-
Stop lurking! Stay logged in to search, review beers, post in our forums, see less ads, and more. Thanks! — Todd
Hellshire I
Oakshire Brewing
Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Oakshire Brewing
- Oregon, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 78
- Avg:
- 3.37 | pDev: 21.66%
- Reviews:
- 58
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 07, 2020
- Added:
- Mar 15, 2011
- Wants:
- 54
- Gots:
- 41
SCORE
78
Okay
78
Okay
Notes:
"A bourbon barrel aged barleywine. It is 10% abv and spent 10 months in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels."
Released May 2011
Released May 2011
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by BBThunderbolt from Kiribati
3.55/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.55/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Thanks to Tyler for this one. 22oz bottle poured into 10oz goblet. Poured a muddy brown color with thin cap of tan head that had low retention and lacing.
Bourbon was at the front of the nose, along with some wood, with the base beer showing up behind. There may have been a hint of cardboardy-oxidization as well.
Very similar on the tongue, with the cardboard being a bit more notable.
The body was fairly typical for the style, smooth, and had a medium finish.
Drinkability was very nice. I don't think I would have enjoyed a whole 22 to myself, but the 12 or so oz I got was nicely enjoyable.
Overall, a very nice beer. It's likely well past prime, so if you have one, or see one, drink it now,
Jan 07, 2020Bourbon was at the front of the nose, along with some wood, with the base beer showing up behind. There may have been a hint of cardboardy-oxidization as well.
Very similar on the tongue, with the cardboard being a bit more notable.
The body was fairly typical for the style, smooth, and had a medium finish.
Drinkability was very nice. I don't think I would have enjoyed a whole 22 to myself, but the 12 or so oz I got was nicely enjoyable.
Overall, a very nice beer. It's likely well past prime, so if you have one, or see one, drink it now,
Rated by mportnoy from Pennsylvania
1/5 rDev -70.3%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
1/5 rDev -70.3%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
Undrinkable. I had to spit it out.
Jun 21, 2015
Reviewed by Goblinmunkey7 from Massachusetts
3.52/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to robbrandes for the bottle.
Appearance: Ruddy copper reddish brown. Small off-white head drops to a tiny collar almost immediately. Crazy smooth pour with moderate carbonation off the bat.
Smell: Malts for days. Caramel, toffee, hints of molasses, vanilla, coconut, and a solid punch of oak. A slight hint of oxidation adds some sherry and an hint of raisin. Alcohol and caramelized malt sweetness. Some nice roasted malts as well. Complex sugars. A hint of dirt and damp wood thrown in for good measure.
Taste: Oak soaked caramel shortbread cookies. Biscuits, slightly buttery, and oxidized. Sherry coupled with alcohol spice and heat. Cooked and caramelized malts. Hits the full gamut of malt sweetness: sugar, caramel, toffee, a hint of molasses and brown sugar. Oak is heavy, but works to compliment the sweetness. Woody with some dirt and earth thrown in for good measure. Warming drops mega oak bombs.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate carbonation. Ends up on the clean side. A bit more snap than expected.
Overall: Significantly better than a visit from Pinhead.
It's a big oaky bourbon barleywine. Hits hard on the oak, and it wears a bit too much by the end, but it's not a certified oak bomb.
Oct 13, 2013Appearance: Ruddy copper reddish brown. Small off-white head drops to a tiny collar almost immediately. Crazy smooth pour with moderate carbonation off the bat.
Smell: Malts for days. Caramel, toffee, hints of molasses, vanilla, coconut, and a solid punch of oak. A slight hint of oxidation adds some sherry and an hint of raisin. Alcohol and caramelized malt sweetness. Some nice roasted malts as well. Complex sugars. A hint of dirt and damp wood thrown in for good measure.
Taste: Oak soaked caramel shortbread cookies. Biscuits, slightly buttery, and oxidized. Sherry coupled with alcohol spice and heat. Cooked and caramelized malts. Hits the full gamut of malt sweetness: sugar, caramel, toffee, a hint of molasses and brown sugar. Oak is heavy, but works to compliment the sweetness. Woody with some dirt and earth thrown in for good measure. Warming drops mega oak bombs.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate carbonation. Ends up on the clean side. A bit more snap than expected.
Overall: Significantly better than a visit from Pinhead.
It's a big oaky bourbon barleywine. Hits hard on the oak, and it wears a bit too much by the end, but it's not a certified oak bomb.
Reviewed by angrybabboon from Massachusetts
3.24/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.24/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for sharing this
Consumed 10/12/13
Appearance: Somewhere between medium brown and dark amber - cloudy and hazy - pours with a small, off-white head, fades to just a few wisps of a cap, leaves some nice spots of lacing
Smell: Big, cooked caramel malts, and some booze - very cooked, very caramelized, with a touch of straight-up malt extract - some substantial graininess - lots of oak, with some vanilla - a load of booze as well, some whiskey, mostly just alcohol
Taste: Boozeshire? - yes, the big malts from the aroma are here, but the alcohol seems to be the very core of the flavor profile - so, so much alcohol - some whiskey, but it's more like vodka - tons of wood - earthy - extremely cooked malts, dark caramel, molasses, and some general roastiness - did I mention this is boozy?
