Barleywine Aged In Oak Bourbon Barrels
Sprecher Brewing Company

Thanks to hopdog for sharing this...
Appears a semi-transparent dark amber with a small beige head that slowly fades out. Spots and streaks of lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of bourbon, light apple, spicy plum, caramel, raisins, vanilla, and oak.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with some citrus and vanilla coming through more in the taste.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied with notes of apple, caramel, vanilla, oak, and caramel candy swirling along the palate for a warm and deceiving finish.

January 2007 Bottle Date, Sampled June 2007
Pours with a frothy, three-finger thick, amber tinged, tan colored head that sits atop an absolutely brilliantly clear, fully reddish, amber colored brew. I immediately notice a pronounced, butter-oak aroma as I pour this brew, it is almost diacetyl like. The aroma is clearly dominated by bourbon barrel characteristics (notes of spicy oak, bourbon and butter), but there is a hint of malt underneath, but it leans towards a sticky, candy like aroma that I hop is not in the flavor. While the bourbon barrel certainly is dominant in the nose, it is not as big and powerful as some barrel aged beers, this is a good thing as it would be much too offensive if it was. In the end though the nose is a bit too one dimensional.

Quite sweet, with a simplistically candied malt flavor. In some ways it reminds me of cotton candy. It is fairly light bodied for a Barleywine, actually for a Barleywine it is quite light bodied. I do like that the bourbon barrel is not as prominent as it is in the nose, but unfortunately the complex marriage of malt and hops that one expects from a Barleywine is not here either. The bourbon barrel notes are here towards the late middle and finish of each sip. Buttery oak flavors are the most noticeable, but there are also touches of spicy oak, and a bit of warming bourbon flavors.

I never would have guessed that this was 11%, it hides the alcohol quite well and it is quite a bit more light bodied than I expected. My guess is that this was filtered way too tightly and it stripped a lot of malt complexity out of this brew. Thin, wan and a pale specter of what a Barleywine should be, though on the up side it does keep from being offensive.

Big props for the cool 1 liter (35 FL OZ) ceramic flip top bottle taped shut with a black ribbon. Label states: Liters bottled: 185. 11% ABV Non-paturized.

Pours into a wide tulip glass with a hazy russet chestnut hue topped with a khaki frothy dense headcap leaving evacuating lace down the sides of the glass.

Scents are bold, even for a barrel aged barleywine. Wood aspects translate with a deep vanilla bean sugary aroma and rum cake buttery sweetness. This one just plain "smells thick."

First swigs: Pecan pie all over the place. Thick and creamy with a buttery toffee syrup flavor. Barleywine aspects are lost amongst the pecan pie and syrup sticky sweetness. Buttered grain waffles goodness. Some dry oaky wood fills in the flavors with a soft fruit aspect of red cherry and pear.

Feel is surprising swiggable despite its intensity and complexity. A few generous gilps went back quickly before the ABV reality woke me up from the dream.

Last swigs: Like cherry syrup on grain waffles with whipped cream. Wow! What a food pairing that would be. Finally, at $18 a liter this is a bit taxing for a bourbon barrel barley wine when we are inundated with such beaties much cheaper.

Beer is good (and sometimes expensive.) Happy big barrel beering.

1.0 L bottle from Liquorama. Liquorama is sold out I believe, but Hi Time just put this on their website if you are interested. Bronze color with a lovely head. Aroma is very light, not much to describe. Sweet flavors with cinnamon and rock candy hints, as well as light hints of caramel and toffee. The barrel provides very light notes of vanilla and bourbon. All the flavors however, are rather vague not super expressive or complex. Mouth feel could be heavier and a bit more complex as well and might elevate the flavors a bit. I really wouldn’t recommend this beer, however, i love that it comes in a massive liter bottle.

A- thin light off white head, clear amber color.
S-Strong alcohol! Bourbon maybe. bit of malt hidden behind all that alcohol.
T- Bit of malty taste that slowly leads up to big the alcohol taste that will hit soon after. Maybe some deep fruits also. Big malt taste. A faint oak taste behind the huge alcohol taste and warming. Almost like drinking a weaker hard on the warming part. It's like a sweet syrupy taste also. Very mild bitterness going on. In aftertaste you still have the syrupy taste from it and a bit of alcohol. Some malts are also in it.
M- Big full sticky body. Very low carbonated.
D- Don't like this much at all. Way to strong on the alcohol taste and warming for me (and I love my strong beers). I am pretty let down by this. Could not drink one of these bottles (35oz bottle). Best thing about this beer is the big body. I love my big body beers. Is on the sickly side though because its so syrupy.