Beard Of Zeus
Great Lakes Brewery

Beard Of ZeusBeard Of Zeus
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From:
Great Lakes Brewery
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
13%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.18 | pDev: 6.94%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
22
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 12, 2023
Added:
Jan 09, 2014
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.75 by boszormeny from Canada (ON)

Aug 12, 2023
Photo of leaddog
Reviewed by leaddog from Canada (AB)

4.47/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2017 vintage at 12%.

Cheers to my sister in law for purchasing this for me.

Appearance - Pours a murky garnet with two fingers of foamy white head.

Smell - earthy, leafy, floral, and weedy hops, bourbon, char from the barrel, dark fruits (raisin, plum, fig), toffee, caramel, bready malts, and earthy yeast.

Taste - earthy, leafy, floral. and weedy hops upfront. Then the brew goes into the bold notes of bourbon, char from the barrel, and dark fruits (raisin, plum, and fig). The toffee, caramel, bready malts, and earthy yeast round out the brew.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes sweet with the bourbon lingrering.

Overall - A phenomenal barleywine that drinks quite well. There is some alcohol warmth in there but this is truly a dangerous sipper of a brew. Kudos again to my sister-in-law for purchasing this for me.
Feb 20, 2022
 
Rated: 4.09 by irishkyle21 from Canada (ON)

Mar 04, 2020
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Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

4.39/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Whew. Finally get to try this one. LCBO purchase for $9.95 CDN for a 500 ml bottle. 2019 Vintage, listed at 11.8% ABV and 28 IBU's. Served fairly cold into a tulip.

Appearance - Fairly clear but with a slight amount of haze, dark ruby colored with auburn hues. A small half finger of head is poured and fizzles away other than a tiny collar in a minute or two.

Smell - Loads of barrel, wood, bourbon, vanilla, a hint of booze soaked fruit and marmalade jam in there too. Remarkable intensity and a complexity that balances American priorities (big bourbon and wood) and English sensibilities (fruit, marmalade like aroma). Simply divine.

Taste - Rich and a wide medley of flavors appear. Orange marmalade, bourbon, and vanilla, hints of earthy wood, and a rich toffee keeps it all held together. Elements of marshmallow here and there and also of a piney undercurrent on the occasional sip too. Boozy for sure, but doesn't drink like 24 proof, maybe a bit lighter than that.

Mouthfeel - Thick and dense, low carbonation, like a fine post-dinner aperitif. Mouth encapsulating richness. Booze is certainly there and a little hot, but not overly so for such a big brew.

Overall - A masterful barleywine than combines some of the best elements of both English and American styles, barrel ages it and spits it out. A great brew that I am very happy to have picked up a second bottle of this. The first one will last me all night.
Mar 04, 2020
 
Rated: 4.1 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Dec 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4.58 by bixby1971 from Canada (ON)

Feb 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4.1 by rodmanfor3 from Vermont

Nov 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.88 by deonreds from New York

Jun 05, 2016
Photo of Jeffo
Reviewed by Jeffo from Netherlands

4.27/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pretty sure I got this one from Peensteen this past summer. Cheers man!

From a bomber into a snifter
IBU: 28
Aged in bourbon barrels for almost a year
Toronto Beer Week homebrew winner Kyle Teichart apparently came up with this one

APPEARANCE: Pours a two finger, medium looking, creamy, off-white head with great retention. Head slowly fades to a full cap and leaves sheets of nice lacing down the glass. A splotchy wisp and ring remain until the end leaving decent lacing down the glass as it empties. Good looking stuff.

SMELL: Huge nose on this one. Lots of bourbon, oak, vanilla, sweet cream, coconut, toffee and caramel with notes of butterscotch as well. Lots of barrel and candy aromas on this one. Preview of sweetness to come, but this should be pretty tasty based on the nose.

TASTE: Yup. Here we go. Plenty of bourbon, oak, caramel sweetness and coconut up front. Lots of alcohol and bourbon at the swallow with a big and lingering finish of bourbon, wood, coconut, sweet vanilla, toffee and some dried fruits. Sweet and plenty of barrel character and alcohol on this one, but not overly boozy, per se. Really, really nice.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Creamy enough on the palate, a touch prickly perhaps, goes down fine with a good burn at the swallow and finishes a bit sticky. Decent heat lingers long after the swallow.