Mouthfeel: On the full side of medium, smooth, hot with a lot of hot booze
Overall: Just tasting this drunk makes me feel beer
The aroma suggests that this barleywine has some potential. But the actual taste is so boozy. I'm not necessarily opposed to booze, but this is a bit much. I would say this might need more time, but it's already kind of old. Interesting regardless.
Oct 13, 2013Consumed 10/12/13
Appearance: Somewhere between medium brown and dark amber - cloudy and hazy - pours with a small, off-white head, fades to just a few wisps of a cap, leaves some nice spots of lacing
Smell: Big, cooked caramel malts, and some booze - very cooked, very caramelized, with a touch of straight-up malt extract - some substantial graininess - lots of oak, with some vanilla - a load of booze as well, some whiskey, mostly just alcohol
Taste: Boozeshire? - yes, the big malts from the aroma are here, but the alcohol seems to be the very core of the flavor profile - so, so much alcohol - some whiskey, but it's more like vodka - tons of wood - earthy - extremely cooked malts, dark caramel, molasses, and some general roastiness - did I mention this is boozy?
Mouthfeel: On the full side of medium, smooth, hot with a lot of hot booze
Overall: Just tasting this drunk makes me feel beer
The aroma suggests that this barleywine has some potential. But the actual taste is so boozy. I'm not necessarily opposed to booze, but this is a bit much. I would say this might need more time, but it's already kind of old. Interesting regardless.
Reviewed by eagles22 from Pennsylvania
3.86/5 rDev +14.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.86/5 rDev +14.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Big thanks to BA steakem for this bottle had it over a year now !... Appearance very dark brown with a nice tan head
Smell- is awesome loads of bourbon and vanilla with a hint of pine and citrus
Taste -loads of vanilla and bourbon with hints of coconut and at the back of the throat good amount of alcohol
Mouthfeel-very chewy and slick alot of alcohol in the back of the throat that makes of dry at the end
Overall- this is one hell of a barleywine I really like the warming affect I get from the alcohol and love the vanilla and coconut flavor
I get this really suprised
Me cause I just heard awful things about it
Jul 31, 2013Smell- is awesome loads of bourbon and vanilla with a hint of pine and citrus
Taste -loads of vanilla and bourbon with hints of coconut and at the back of the throat good amount of alcohol
Mouthfeel-very chewy and slick alot of alcohol in the back of the throat that makes of dry at the end
Overall- this is one hell of a barleywine I really like the warming affect I get from the alcohol and love the vanilla and coconut flavor
I get this really suprised
Me cause I just heard awful things about it
Reviewed by xnicknj from Pennsylvania
3.13/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
3.13/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
22oz bottle poured into tulip
Pours a lightly hazed brilliant copper gold color with a thin layering of beige head. Retains with a cloud of film and some spotty lacing.
Bitter pine hops in the nose with oaky vanilla and bourbon. Some oxidized notes with heavy booze warmth. Bread crust, caramel and burnt sugar.
Despite the age, piny hops still persist with sticky resin and bitterness. Charred oak, oxidation, slick vanilla and bourbon. Warm and sweet with bread crust and caramel. Thick malt backbone with some slight metallic notes and some roasted undertones. Finishes bitter, boozy and slightly harsh.
Fuller body, decent carbonation, dry, chewy and lingering on the tongue. This isn't quite as off as some people made it out to be, but this is definitely not a top-tier barleywine by any stretch of the imagination.
Sep 24, 2012Pours a lightly hazed brilliant copper gold color with a thin layering of beige head. Retains with a cloud of film and some spotty lacing.
Bitter pine hops in the nose with oaky vanilla and bourbon. Some oxidized notes with heavy booze warmth. Bread crust, caramel and burnt sugar.
Despite the age, piny hops still persist with sticky resin and bitterness. Charred oak, oxidation, slick vanilla and bourbon. Warm and sweet with bread crust and caramel. Thick malt backbone with some slight metallic notes and some roasted undertones. Finishes bitter, boozy and slightly harsh.
Fuller body, decent carbonation, dry, chewy and lingering on the tongue. This isn't quite as off as some people made it out to be, but this is definitely not a top-tier barleywine by any stretch of the imagination.
Reviewed by cpetrone84 from Pennsylvania
3/5 rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3/5 rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
pour is a murky dirty copper brown with a tight beige head and fair amount of lace. The nose is actually a rough, notes of bourbon and some cardboard. Rather malty, chocolate and toffee and some stale hop, very messy. Taste is heavy malt, roast and chocolate, notes of bourbon but light. Almost no heat, very little balance. Full bodied, a touch chalky, light carbonation. The malts are overpowering and unpleasant.
Aug 21, 2012
Reviewed by RuckusDu from Colorado
4.04/5 rDev +19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A - maybe a finger of light tan head. Some yellow in it. Body is a dark amber with some clarity. Light lacing.
