Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Dipsea Barleywine
Marin Brewing Company

Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Dipsea BarleywineBourbon Barrel Aged Old Dipsea Barleywine
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From:
Marin Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
10%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.19 | pDev: 8.35%
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
52
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 28, 2020
Added:
Nov 19, 2008
Wants:
  51
Gots:
  19
This is for pre-2009 vintages. Some subsequent bottlings contain brettanomyces and are labeled "contains brett."

Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine is a version of our Old Dipsea Barleywine that has been aged in Bourbon Barrels for about a year. This ageing contributes wood and bourbon flavors to the beer. The micro-oxygenation that occurs in the barrels mellows and smoothes out the high alcohol as dried and over-rip fruit characters evolve.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by scottfrie:
Photo of scottfrie
Reviewed by scottfrie from California

4.51/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
22oz bottle into snifter. 2012 vintage.

A: Pours a deep mahogany with a thin, very fuzzy, light tan head that quickly faded into a soft film.
S: Surprisingly sweet with smooth scents of bourbon, raisin, leather, toffee, leafy tobacco, and faint powdery chocolate.
T: Decadent flavors of leather, tobacco, bourbon, milk chocolate, sweet caramel, slight toast, leafy hops, and hop resin. Butterscotch finish, chocolate covered raisin and sweet dried fruit aftertaste.
M: Very thick and heavy mouthfeel, very low carbonation, and very slick due to low carbonation. No alcohol burn, super smooth and decadent mouthfeel.
O: I was blown away by how great this is. Completely underrated. Could use a few more bubbles, but really complex and mellow flavors.
Jul 02, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of maltmaggot
Reviewed by maltmaggot from California

4.02/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This review is for the regular Dipsea Barleywine at 9%, not the bourbon barrel aged version.
boozy warm sweet sticky thick beer... it's nice
not a lot of foam. the hop presence is just the right amount to create some balance
dark brown sugar color
slight sherry-like aftertaste
warm, bitter caramel fading to dry toasted grain
a smooth representation of a characteristically rough style
Mar 28, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by duceswild from Heard & McDonald Islands

Nov 20, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by DeadeyeOTDO from Arizona

Dec 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by mportnoy from Pennsylvania

Aug 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4.31 by CaptainFleeker from Illinois

Jan 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by SanFranJake from California

Nov 01, 2014
Photo of kaseydad
Reviewed by kaseydad from California

4.29/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2008 Vintage

Dirty brown pour with no lacing and a ring around the glass. Looks like prune juice.

The aroma showcases prunes, butterscotch, rubber and light booze.

Taste is a touch hoppy with some sweet caramel, candy and a dose of bourbon...with not much burn. I likey. Quick finish.

Silky, smooth mouthfeel.

Nice beer. The BBA definitely put a different spin on this and the flavor intensifies as it warms.
Jul 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by belgbeerdrinker from Colorado

Jun 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by EyePeeAyBryan from Arizona

Dec 22, 2013
Photo of portia99
Reviewed by portia99 from Massachusetts

3.69/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
22oz bottle (2012) poured into a Brooklyn snifter

A - Pours a somewhat ugly, muddy brown color, thick and hazy, full of particulate. No head at all, just a vague attempt at an off-white collar.

S - Lots of bourbon up front, sweet caramel and brown sugar, toffee, mild tartness. Bourbon really dominates everything here.

T - Boozy, mildly tart/sour, hoppy bitterness, caramel and toffee. Bourbon dominates the flavor also.

M - Medium body, lower level carbonation, boozy, alcohol warmth. Bourbon from beginning to end here.

O - Pretty one dimensional and almost entirely bourbon in aroma and flavor. Not much of the base beer comes thru at all. Sipping my way thru this one slowly.
Nov 09, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Newbiebeer from Connecticut

Nov 03, 2013
Photo of wordemupg
Reviewed by wordemupg from Canada (AB)

4.07/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
650ml maroon waxed 2012 bottle poured into tulip 18/10/13, cheers MasterSki and Sean9689 for the bottle

A brownish amber liquid and even a dump down the middle gives only a thin film, not much for head or lace but looks like some pretty thick liquid although a little still

S vanilla, soft caramel, brown sugar, lots of wood and bourbon, some sugar coated raisins, faint coco, I get just a little booze, smells sweet and malty, I like it

T more of the same with lots of wood, bourbon and heavy amounts of caramel and brown sugar, just a little spice I can't place

M thick and syrupy but a fairly flat, not as sticky as I thought it would be with just a little heat, slick on the palate, woody finish

O smells and tastes great so the most important aspects are taken care of but it looks a little dead and needs some life in the mouth, I suppose I should be too hard on a BW aged on BB for a year for having low carbonation

I don't get any brett so I'm guessing this is the right listing, very solid brew but it could be absolutely amazing with a few tweaks. I'm not sure if I'd age this one further or not if I had a second, seems like its already peaked at its young age
Oct 19, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by ambruns1979 from California

Aug 10, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by BAsbill from California

Jul 24, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by 2beerdogs from California

Jun 06, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Pecan from Arizona

May 16, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by AlexChillton from Arizona

Apr 13, 2013
Photo of Duomatic
Reviewed by Duomatic from Arizona

4.15/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
The standard version of Old Dipsea is pretty tasty, and has a good price-point, but the bourbon barrel version really moves this brew into a higher class of taste. Though not particularly daring, this barleywine represents a very solid barleywine recipe, combined with the well-executed addition of bourbon barrel aging. To my palette, this brew is a great example of how the end result can be much greater than the sum of its parts (good barleywine plus bourbon-barrel aging equals super-tasty!).
Apr 13, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by jvillefan from California

Apr 05, 2013
Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Dipsea Barleywine from Marin Brewing Company
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 52 ratings