Brew Club Barley Wine
Marble Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This barleywine debuted in April of 2014 as a perk for signing up for Marble's brew club. It was bottled and given as a gift but was also available at all Marble locations.

The beer arrives with a thin, quarter finger pale white head and a dark, raisin-like appearance. It looks big-bodied and I can't quite explain why. The head dissolves into a layer of persistent lace that hangs atop the body.

Do you know what fruit punch smells like? Well then you know what this beer's aroma is. Pungent, sweet fruit with a tinge of alcohol are huge. There's some of the sweet bread, raisin, and aromas that remind me of Caribbean rums and ports or sherries.

But hold up, just when I thought I was gonna taste a bunch of holiday fruit bread, I get some chocolatey notes that blend with the raisin, reminding me of chocolate bars with this mix. There's so much more going on though. Oak, bourbon, rum, and dark, liquor-soaked fruit dance on the tongue. Port lingers on the aftertaste.

Despite all the mention of alcohols, this beer is incredibly smooth and free of the heat I generally expect from a fresh barleywine. It's smooth, creamy, and give a slight touch of bitterness close to the finish. This brew is actually very easy to drink.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this is Marble's best beer ever. That's saying a lot. But it's astonishingly flavorful and robust in body and character. This is a true New Mexico gem.!