Ol' Cattywhompus
White Birch Brewing

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From:
White Birch Brewing
 
New Hampshire, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
9%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.81 | pDev: 10.5%
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
42
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 15, 2019
Added:
Dec 02, 2012
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  8
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a snifter, the appearance was a nice looking mostly dark red/brown color with a small off white semi-foamy head subsiding at a pretty nice pace. Some spotty lace running off decently.
The aroma had some sweet earthy to leathery character strolling through notes of raisin, p!um, iced apples, fig, caramel and toffee malts and a touch of dark chocolate.
The flavor started with a leathery sweetness rolling into some earthy biscuity to fruitiness as it warmed. Dark chocolate tones try to make a decent effort to combine but seem a bit faint. Mild leathery sweet to raisiny aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sipping quality about it. ABV felt appropriate. Carbonation felt good. Finish was semi-dry with a touch of raisins and dark chocolate.
Overall, yes, I can see it as a barleywine and would be one I would come back to.
May 15, 2019
 
Rated: 3.6 by rderedin from Maine

Mar 05, 2016
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 12/2014. Labeled at 10.5% ABV. Pours slightly hazy deep ruby red/brownish color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big raisin, plum, fig, apple, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light chocolate/nuttiness, herbal, light pepper, and roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great complexity and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, moderate fruity yeast, and light earthy hop notes; with good strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, fig, apple, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light chocolate/nuttiness, herbal, light pepper, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/spicy and roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of raisin, plum, fig, apple, caramel, toffee, brown sguar, brown bread, toasted bread, light chocolate/nuttiness, and herbal/roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, moderate fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; with a great bitterness/sweetness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy/silky, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a light warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice English barleywine style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, moderate fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to sip on for the big ABV. This was more in line with old ale style overall; but still had well rounded complexity and balance. A very enjoyable offering.
Dec 08, 2015
Photo of Back_in_the_Saddle
Reviewed by Back_in_the_Saddle from Vermont

3.99/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Into a snifter, it pours a gentle amber color with a slim finger's worth of white foamy head that dissipated within a nice slow pace. There's some light speckled lacing running around the glass here and there.
The smell takes in rich sweet malt, some dark fruits, a light amount of chocolate, some grapes and booze. Light vanilla settles in behind it all to balance.
The taste wraps up the previously mentioned flavors to sweeten and stir the pot to blend with a subtle tobacco to earthy flavor underneath. There's a light aftertaste of booze, earth and sweet malt. It's dry on the finish.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a sticky texture clinging to my tongue. Carbonation is quite refined allowing this stickiness to occur.
Overall, nice English barleywine, probably could have just a little bit of earthy/tobacco in the aroma, but other than that, its a nice sipper.
Nov 23, 2015
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Sampling a cellar temp 22 oz bottle poured into a snifter. Winter 2014 vintage.
The beer pours a deep mahogany color with some garnet highlights. A creamy beige head foams up about 2 cm and fades slowly to an edge layer and one large wispy island in the center of the glass.
Aroma is rich malt notes with dark fruit and some chocolate mixing. I get red grapes and some plums and raisin notes. With some good hits of general booziness mixed in for a fairly complex nose. I dont get any hops to speak of on the nose.
THe first sip reveals a thick body with sticky texture and fine rolling carbonation. Leaves a sweet sticky coating on my palate after each sip.
Flavor is rich and malty as the nose advertised with dark chocolate and deep fruit. I get plums and raisins again just like the nose. THere is some rich brown sugar as well and some warming booze on each swallow. There arent any hops to speak of on this malty forward beer.
I am enjoying this malty English style beer on a November evening. I would definitely buy this one again if given the opportunity to find this on the shelf again.
Dont expect any hops when you buy this beer but go in and enjoy!
Nov 08, 2015
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Pours brilliant deep chestnut or ruby under a 1” rapidly dissipating foam cap S: roast malt, alcohol with root beer notes. T: The palate is midway between an English Barleywine and a Russian Imperial Stout with more roast than is typical of a Barley wine and less chocolate than usual for a Russian Imperial Stout. Along with roast, the palate includes bready, toasty, toffee, molasses, and/or treacle with a hint of horehound. F: Full body and medium low carbonation. O: This big beer is a fulfilling, satiating drink that might benefit from a few years in the cellar to round out some of the roast flavors.
Aug 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by lordofthewiens from New Mexico

May 29, 2015
Photo of fitzy84
Reviewed by fitzy84 from Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bought at Table & Vine in West Springfield. Label states it was bottled in December 2014 and is bottle count 1600. Served in a pint glass.

The beer has a brown, slightly amber-ish appearance in the light. Overall, very thick and cloudy with patchy lacing and a thin head. Aromas give off a heavy chocolate with a dark fruit/cherry flavoring. Taste includes a cherry aftertaste to a very sweet, but earthy drink. Great mouthfeel; creamy but with a crisp carbonation. In general, I enjoyed this drink.
May 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.58 by kdivers from New Hampshire

May 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.31 by Beer4B from Florida

Apr 13, 2015
 
Rated: 3.35 by AdmiralOzone from Minnesota

Mar 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.4 by CCutch from Minnesota

Mar 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by King_KongDCO93 from Minnesota

Feb 23, 2015
Photo of JebBeerFish
Reviewed by JebBeerFish from New Hampshire

3.36/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
My first White Birch brew. Restrained but good flavors, toffee, slight caramel, very light malts. I am not as familiar with English Barleywines as I am with American Barleywines, and can't judge it according to the style. I will buy this again.
Feb 02, 2015
Photo of badgustav
Reviewed by badgustav from New Hampshire

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
This smells and tastes less like a barleywine and more like a chocolate...porter? It's an odd flavour I can't quite place. The mouthfeel is great. I'm curious how it will age, but as a barleywine it doesn't impress.
Jan 28, 2015
Photo of fermentedbarley
Rated by fermentedbarley from New Hampshire

2.64/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
Taste and feel are not where a Barleywine should be. I've had better...
Jan 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by ScotNH from New Hampshire

Jun 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Mikeypnh from New Hampshire

Jun 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Mikeluzzjr from Massachusetts

Mar 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by goldenM13 from Massachusetts

Mar 29, 2014
Ol' Cattywhompus from White Birch Brewing
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 42 ratings