Old Clam Digger
Harmon Brewing Co.

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Harmon Brewing Co.
 
Washington, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
8.9%
Score:
+5 ratings needed
Avg:
3.06 | pDev: 32.68%
Ratings:
5 | reviews: 5
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 23, 2011
Added:
Aug 28, 2009
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of dragonWhale
Reviewed by dragonWhale from New York

1.27/5  rDev -58.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
2009 bottle served in nearly appropriate glasses at the 28th annual East Coast Relocation Cellar Clearing Barley Wine Event.
It is dark red and ready for the fight, but the fight ends in the 1st round with an obnoxious metallic grin. The flavor mimics the aroma, but there is more. A grim robot dips his flaming arm in a cardboard bath of sin. There is an oxygenated sense of helplessness in this beer that is gripping. It is sour, metallic and wet cardboard all at once. A magnificent display of how not what to look like. This is a barleywine that has no soul. No old soul..Or if it does, a rancorous and foul one. Sad to say, this barleywine does not age with grace, at least not this vintage.
Feb 23, 2011
Photo of BigMcLargeHuge
Reviewed by BigMcLargeHuge from Arizona

3.06/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Courtesy of bvc over on ratebeer. Pours murky mahogany with thin tan head. The aroma is caramel, cherry, cherry skin, some soured notes, crystal malts and some pine hops. The taste starts with a pulse of sweet malts, crystal malts and a touch of hops before an onslaught of tart and sour yeasty notes take over. A bit too sour and tart overall and ending with bitter hops and then a thin ribbon of roasted malts. A bolder richer brew would have played nice against the sour-tartness. But here it didn't make it for me. Still plenty drinkable.
Feb 13, 2011
Photo of paco1029384756
Reviewed by paco1029384756 from Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +32.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours a very dark burgundy color, nearly black with an off white head.

Scent of bitter spicy hops, caramel, earth, tobacco and maple syrup. A strong, but balanced scent.

Taste of strong sugar, hops and maple syrup. A strong and sugary flavor with a good bitterness to balance it out.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a nice bite of carbonation.
Oct 04, 2009
Photo of barleywinefiend
Reviewed by barleywinefiend from Washington

2.94/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Thanks to JackCrow for this.
Poured a deep reddish amber color with good carbonation and a tannish head. Nose is a little funky, sour with lots of dry bitterness. Taste is dry, bitter,sour, caramel, dark fruits. Mouthfeel is thick, bitter, dry and not that tasty. Pretty one dimensional and not one of Harmons finest brews.
Sep 19, 2009
Photo of RedDiamond
Reviewed by RedDiamond from Oregon

3.97/5  rDev +29.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Somehow I've never thought of Harmon as a barleywine brewery. But Old Clam Digger has effectively changed that. This is a big fruitbowl beer, low on bittering by American standards. It connects with a solid punch of hop flavor. But the better part of it is a mix of plum, fig, burnt cherry, a dusting of cinnamon, and a slight essence of campfire smoke.

Hearty, bold, and seductive. And a welcome changeup from Harmon.
Aug 28, 2009