Bourbon Barleywine
Stewart's Brewing Co.

 

 

 

Review from notes. Had on tap at the Pickled Pig.

A: Poured a deep brown with a small tan head that quickly reduced to a ring on top. Not much lacing.

S: Nice bourbony aroma with lots of vanilla and brown sugar as well as some dark fruit.

T: Similar to the aroma, a nice injection of bourbon and vanilla with a bit of oak coming through. There is some dark fruit and more brown sugar giving it a slightly sweet flavor.

M: Medium to full bodied, extremely smooth and easy drinking.

O: Really liked this beer, for a style that I typically shy away from, this one hit the spot.

 

 

2008 vintage.

This came to me in an 8 ounce snifter. The color is like a beer rainbow. Deep, dark Ruby in the center fading to a light yellow-orange amber on the edges. Thin tan khaki head quickly fades to ring. Lacing isn't a factor here. The aroma is full of Bourbon with some vanilla and oak. The smell is not as heavy on the Bourbon as I remember previous vintages being. The flavor is as smooth as the smell. Warming Bourbon and sweet, woody vanilla blend with a big malt backbone to cover up the hops. The mouthfeel is thick and velvety. The abv (11+ %) keeps the drinkability down some. Overall, this is one good brew.

On tap at the Kennett Square Brew Fest. One of the better beers there...

Pours into my smuggled in sample glass a deep rich amber-copper color with a low head but persistent thick lacing. The aroma is pineapple, coconut, alcohol, fruit and tobacco. Really interesting and nice. Hard to say what comes from where in this beer but a nice addition to the barleywine. The taste is huge. Wow. Coconut and pineapple again, followed by big vanilla from the oak, then a nice hop bite at the finish. It's relatively dry and well balanced overall with dominant tropical fruit. Mouthfeel is full, thick, but still fluid. Carb does a good job carrying the weight of this beer but the heat is a bit much. A lovely beer but definitely a sipper.

This brew came to the table a deep murky black with minimal head. Aroma was definately of bourbon, but backed by subtle sweet sugars and fruitiness. The malt came through on the tongue, but it was infused with the bourbon. Hints of chocolate and maybe cherries? The alcohol twang gave this beer a kick and you could feel it going down; but what would you expect from a bourbon barleywine. Very good after dinner brew.

On tap at the KSBF '06...
Appears a hazy amber toned brown with a small off-white head...
Smell is of creamy coconut milk, mollasses, caramel, and vanilla.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with lots of vanilla esters coming through with some brown sugar sweetness that tastes nice.
Mouthfeel is super smooth for a barley wine with smooth caramel and vanilla lingering along the tongue, making for a pleasant, sweet, after dinner barley wine.
Kudos to Ric for taking the '05 batch and aging it in the Jim Beam barrel.
This is a sipper but it's a darn good sipper.

This is the 2005 vintage aged in bourbon barrels.

A: The ale is a thick brown liquid with a small ring of head.

S: The buttery alcohol aroma of bourbon really dominates this beer.

T: The bourbon has done a number on this beer, giving it a buttery strong flavor, almost like drinking a glass of bourbon without all the strength. The malts try to come out but are completely dominated by the bourbon.

M: The bourbon aging makes this beer burn a bit as it goes down.

D: The strength and bourbon conspire to lower the drinkability; a noble effort nonetheless.

Comments on 2006 Batch:
The barleywine is an intoxicating mix of thick malts and sweet bourbon. The bourbon imparts an intense flavor that mixes with the malts and overtakes it. Pepper and vanilla, corn and grains, all the flavors are really amped up. Based on the '06, I upped the taste to 4.0, mouthfeel up to 4.5 and drinkability to 3.5.