Cap? No Cap!
The Bruery

epic barleywine for this time of year, aged in bourbon barrels and brewed with candy cap mushrooms, maple syrup, and vanilla, really heady. this is regal and decadent, not at all the first time i have seen these earthy maple smelling and tasting mushrooms end up in beer, but its still exciting to find in the wild, and this is right in the wheelhouse of the bruery, no doubt. a nice big barleywine base, chewy and sweet, loaded with bourbon character which to me probably already smells and tastes like vanilla and maple syrup even before they go in, the barrel brings that, which is why its such a good recipe decision. the oak is nice, the strength is not out of place in the style, and i think the extra ingredients add nuance and intrigue without taking over, this base beer cannot be overtaken easily! pretty decent clarity on this, darker amber to mahogany colored, looks lighter in bright natural light, very minimal off white head, more like patchy bubbles, not as viscous in the glass or on the palate as many, love the texture this way. the aroma and flavor are similar, the maple and the candy cap do a lot and they play in a similar space in terms of perceived sweetness, where they hit on the tongue, and where they peak in the beer, middle and late, but for those with some experience with these mushrooms, the unique contribution they bring is easy to place even with the maple, wet and earthy, musky and almost perfume-like, the vanilla plays super well here too. notes of root beer, raw honeycomb, and creme brulee come out of this as it sits a bit, more and more alcohol too. the oak is a nice mellowing agent, i love the grain profile here too, bready and concentrated and hearty, great with the maple layer. vanilla and whiskey late, long on the palate as a lot of these huge flavored beers they make are, but unique and special, cool for this time of year, and something quite bizarre, didnt expect it to be this dialed in, but maybe i should have. slow and smooth and majorly original, killer base barleywine too, high end barrels it seems, and a great use of these special ingredients. take a bow!