinging to the sides.

Aroma is rich and sweet, with lots of cherry and strawberry fruitiness on top of a chewy backbone of cotton candyish and toffee malts. Faint raison and plum. Not so fast! Malt doesn't completely rule the day though, as there's a considerable amount of fresh green hops well integrated into the whole. Little to no alcohol detectable on the nose.

Here comes the flavor...

A complex and rich barrage of cherry, plum, strawberry, pomegranate, raison, cotton candy, toffee, resiny hops, and alcohol level a full frontal assault on my taste buds. It leans slightly towards the sweeter side of the balance spectrum, but not nearly as much as in previous years. Many of the offerings from Schlafly have a distinct malt signature, and it's certainly here, adding yet another dimension of complexity.

I find myself licking my lips often with this beer, as its thick and dextrinous mouthfeel leaves plenty of residual sugars for my tongue to explore. Just a hint of dryness on the finish hints at the hefty strength hidden within.

While good and easily drinkable in years past, they really knocked the ball outta the park with this one. Upping the hop presence all around (bitterness, aroma, and flavor) really added a needed balance to this barleywine. Despite that, it still sits towards the English side of the style. I just wish they would bottle some, 'cause this would be absolutely beautiful after a few years rest. Dangerously drinkable just begins to describe it...
Jan 14, 2005
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.13 by RoyalKaiju from Kentucky

Jun 18, 2023
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.74/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle, as Schlafly Reserve (Ale aged on oak) Barleywine Style Ale 2008, ABV 10.2%, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Orange to amber colour, low head. Aroma of alcohol and oak, some American hops and caramel too. The flavour is very oaky and alcoholic, notes of vanilla and coconut.
Nov 06, 2022
Photo of wmscottsimpsonjr
Reviewed by wmscottsimpsonjr from Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Draft. Pretty dark dirty brown. Rich nose with with prune, date, caramel, earth, hint of chocolate and fruit. Bit of booze in the flavor. Full, dense mouthfeel, low carb.
Mar 06, 2021
Photo of swid
Rated by swid from Missouri

3.65/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
2009 bottle.

This has held up surprisingly well; a little thin, but still quite drinkable. Good flavor with a hint of raisins.
Dec 15, 2019
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

4.02/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750ml bottle. 2013 vintage.
Between a medium to deep amber colored body. Cream colored head which quickly fizzes away to a partial cap. Leaves some scattered spots of lacing.
Aroma of malt, with pear and green apple. There is some oak barrel too. Where are the hops?
Taste is rich with malts, caramel with some fruit aspects (green apple and pear). Quite a note of caramel/light vanilla/oak.
Thicker mouth feel, and very smooth texture. Good carbonation.
Several years in the bottle has mellowed the hops. Expresses as a malty, oak aged pear.
Oct 29, 2019
 
Rated: 3.78 by 22Blue from Kansas

Apr 05, 2019
 
Rated: 3.68 by dt_gbpackersfan from Missouri

Jan 27, 2019
Photo of TheDoctor
Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Serving: Bottle
Bottled: Nov-19-2013 (Consumed Jan-19-2019)


A:
Pours a crystal clear ruby with a finger of short-lived cream head. Meh retention; some lacing. (3.75)

S:
Caramel, toffee, some oxidation, nutty. (3.75)

T:
Caramel and chocolate, brown bread, light cherry sweetness as it warms. (4)

M:
Fairly full body with carbonation soft carbonation and a smooth finish with a touch of warmth from the alcohol. (3.75)

O:
A nice barleywine that has held up fairly well with the years.
It pours a clear red-almost-black with a whisp of head. The aroma is more oxidized than the flavor but is not intense. Both are sweetly malty with caramel/toffee notes and a nice, treacle finish. It is drinkable and sticky with well-hidden alcohol. The wood character is pretty much non-existent but that is to be expected after 7 years. A decent beer that I'd be curious to try fresh. (3.75)
Jan 20, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by Boca-X from Missouri

Sep 29, 2018
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2007 vintage, saving for a good time, for you Victor and Will
Thicker fizzy head, good retention and lacing, slight hazy reddish color

Nose smells like a very old vintage beer, tons of sweet malt, candy reddish malt, soft aged broken down beer, touch of oxidation perhaps, some toasted oak, some dark fruit, raisiny

Taste big malts, peppery notes somehow, big sweet malt, candy reddish malt, again the soft aged old malt, touch of oxidation but held up very well, plenty of toasted dark char oak, more dark fruits, raisin plum notes, candy sweet almost no booze, drier finish too, very smooth

Mouth is med to fuller bod, decent carb for the age, no real alcohol presence

Overall this aged very well, delicious
Sep 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by krome from Illinois

Aug 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by jgunther71 from Illinois

Aug 10, 2018
Photo of macrosmatic
Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida

3.97/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Thanks to jegross2 for sending this one! Reviewed from (long-standing) notes. Poured from the 2008 vintage, 750 mL bottle into an El Catador Barrel-Aged glass. Drank 7/29/17.

A: Hazy to turbid caramelly brown, with a very thin light tan head that fades quickly. A low level of visible carbonation.

S: Caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar. Sherry-like sweetness here as well, but I wonder if that’s some oxidation. Molasses and sweet, lightly toasted biscuit malts. I'm not getting any wood particularly on the smell.

T: Caramel, vanilla, and molasses. A good bit of dry oak tannins, and still some sherry sweetness. Brown sugar and mild toasted sweet biscuit malts. The finish is lingering sweet malts with woody dryness.

M: An average heft to the body with a sticky mouthfeel for style. Low carbonation sensation, though as expected with age. Alcohol present but not obnoxious for style.

O: This was fairly tasty, has held up to the significant age quite well.
Jul 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama

Jun 25, 2018
Photo of ONUMello
Reviewed by ONUMello from Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
2013 vintage poured into a snifter
A: Reddish-brown with a thin head
S: Cherry, caramel, malt, yeast, a bit of oak
T: Matches the nose note for note
M: Full-bodied, a touch sweet
O: A decent barleywine that has aged well; the oak shows its presence nicely at this age but the beer is also a bit sweeter/maltier than I'd prefer
Dec 31, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by rspauldi from Texas

Dec 21, 2017
Photo of DragonsMilk
Reviewed by DragonsMilk from Kentucky

3.48/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
This is a pleasant well crafted brew but to me it falls short of its advertising, style, and price point.

(FYI I've had this beer numerous times but all from the same vintage, maybe other batches are different)

1. I do not detect any barrel influence.

2. I don't get any of the dark fruits typically associated with barelywines.

3. I do get all the characteristics associated with an Old Ale ie, heavy malt, honey, and toffee which Founder's does better with their Curmudgeon brand and for half the price. I paid in the area of 10.99 in 2014 for a 750ml bottle of Schlafly and no more than 12.99 for a 4pack of Curmudgeon 12oz bottles.

Huge malt bomb but nothing else significant going on here. If your in the mood for something really over the top in the same vein as this beer get a bottle of Avery Old Perseverance Old Ale.

This beer's huge malt backbone and relatively neutral everything else make it perfect for experimenting, I've used it to beef up Imperial Stouts that are heavy on flavor but thin in body. 50/50 with Stone Arrogant bastard is wonderful!
Sep 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by hopkrid from Florida

Jul 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.68 by Stephen_Woods from Missouri

Jul 13, 2017
Oak Aged Barleywine from The Schlafly Tap Room
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 601 ratings