Old Sot
Nodding Head Brewery

On tap at Nodding Head on 4/9/11. Served in a tulip, this brew appears a clear ruby color with a finger of yellowish tan head that laces in a webbing and patches about the glass. A swirl revives the cap back to a finger's strength.

The smell of this brew is fruity with hops and caramel malt. There is a sweet scent of caramelized sugars before the onset of bold hop characteristics. The hops emit citrus and rind-like scents along with some catty notes and a bit of sulfur across the back.

The taste of this brew is saturated with oily, resinous hops. It is modestly bitter coupled with a fruity alcohol character. The malt inclusion provides a backing of toasted to caramelized sweetness that at times is candy-like before more of the hop flavors come out tasting catty. This brew has a lasting power of bitter hops that clings inside the mouth after every sip.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It is fairly drinkable but the alcohol is bold with a fusel character. Well rounded and not bad for an American barleywine, it's a decent representation and worth a try.

 

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: orange amber brown with 1 fingerhead

smell: sweet caramel malts, some fruit notes

taste: carmel, malts, sweet, smooth finish

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: not bad for a style of beer that I normally don't enjoy.

Cheers,
The CPJ

On tap in a tulip at the brewery/brewpub.

Old Sot sits in the glass with a dark apple color mixed in with some mahagony and brown spots in the liquid. A tan caramel colored inch of foam up above, no stick. lovely looking though.

Smell is fairly simple for a barleywine although everything that should be there is, with stunning balance. Caramel mixing in with dark fruit, apple, pear, a touch of sugar and a dose of alcohol.

Taste is pretty much the same, every thing melds into a nice little hoagie of sorts. This is the 1st American B-wine that is not over the top hoppy out of the gate, although I don't know the age of the keg from the gate.

A bunch of dark fruits kinda but apple pokes up with a small touch of cocco, or is that chocolate. Some astringent hops in the back but nothing major. This skims the line between malty and fruity with hops after that. I like this beer.

Feel is a big big big medium with some sips bordering on syrupy at times depending on the gulp. Carbonation is there but is not a factor under the malty body, bitterness is not a factor, it's in da background.

Overall I liked it and it was not hot and tasty. No bells and whistles with BA'ing, crazy amounts of strange ingredients, a str8 forward B-wine that's good to sip on a chat with.

On tap at the head and poured into a tulip.

A- comes to me with a good finger of off white head that holds for a good bit before settling to leave a big spray of clingy lace the whole way around the glass and a solid ring on top. Deep garnet brown in color.

S- big brown sugar and caramel sweetness with a heavy hopping that balances nicely with the malt bill. Earthy at times.

T- lots of malt sweetness and a bold hopping. Brown sugar, caramel, dark toasted bread. The hops are bold and bring in a surprising balance with citrus and tropics galore. The abv is no where to be seen in the flavor.

M- on the fuller side of medium in body with an understated carb that works very well in this brew. No heat on the palate at all.

O- this is a wonderful bw and as easy a drinking one as I've ever seen. Ill be sure to keep an eye out for this one next time around.