Alpha Hop Society: Barrel-Aged River Spey Toffee Delight
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- From:
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- English Barleywine
- ABV:
- 10.2%
- Score:
- +8 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.23 | pDev: 1.89%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Apr 30, 2025
- Added:
- Dec 16, 2024
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
Aged for one year in non-peated Scotch barrels - hence the Scottish “River Spey” namesake - with whole dates added.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina
4.3/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.3/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Acquired 2 - 375ml bottles as part of my half share in the 2024 Alpha Hop Society as part of the "Dessert" theme on 12-14-24. Sampled bottle #1 for review 4-30-25.
Beer poured a reddish shade of brown with a pretty good off-white head-3.75
Nose is very nice, getting notes of those adjunct dates along with burnt sugar and toasted caramel-4.25
Taste is spot on for my palate as the malt base delivers on the toffee as the dominant theme with the adjunct dates lending a lovely touch of dark fruit. Scotch barrels must have been well used as i do not get overt Scotch notes but it does balance the malt base nicely leaving an appropriate level of EBW sweetness-4.5
Mouthfeel is smooth but bordering on being thin-4.0
Overall flavor wise this is my favorite pending a revisit with Island Sunset-4.25 (4.3 overall)
2nd Review 1-22-2026
No change to the ratings as this is a toffee bomb still. The dates lend another lovely dark fruit element. The scotch barrel brings a touch of heat and balancing but no pure scotch flavor. Very enjoyable.
Apr 30, 2025Beer poured a reddish shade of brown with a pretty good off-white head-3.75
Nose is very nice, getting notes of those adjunct dates along with burnt sugar and toasted caramel-4.25
Taste is spot on for my palate as the malt base delivers on the toffee as the dominant theme with the adjunct dates lending a lovely touch of dark fruit. Scotch barrels must have been well used as i do not get overt Scotch notes but it does balance the malt base nicely leaving an appropriate level of EBW sweetness-4.5
Mouthfeel is smooth but bordering on being thin-4.0
Overall flavor wise this is my favorite pending a revisit with Island Sunset-4.25 (4.3 overall)
2nd Review 1-22-2026
No change to the ratings as this is a toffee bomb still. The dates lend another lovely dark fruit element. The scotch barrel brings a touch of heat and balancing but no pure scotch flavor. Very enjoyable.
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