S - sweet barleywine deliciousness. Caramel, licorice, and only slight bitterness. Beautifly done. Some alcohol on the nose.
T - a lot more hop flavors but really a nice cross between American and English. Good vanilla, bourbon, and caramel. Well done.
M - A nicely carbonated beer with medium body. Does not distract.
O - A much better beer than the ranking. Nice and sweet with balance from the hops. A great beer where the bourbon is there but doesn't dominate.
Aug 19, 2012S - sweet barleywine deliciousness. Caramel, licorice, and only slight bitterness. Beautifly done. Some alcohol on the nose.
T - a lot more hop flavors but really a nice cross between American and English. Good vanilla, bourbon, and caramel. Well done.
M - A nicely carbonated beer with medium body. Does not distract.
O - A much better beer than the ranking. Nice and sweet with balance from the hops. A great beer where the bourbon is there but doesn't dominate.
Reviewed by lurpy1 from Minnesota
2.36/5 rDev -30%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
2.36/5 rDev -30%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
Sample at a tasting. Take with a grain of salt because it was such a 4 oz pour only, but based on findings, no way I would have been compelled to drink a pint.
Screw how the beer looks, the big failing were the metallic notes. Barrel is present, obvious, and yummy, but in the nose and on the tongue, the barrel is battered by a fork-in-the-mouth sensation. Oxidized, distracting, hard to get rid of. Mouthfeel is fine, heck, better than fine maybe, but the long-lasting metal aftertaste runs interference there as well.
Waste of good bourbon.Not recommended.
Jul 29, 2012Screw how the beer looks, the big failing were the metallic notes. Barrel is present, obvious, and yummy, but in the nose and on the tongue, the barrel is battered by a fork-in-the-mouth sensation. Oxidized, distracting, hard to get rid of. Mouthfeel is fine, heck, better than fine maybe, but the long-lasting metal aftertaste runs interference there as well.
Waste of good bourbon.Not recommended.
Reviewed by vkv822 from Oregon
2.58/5 rDev -23.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
2.58/5 rDev -23.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
22oz : snifter
Clear amber red, with medium-thin foamy off white head.
Quite boozy, oaky, vanilla bourbon.
Again, lots of boozy, bourbon.
Medium body, low, fizzy carbonation.
While fairly one-dimensional and forgetful for the style, I didn't pick up any unpleasant characteristics.
Jul 08, 2012Clear amber red, with medium-thin foamy off white head.
Quite boozy, oaky, vanilla bourbon.
Again, lots of boozy, bourbon.
Medium body, low, fizzy carbonation.
While fairly one-dimensional and forgetful for the style, I didn't pick up any unpleasant characteristics.
Reviewed by Sean9689 from Illinois
2.41/5 rDev -28.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
2.41/5 rDev -28.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Bottle at Alex's Birthday Bash @ Pipeworks.
A - Pours a reddish/brown color, off-white head.
S - Weird vegetal notes, oxidization or some sort, booze, light dark fruity sweetness. Just smells "odd".
T - Harsh booze, super-oak'd, vegetal notes...tastes old and oxidized. Not your average taste for a BA barleywine, that's for sure.
M - Medium body, good carbonation, harsh dry finish.
O - Not a really good beer, at all. Was hoping for more from the creator of Wooden Hell, but this is about as far as you can get from that.
Jun 28, 2012A - Pours a reddish/brown color, off-white head.
S - Weird vegetal notes, oxidization or some sort, booze, light dark fruity sweetness. Just smells "odd".
T - Harsh booze, super-oak'd, vegetal notes...tastes old and oxidized. Not your average taste for a BA barleywine, that's for sure.
M - Medium body, good carbonation, harsh dry finish.
O - Not a really good beer, at all. Was hoping for more from the creator of Wooden Hell, but this is about as far as you can get from that.
Reviewed by sweemzander from Illinois
2.3/5 rDev -31.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
2.3/5 rDev -31.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
22oz. bottle poured into a snifter. Thanks to Jason for the bottle!
(A)- Pours a murky reddish caramel color. Some white bubbles.
(S)- Booze soaked raisin and caramel with a strange cardboard bit in there.
(T)- Similar to the smell. Some booze soaked caramel with a strange cardboard thing.
(M)- A good carbonation level. The balance is ok, but is definitely a little strange overall; both in taste and feel.
(D)- Its not off, but just a little strange. Disjointed and just a little bizarre. Maybe it needs more time to balance and smooth out?
May 19, 2012(A)- Pours a murky reddish caramel color. Some white bubbles.
(S)- Booze soaked raisin and caramel with a strange cardboard bit in there.
(T)- Similar to the smell. Some booze soaked caramel with a strange cardboard thing.
(M)- A good carbonation level. The balance is ok, but is definitely a little strange overall; both in taste and feel.
(D)- Its not off, but just a little strange. Disjointed and just a little bizarre. Maybe it needs more time to balance and smooth out?
Hellshire I from Oakshire Brewing
Beer rating:
78 out of
100 with
108 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!