Epidurale
Goose Island Beer Co.

Incredibly sweet. Fruity taste with caramel notes, some toffee. Hides the alcohol quite well. Chewy mouthfeel, the snifter they brought me was probably just enough, perhaps a bit too much of this uber-sweet brew. Good beer, though. To me, this is how a good barleywine should taste, if only they'd bring it back...

Pours with a yellowish head and dark brown body. This is a malty barleywine which may because it has been aged (brewed for the brewmaster's daughter's 5th birthday last year- whenever that might have been).

Smells like maple syrup and brown sugar in the nose. Hits with hop bittering but quickly switches to a very sweetened cafe au lait taste. Almost reminiscent of Starbucks's espresso and cream in a can. Somthing about it makes me tire of it quickly. I think it is slightly too sweet to be all that drinkable.

Pours a deep russet color with a very minro ring of tan head and thin coating of lace.
Aroma of thick sweet malt, drak fruit and citrus with just a hint of some peat.
Flavor of rich caramel with black currant, molasses or honey and some orange peel and other citrus notes. Somewhat one-dimensional but very nice flavors.
Mouthfeel is puckering sweet to start that then moves to a dry hopped spciy middle and finishes with a palate coating and pronounced alcoholic pop.
Drinkability is very good. Right on to style for me.

Draught: This was supurb! This wonderful example of a barleywine poured a deep, ruby red color. There was almost no head to it. There was a slight whiff of alcohol to the nose, and an almost like sherry-like quality to the aroma. A very sweet, rich, complex taste, with fruit undertones.