OVERALL: This is great stuff. Big characterful profiles on this one, with lots of decadent aroma and flavor all over the place. The feel is just a touch harsh still, which might smooth out over another year or so, but as it is now, it's well worth the trouble. Enjoyed this one just as much as I did their 25th Anniversary BA Imperial Stout a couple years back. In terms of quality, you can rank this one up there with the best in the biz for this style. Thanks again Peensteen. Highly recommended.
Dec 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.59 by valianes from Canada (ON)

Sep 25, 2015
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Reviewed by kevinlater from Canada (ON)

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
2013 vintage, sample pour at the glb tap takeover at barvolo in toronto, aug 22 2015

a: dark & dull mahogany-ruby

s: super sweet aroma. tons of caramel, vanilla, and tart dark fruits

t: close to the nose -- burnt brown sugar, vanilla-y bourbon, figs, hints of cinnamon. decadent

m: medium mouthfeel with low carbonation

o: i love this because of how sweet it is. a delicious barleywine
Aug 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.36 by andrenaline from Canada (ON)

Mar 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.92 by TheSevenDuffs from Canada (ON)

Feb 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

Nov 02, 2014
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Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle: Poured a deep cloudy brown color ale with a nice foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of caramelized sugars is well balanced against the vanilla from the bourbon. Taste is a complex mix of caramelized sugars, vanilla, oak and bourbon with quite a bit of residual sugar. Body is full with good carbonation and light warming alcohol. Very solid barleywine with nice barrel-again characteristics to hide some of the rough edges. My only complaint would be the amount of residual sugars.
Jul 28, 2014
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Reviewed by wordemupg from Canada (AB)

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
650ml bomber poured into tulip 24/6/14, thanks liamt07 for sending the bottle

A deep maroon liquid when held to the light, a thumbs width of tan foam falls after a few sips leaving no lace, some legs trying to form, about what I expected from 13%

S burnt brown sugar. vanilla, lots of bourbon and a little bit of barrel, nutty, dark bread, lots of raisins, some dark fruit I can't place, dark toffee and more bourbon, a hint of unburnt tobacco, and the booze is well hidden, smells amazing

T more booze, bourbons still strong, much more barrel then then nose, a little coco I didn't smell, rum raisin cake, tastes good the nose easily takes it

M I expected it to be a little thicker but still far from thin, some heat hitting the chest, just a little sticky on the lips, some tannins, bourbon barrel lingers on the finish

O I had my nose buried in this one for a while, drinkable for 13%, lots of bourbon barrel and that suits me fine, I wish I had another to age as time would treat this well

this one could go for years, I couldn't wait until the best after date to try it but it certainly wouldn't have done it any harm. I loved the nose and its not lacking elsewhere, one of those beers I want to drink freshly bottled and 5 years down the road.
Jun 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

May 05, 2014
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Reviewed by peensteen from Canada (ON)

3.94/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Deep brown with a ring of tan head, spots of lacing as well. Smell is massive bourbon and oak, vanilla and caramel, brown sugar sweetness lingers throughout, a bit of coconut as well at warmer temps. Taste is of lightly sweet malts, caramel with some chocolate, oak a bourbon, marshmallow-vanilla flavours in the finish, suprisingly light alcohol considering its massive strength, bourbon-woody finish. Light-medium carbonation, full body and a bit sticky. Quite good now even so far before it's recomended "best after" date, the alcohol goes largely undetected and the bomber was handeled quite easily, could see some benefit coming from a bit of time on this one, has the overall feel of a less good BA 4D.
Mar 31, 2014
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Reviewed by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bomber from the Ottawa LCBO for $10

Appearance - Hazy brown colour with a good size frothy beige coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for around 5-6 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, caramel/butterscotch, dark fruits, leather, anise

Taste & Mouth - There is a below average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, butterscotch/caramel, and dark fruits. There is also some vanilla and quite a bit of boozey heat.

Overall - I know it says to wait on the bottle, but I am really enjoying this now. I love barley wines and I love barrel aged stuff, so this is right up my alley. I need to get more to tuck away
Jan 25, 2014
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Reviewed by jrenihan from Canada (ON)

3.91/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Best after December 31, 2014. I will not wait that long until trying it. If it actually is best after then, wait before releasing it!

Beer is dark brown in colour, with a small beige head. Head fades quickly but not totally, leaving a rim.

Nose is nice, a mix of bourbon and sweet, bready malts. Vanilla is strong.

Taste-wise, the beer is quite hot. Not sure if it needs a year to calm down as suggested, but that is the brewer's concern. Bourbon, vanilla, oak and some bready malts. A mix of sweet and booze. The oak gives a toasted flavour, a bit like burnt caramel.

Full bodied and heavy. Medium carbonation. Very hot.

Overall, decent but too extreme. Perhaps it will be better in a year but I doubt it will calm down enough to be first rate.
Jan 25, 2014
Beard Of Zeus from Great Lakes Brewery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 22 ratings