Annularity
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

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From:
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
10%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.08 | pDev: 10.29%
Reviews:
29
Ratings:
101
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 02, 2019
Added:
May 23, 2012
Wants:
  15
Gots:
  15
FiftyFifty’s Blonde Barleywine hopped with Calypso and El Dorado hops and aged in Rittenhouse Rye Barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by SHODriver:
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Poured into a snifter to a nice dark gold topped by a finger of dense off white head that fades quickly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of old pine and citrusy hops with some caramel, vanilla and oak
T: Taste is the faded pine and citrus with some nice barrel presence. The honey sweetness comes through at times as well. Good bit of oakyness with some caramel and vanilla. Nice herbal hop notes as well with what almost seems like menthol. Swallow is caramel sweetness, slight alcohol, vanilla and more oak as well as some lingering pine and citrus.
M: this one is full in the mouth with soft but adequate carbonation and a drying finish that battles with oily hops.
O: This is a fun and interesting beer. It is well hopped and has a great malt backbone. This one has almost a year on it and it's tasting great. The beer and the barrel play well off of each other so this one is a joy to drink. If you see it then try it.
Jun 18, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of elNopalero
Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan

4.12/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Barley wine!
Pours a rich caramel color. Malty caramel and toasted coconut. A big beast of a beer that opens as it warmed. Would you believe I ordered this with no idea what to expect? Pleasantly surprised.
Aug 02, 2019
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.04/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Shared with rudzud
Pours light fizzy head fades instantly, hazy auburn reddish brown color, good legs

Nose big sweet candy reddish malts, caramel, toffee, a bit fruity, bread crust, candy with light buttery oak and a little rye whiskey, apple, little oxidation cardboard

Taste big sweet malts, big caramel, toffee, little syrupy, but smooth malt, toasted bread crust, light buttery oak, and very light rye whiskey, fruity as well, candy apple, caramel tree fruit, very light alcohol, smooth caramel, medium light bitterness, semi sweet finish, touch of oxidation late, but like a vinous aged malt character, lingering sweet caramel

Mouth is fuller bod, smooth creamy rich, very light alcohol, but low carbonation, would have been much higher if it had more carb

Overall pretty nice, good base beer, nice fruits oxidation is ok on the taste but less on the nose, really wish the barrel and whiskey was more
Jun 07, 2019
Photo of rudzud
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts

4.04/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to JLindros for sharing this bottle.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice hazy honey hue with a thin white head that fades to leave light wisps and a thin halo.

S - Aromas of light floral notes and loads of caramel flavour and flashes of cardboard. There is a very faint barrel notes with flashes of whiskey. Lightly bready.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with a fair amount of slightly bitter hops and caramel. Flashes of toffee as well, good barrel notes and lighter whiskey. Maybe a little bit of oxidation.

M - Mouthfeel is barely carbonated, little creamy, flashes of alcohol.

O - Overall this was a solid enough barleywine. Tons of caramel but also lots of oxidation.

Serving Type: bottle
Jun 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.03 by Ajlvt from Washington

May 12, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Mikexw from New York

Mar 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by MattSn from Oregon

Jan 11, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by shelby415 from Oregon

Aug 19, 2018
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Review based on a bomber I have properly cellared for several years. Im guessing its at least 5ish years old at time of this review. Poured into a snifter appears hazy copper with a quick fading white cap that leaves spotty lace.

Aroma of caramel and orange liquor. Raison and herbal to boozy.

Tastes of boozy orange marmalade with mild caramel malt and toasty grain.

Medium in body with modest carbonation. Decent stuff, much better than I remember what it was like fresh.
Mar 30, 2018
Photo of hman43
Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look: It pours a hazy brown that is slightly on the light side. Head retention is low and is tan.

Smell: It has a malty rich aroma that is complemented by rye. There is some sweetness to the aroma with a bit of caramel. There are hints of dark fruits in the background with a slight cherry edge.

Taste: The flavors are of rich caramel and rye with has a complex flavor combination with a bit of sweetness to it. There are low dark fruit and cherry notes with a slight wood character. There are some citrus elements that are mostly orange.

Feel: It is full bodied with a pleasant alcohol warmth. Carbonation is low.

Overall, the combination of flavors with the malt and rye provides a unique taste which is quite good. The low dark fruits and citrus flavors compliment the overall presentation.
Mar 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by RochefortChris from North Carolina

Feb 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.06 by Thirstygoat from Illinois

Jan 20, 2018
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.16/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
quality american style barleywine. i didnt find it to be particularly blonde, as they describe here, but i liked the beer a lot. its a lightly murky reddish color, normal for the style, with patchy white foam. smells heavily woody, like straight lumber, more wood than rye by a lot to my nose, but more even in the flavor where the spicy rye comes out mid palate. there is a lot of sweetness and alcohol here, making it a slow sipper for me, and its not as complex as some. tons of wood, a dried raisin and cherry note, a long boiled caramel property, and maybe a hint of toasted coconut. the hops provide fine bitterness and maybe a faint orange peel note or something, but for me its more bitter balance than flavor from them, despite it being dry hopped. i like the rye here instead of bourbon too, i feel like it has a little more earthiness to it, and sweet bourbon would make the already strong vanilla and residual sugar feel like too much. wood and brown sugar and rye spice to finish, along with the hops. i havent had hardly anything from these guys that isnt an eclipse stout variant, so it was cool to try another one of their beers, but i wouldnt quite put this one on the same level...
Dec 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.13 by pkalix from California

Oct 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Erik-P from Canada (BC)

Oct 13, 2017
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bought On-Line

22 oz. Bomber
ABV: 12.5%

Poured into a tulip a pretty nice dark golden amber color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger off-white head, which also leaves some nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is hoppy, malty, with some oak/whiskey, honey, vanilla, slight citrus. The taste is pretty nice, hoppy, malty, with a pretty nice touch of oak, whiskey, honey, vanilla, some citrus. Full Body, ABV is hidden fairly well, still kinda hot. Overall, a tasty brew.
Jun 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by PA-Michigander from Pennsylvania

Jan 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by PprBurke from Virginia

Nov 15, 2016
Photo of Tommo
Reviewed by Tommo from Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
This is a huge beer. Very drinkable despite the high abv, but nothing really popping out for me. Caramel and sweetness on the front and booze on the back. Not bad
May 14, 2016
 
Rated: 3.97 by billab914 from Virginia

Mar 25, 2016
Annularity from FiftyFifty Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 101 ratings