Fathead Barleywine - Reserve Series Aged In Whiskey Barrels
Nebraska Brewing Company Production Brewery & Tap Room

Fathead Barleywine - Reserve Series Aged In Whiskey BarrelsFathead Barleywine - Reserve Series Aged In Whiskey Barrels
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From:
Nebraska Brewing Company Production Brewery & Tap Room
 
Nebraska, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
Ranked #143
ABV:
12.1%
Score:
88
Ranked #13,581
Avg:
3.94 | pDev: 10.41%
Reviews:
51
Ratings:
153
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 07, 2022
Added:
Dec 06, 2009
Wants:
  44
Gots:
  41
A rich, full bodied Barley Wine with a wonderfully warming character from the malts & dark brown sugars. Held to the light, its burgundy color is fitting for a bigger beer that has aromatics that hint of the oak, the whiskey, the somewhat sweet nature, and molasses that makes this beer truly unique. The non-barrel-aged version of this beer took Silver in the 2009 US Open Beer Championships. Using Stranahan’s Whiskey barrels, we aged this beer for 6 months to impart a small amount of oak tannins and the whiskey character that combine to elevate this beer beyond its original entry into this world. Excellent to enjoy now and cellerable for years.

34 IBU
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Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Presumably the 2020 vintage, as that's what is emblazoned in the bottom right of the label.

Appearance: Pours a clearish, golden-tan body with a glimmer of a head that fades instantly.

Smell: Sugared, oaky whiskey, macerated dates/figs with a sprinkling of sharp red berries and caramelized brown sugar. Slight leathery hint, some booziness.

Taste: Toasty, sweet malts and a heavy whiskey depiction with charred oak, vanilla syrup. Vibrant fruitiness amidst some scant oxidative leathery notes. Peppery alcohol with some provided warmth.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Lightly carbonated. Smooth and somewhat sticky in the mouthfeel.

Overall: A decent, above-board barleywine.
Dec 07, 2022
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Fathead Barley Wine from Nebraska Brewing. Picked up at Shangy’s, Emmaus, PA. $ 12.71 (Including tax)/500 mL bottle ($ 0.752/oz) on 18/09/21. On room temperature shelf at store, stored at 37 degrees at home. Reviewed 24/06/22. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated bottle other than “2020” on the lower right corner of the label. Served at 53.4 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King Snifter. Final temperature 60.4 degrees.
Appearance – 4.5
First pour – Deep Gold (SRM 6), clear.
Body – Medium Amber (SRM 12), translucent. When rear-lite, translucent orange.
Head – Average (Maximum two cm, aggressive center pour), beige, high-density, fizzy, short retention, diminishing to a 0.2 cm bubble ring and no cap/island.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Sweet toasted barley syrup. No hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 4 – Begins sweet with caramel and whiskey (And not a good whiskey either) but not as sweet as the nose suggests. Oaky with tannins and vanillin. No ethanol (12.1 % ABV, as marked on label) aroma or taste. Initial gastric burning slowly dies to a mellow glow. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3 – Medium, weakly syrupy, lightly fizzy carbonation, most noticeable when warming in the mouth.
Final impression and summation: 4 A beautiful glass of beer – the color and clarity just beg to be consumed! Too bad there’s no lacing – that’s all keeping the appearance from being a perfect 5.0! Flavor and aroma are very good and keep me coming back the glass. Very good barley wine!
Jun 24, 2022
Photo of DIM
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Up front this is quite sweet. Lots and lots of brown sugar, lightly charred caramel, vanilla, and some whiskey. The finish adds plenty of heat, some piney bitterness, and an oaky, cinnamon bite. Enjoyable overall, maybe a bit too much heat and definitely a bit too much sweet.
May 28, 2021
 
Rated: 3.81 by CisPiece88 from Nebraska

Apr 03, 2021
 
Rated: 4.01 by 2beerdogs from California

Dec 15, 2019
 
Rated: 3.78 by dpgrifs from Pennsylvania

Nov 16, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

Apr 10, 2019
Photo of Chuckdiesel24
Rated by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.75
Gusher, something off
Mar 10, 2019
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

3.96/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from 750ml bottle into glass. No dating found, but the label is the color of purplish brown (2017 or 2018?).
Cloudy, deep amber colored body (each pour results in a darker colored body). Each pour elicits one finger of egg shell white head, which is bubbly and fizzy. There is close to a cascade effect as the head forms from the pour. The head sticks around as a full cap, with various sized bubbles. Foam on the side of the glass with each sip mostly disappears but a few small spots remain.
Aroma has lots of caramel notes from the dark brown sugar and malts. Has plum dark fruit notes. Slight oak wood notes, and a sweet note from the whisky barrel. Vanilla is a slight whiff.
Taste has the main components of caramel and whiskey (both of which provide a sweeter flavor), dark fruit of plum and raisin, the oak from the whiskey barrel, and the smoothness of vanilla.
Mouth feel is close to full, and has the texture of syrup. Very smooth. Good carbonation.
This beer is so easy drinking for an ABV% of 12.1. At the very end, the alcohol wafts up into the nose. The aroma and flavors are balanced, but lack somewhat in depth and expressiveness. Still this is a candy of a beer and very enjoyable.
Feb 12, 2019
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
2010 vintage 750ml bottle poured into a tulip appears a clear dark mahogany color with khaki head.

An aroma of spicy oak, incense, quite fruity/floral smelling.

It tastes dry woody with caramel malt, faintly sweet, herbal and floral/vinous with warming alcohol.

This is medium to light in body with modest carbonation. Not bad but still hot for 8 years old
Aug 17, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by jgunther71 from Illinois

Aug 03, 2018
 
Rated: 3.71 by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

Jul 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by fosters9 from New York

Feb 05, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by archero from Texas

Nov 16, 2017
Photo of TerryMills
Reviewed by TerryMills from Tennessee

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is a really good beer, hides the abv well and isn't overly whisky flavored..

A bit sweet but I suppose that's par for the style .. Nice dark fruit flavors .
Nov 15, 2017
Photo of jngrizzaffi
Reviewed by jngrizzaffi from Texas

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a cloudy reddish amber color with a finger width foamy head. Head retention is good. Lacing is decent. Malty brown sugar aroma. Maybe some dark fruit. Alcohol content evident. Definite brown sugar and molasses on the taste. Whiskey throughout. Smooth bodied. Low carbonation.
Oct 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.09 by petewheeler from Maryland

Oct 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.18 by TylerJ from Iowa

Sep 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.77 by GetTheYayo from Pennsylvania

Aug 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4.23 by Jsalz21 from New Jersey

Jun 25, 2017
Fathead Barleywine - Reserve Series Aged In Whiskey Barrels from Nebraska Brewing Company Production Brewery & Tap Room
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 153 ratings