Bucksnort Barleywine
McNeill's Brewery

 

Gotta love the name. I had to try it. Aged for roughly a year (according to the bartender and relative of the brewer) She told me the ABV % for the 2006 version was 13%!

only served in a half pint glasses. maximum 3 per customer I beleive. Looks very heady and rich, lighting is prett dark but this looks like a dark syrupy auburn. 1/2" thick white head.

Smells of spices and some sour notes, strong alcohol and malty sweet.

Taste: syrupy sweet malt effect with spicey aged oak hints. ABV % is prevelant. Partly tangy with a slight amount of hop.

MF: a flat feel with plenty of kick from the alcohol level, sweet & sour-ish.

DA: I could have a few, but they would be carrying me out. Her words" 13% ABV!!

2002... Poured a murky brown, reddish color with a thin, off white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of citrus hoppiness, lots of citrus fruits, sweet malty caramel, raisins, and port. Taste of cherries and other dark fruits, sweet caramel maltiness and a faint bitterness. Dry, light alcohol finish. Amazing!

I filled up 2x 22oz Grolsch-type bottles of this stuff at the end of the night at EBF.... Haha!! The bottles had a noticeable amount of sediment after sitting for a spell. Poured a dark, opaque, chestnut color, with a minimal amount of head and nil for lacing. Nose displayed a lot of raw, piney hops, with hints of alcohol. Body was about medium, and a low carbonation level made for a smooth tongue passage for the liquid. Bier seems to be almost all hops. There is a citrussy, piney, resiny, harsh, raw feel to the hoppage present here. The lupulins make their way into the crevasses of the oral cavity, leaving hop bites for a while to come. And there is a definite warming of the innards (especially on an almost-empty stomach) as this bier heads southward... A fairly good rendition, though not in my upper echelon of barleys. Prosit!!

overall: 3.9
appearance: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | mouthfeel: 4 | drinkability: 4

680

I tried to order a pint and the bar tender poured me a free 5oz to talk me out of it. He was right, I didn't want a pint. This is a good beer, but as far as barleywines go it is a bit subpar. Looks good, tastes ok, feels ok, but there are many a better barleywine out there. This one is a bit weird. I will revisit this brew, but to drink a whole pint would be too much I think.

A great detour around my beaten path. The colour of this brew was a deep, dark brown with an extremely creamy (a few shades short of whipped) head that would not dissapate. The scent was similar to most brown ales with estery, appleish tones and alcohol. The feel was very airy and light with a smooth and rich finish (a mouthfull of fog perhaps?). The taste was strong of alcohol and nearly smokey. Heavy alcohol obscures most taste, but it feels so fantastic and goes down slick. The alcohol went direct to my head, so it is best with a meal or as a precursor to night, night time. Definately worth the effort and experience. Cheers!