Top Fuel
Dark Horse Brewing Company

From old, undated notes. Had this on draft at Local Option.

Murky orange rust.

Minimal off-white head; sticky lace.

Caramel, booze & fig nose, with a hint of smoke.

Thick mouthfeel.

Caramel, smoke & booze flavor; strong but not cloying.

12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 10/17/2013. Pours hazy deep ruby red/orange/copper color with a minimal spotty lace cap with poor retention, that reduces to a minimal ring of lace. Minimal spotty lacing on the glass, with some light streaming carbonation. Aromas of huge red grapefruit, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, mango, melon, raisin, fig, date, red apple, citrus peel/zest, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toasted biscuit, and brown bread/dough; with lighter notes of peppercorn, pine, roasted nuts, coconut, molasses, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus hops, fruity yeast, bourbon barrel, and dark/bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of huge red grapefruit, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, mango, melon, raisin, fig, date, red apple, citrus peel/zest, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toasted biscuit, and brown bread/dough; with lighter notes of peppercorn, pine, roasted nuts, coconut, molasses, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/zest, herbal, floral, grass, spicy bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of grapefruit, orange, peach, pear, apricot, mango, melon, dark fruit, red apple, citrus peel/zest, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toasted biscuit, brown bread/dough, light pepper/pine, nuts, coconut, molasses, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus hops, fruity yeast, bourbon barrel, and dark/bready malt flavors; with a solid malt/bitterness, and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Light carbonation and full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 14%, with minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged American barleywine. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus hops, fruity yeast, bourbon barrel, and dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mildly bitter/tannic/drying finish; fantastic soft feel for the style. Feels like Centennial/Cascade hops. Fantastic balance of juicy hops, fruity yeast, bourbon barrel presence/integration, and rich malt complexity; with light dank/earthy hop presence/balance. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering drying. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding spot on style example. Aged amazingly for almost 6 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 ounce bottle that I got at the 4 Elf Party in December. At 14% I was hoping for a huge barrel presence and it's lacking. The aroma and the taste both are consistent with a beer that should have been left to age longer. It's good and i'm glad I have another one to age longer but it's definitely not something I need to buy again.