Barrel Aged Barley Wine
White Birch Brewing

Barrel Aged Barley WineBarrel Aged Barley Wine
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From:
White Birch Brewing
 
New Hampshire, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
10.8%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.53 | pDev: 24.36%
Reviews:
33
Ratings:
49
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 22, 2014
Added:
Dec 10, 2009
Wants:
  41
Gots:
  9
Brewed in an English style, this beer is rich and malty with notes of toffee vanilla and wonderful oak. Full bodied with a smooth finish. Batch one is a beer that will drink nicely for years.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Holland:
Photo of Holland
Rated by Holland from Illinois

2.25/5  rDev -36.3%

Nov 17, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by zestar from California

Aug 22, 2014
Photo of Rifugium
Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota

2.05/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2
Whew. How do they sell this stuff? Dark rusty brown color, with a thin cap of off-white head; a little oily streaking on the glass. Looked harmless enough. Gnarly aroma, acetone, fusel alcohol, rotting wood, grease, some caramel malts coming through. Tasted basically like a strong ale aged in Windex barrels, conditioned on French fries; some caramel sweetness in there, lots of barrel notes but not really in a good way, shots of acetone and naphtha, with some lightly discernible bourbon. Body was about light-medium, thin mouthfeel for the style. Really not a pleasant beer at all. The non-BA version was at least somewhat drinkable, perhaps in very small doses. This was not. Infected? Poorly made? Both? You decide.
Nov 17, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by Kelp from New Hampshire

Apr 23, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by t0rin0 from California

Mar 07, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Jan 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by slvrmon82 from Delaware

Jul 22, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by hoppymcgee from Maine

May 30, 2012
Photo of ChadQuest
Reviewed by ChadQuest from Illinois

1.5/5  rDev -57.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
First off, i opened this over my sink, expecting a 2009 White Birch beer to gush, but it did not, good job at achieving what is expected.
The head is so thin in density it looks like the foam on soda and leaves as quickly. The body is a mahogany hue.
The aroma has a cherry and tannin note, cheap biting port is as close a description as i can imagine.
Flavor wise and mouthfeel wise, this is hollow and dry for a barleywine, like somehow an enormous amount of tannins from the barrels leached into this, oaky notes that remind me of beers labeled "virgin oak", cherry, and a thin low quality Shiraz, thin, alcohol in moderation and is only noticable due to how thin this is overall.

Not quite a drainpour, well, maybe i will since i am alone. 22oz of this could be too much.
Mar 14, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by ChrisPro from Illinois

Jan 09, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Dec 24, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by jophish17 from Georgia

Dec 24, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Nov 26, 2011
 
Rated: 2 by ElGallo from New Hampshire

Nov 26, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by waiting4lunch from Massachusetts

Nov 18, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by kirbsicles from Massachusetts

Nov 15, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by jh1982 from Nevada

Nov 15, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by BeerWorld from New York

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of johnnnniee
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

3.84/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Batch 1 2009
Pours a deep clear dark brown color with a solid two finger off white head that shows moderate retention and lace. Smells of oak, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, light dark fruits, hints of sherry and alcohol. Taste is sweet with caramel and brown sugar up front with hints of dark fruit midway. Light hints of vanilla and oak. Lots of warming almost burning alcohol midway and into the finish. Medium to thick body, low to moderate level of carbonation, sweet almost sticky mouthfeel. Its been a while since I had one of these, but I don't remember as big an alcohol presence as I see here today. This beer smells fantastic, and tastes pretty good if not a bit hot.
Nov 05, 2011
Photo of alpinebryant
Reviewed by alpinebryant from Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Batch One - Bottle 19 of 280 - Bottled December 7, 2009

A: Pours a large light brown head with tons of carbonation visible. dark chestnut brown with lacing present.

S: Bourbon, oak and sweet malt along with a hint of sourness.

T: When I first poured this I was worried I was going to have an infected mess, but it turned out to be ok in the end. Mostly present is a strong bourbon flavor with mixed oak tastes and roasted caramel. The caramel is muted slightly from what this probably once was as the infection has taken away some of the body and deeper flavors from this barleywine. What is left of this beer is still pretty good though. Roasted toffee, some peat flavorings and a bit of smoke.

M: Light mouthfeel for the style and I think only a hint of what it used to be.

O: Not great. I had heard great things about this a few years back and wanted to give it time in the bottle to see what developed. Unfortunately it went downhill from what it was at one time I am sure.
Oct 15, 2011
Barrel Aged Barley Wine from White Birch Brewing
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 49 ratings