Barley Wine
Two Rows Restaurant & Brewery

I really enjoyed this beer. My only gripe is that it was served in a very small snifter, which was said to be 8oz, but looked less. Anyway, the beer was a dark red/brown color with a small head that nevertheless left some lacing. It had a dark fruit and sweet malt aroma. The taste followed form, and there was also some pleasant hop bitterness that showed up later. Good mouthfeel, and the hops did not detract at all.

A: Deep reddish/amber color. A small bubbly head stays throughout, and leaves some nice lace.
S: Sweet malt and dark fruit up front. A good dose of citrus hops as the aroma lingers. Lots of fruit and candy aromas.
T: At first a good balance of malt and hops. The taste follows the nose, with a nice fruity sweetness that is not cloying. As the beer warms though, it becomes a little to bitter for me.
M/D: A rich, creamy, and smooth mouthfeel that is full-bodied. The bitterness and the alcohol makes this hard to drink more than one. Though I enjoyed sipping this beer.

So far, this is my favorite from Two Rows. Most of their beers seem amateurish and have a bad homebrew feeling. Not this one. The only down side is the cost and the small serving.

This is easily the best beer I've had a Two Rows. The color is almost black, ruby when seen near the light. The head consists of only a small cluster of fizzy bubbles. The aroma is a great, but somewhat standard, barley wine aroma. Aroma reminds me a little bit of vanilla. Taste is very wine-like, close to burgundy I think. There is a nice vanilla tasting sweetness which is balanced with a nice dryness. Dark fruity tastes are also noted. If this is 11% ABV, it isn't apparent. Overall this is very complex and enjoyable. I think it would be difficult to session something this alcoholic and heavy. This beer along with their IPA prove that Two Rows can brew better beer.

OK, This is probably the worst barley wine I have ever had. The flavors are not balanced at all. The hops are way out of proportion to the malt. The Alcohol flavor is the best thing about it. it is a nice warming feel when it goes down. But your palate is assaulted by the off balanced flavors that almost seem to attack from all directions. The Hop blend is even in such a strong contrast as to not be pleasing either. Personally I think they should scrap this recipe and start over.