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 #165
ABV:
10.2%
Score:
88
Ranked #13,464
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 joe1510:
Photo of joe1510
Reviewed by joe1510 from Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
750ml

2007 Vintage

I just recently got this bottle from Redwood21 in Secret Santa '08, thanks again David! Schlafly's Reserve Barleywine fills this snifter of mine with a mahogany brew. The body is slightly hazy with orange highlights when directly backlit. Carbonation rises from all over the bottom of the glass and keeps the head in good standing. The dense, off white head never falls below a finger throughout the entire drink and leaves sheet lacing down the glass.

The nose is all kinds of interesting. Caramel apples, peach juice and a myriad of other fruitiness that I can't quite pick out, jump from the glass. The base of this beer is solid caramel and wrapped tightly around the buttery oak from the barrel aging. There isn't any vanilla like what's found in other barrel aged brews and that's just fine with me. A mild and superbly clean alcohol flutters underneath the big nose on this brew.

Now this is how a beer should be barrel aged. The buttery oak compliments the brew instead of taking over like so many other examples. Smooth caramel backbone never quite reaches sweet while the hops bring along a nice bitterness on the finish. Pine, non-distinct stone fruit and citrus show up mid=palate and ride through the finish. The alcohol adds some spiciness but is fairly clean and adds to the overall flavor of this big barleywine.

The barrel aging has dried this one out slightly with a little help from the alcohol. This dryness helps the hoppy finish bring a solid bitterness. The body is a little lighter than I thought it would be which fits very well in this case. The body is dull but leans toward the middle instead of being sticky and heavy. This beer just flows through like velvet.

The drinkability of this big barleywine is surprisingly high. The velvety feel, fairly hidden alcohol and semi dry finish keep the glass tilted in my favor. My first snifter is disappearing far too fast.

This is a very well made barleywine with the barrel aging done just right. No single flavor overpowers the others while they're all in great balance. Vancer sent me a bottle of this awhile back that will be hanging out in the cellar for a little longer so I can see what changes it brings. In the meantime I'm very happy with my first sampling courtesy of Redwood21, thanks guys!
Dec 20, 2008
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