Olde GnarlyWine | Lagunitas Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Lagunitas Brewing Company
California, United States | website
Style: American Barleywine
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 10.60%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
2011: 10.6% ABV, 69 IBU
Added by Todd on 09-22-2001
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Reviews: 729 | Ratings: 1,597
2.89/5 rDev -29.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
An unnecessary amount of hops in this barleywine. But instead of turning it into a DIPA, Lagunitas managed to make this kind of a mess. Maybe I didn't like these particular hops, or the combination of malt & hops. But this was not very good.
★ 241 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
An unnecessary amount of hops in this barleywine. But instead of turning it into a DIPA, Lagunitas managed to make this kind of a mess. Maybe I didn't like these particular hops, or the combination of malt & hops. But this was not very good.
★ 241 characters
4.3/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
22oz bottle into a snifter
no bottling date (assuming latest vintage)
A: Crystal clear, a nice mahogany color with ruby hues, 1.5 fingers width of light tan head that has good retention before dissipating down and leaves a few small patches of lacing. 4.5
S: Very sweet, candied sugar, caramel/toffee, sweet apple, floral and piney hops, boozy. Everything I look for in an American Barleywine. On point. 4.5
T: Like the nose, its quite sweet. Caramel/toffee, candied sugar, fruity esters, some citrus rind and piney hop bitterness, a bit of subtle booze. One of the sweeter American Barleywine’s I’ve had. 4.25
M/D: Full bodied, carbonation quite low but appropriate, ABV is noticeable but well restrained, and drinkability is pretty good. 4
O: Really nice barleywine here. I would expect nothing less form Lagunitas. 4.25
★ 844 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
22oz bottle into a snifter
no bottling date (assuming latest vintage)
A: Crystal clear, a nice mahogany color with ruby hues, 1.5 fingers width of light tan head that has good retention before dissipating down and leaves a few small patches of lacing. 4.5
S: Very sweet, candied sugar, caramel/toffee, sweet apple, floral and piney hops, boozy. Everything I look for in an American Barleywine. On point. 4.5
T: Like the nose, its quite sweet. Caramel/toffee, candied sugar, fruity esters, some citrus rind and piney hop bitterness, a bit of subtle booze. One of the sweeter American Barleywine’s I’ve had. 4.25
M/D: Full bodied, carbonation quite low but appropriate, ABV is noticeable but well restrained, and drinkability is pretty good. 4
O: Really nice barleywine here. I would expect nothing less form Lagunitas. 4.25
★ 844 characters
3.99/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle, 2015 edition at 10.1% poured into an oversized wine glass. Good balance malty up front with a bitter and sweet finish. An enjoyable barleywine.
★ 159 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle, 2015 edition at 10.1% poured into an oversized wine glass. Good balance malty up front with a bitter and sweet finish. An enjoyable barleywine.
★ 159 characters
4.28/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Look: Beautiful dark amber color with thick amber foam that stays there forever; smell: abit of hops and sweet, very subtle; taste: starts almost sweet then progresses to slightly bitter and ends with a bit of alcohol; fell: smooth and balanced. It's hard to tell exactly what it tastes like: it feels like the tastes are dancing in your mouth
★ 343 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Look: Beautiful dark amber color with thick amber foam that stays there forever; smell: abit of hops and sweet, very subtle; taste: starts almost sweet then progresses to slightly bitter and ends with a bit of alcohol; fell: smooth and balanced. It's hard to tell exactly what it tastes like: it feels like the tastes are dancing in your mouth
★ 343 characters
3.21/5 rDev -21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
On tap at Half Pint Pub in Rochester, NY.
This one pours a clear orange-ish, with a very small head, and no lacing.
This smells fairly abrasive, boozy, and hoppy- admittedly, not the type of barleywine I prefer. There's a big sweet caramel aroma as well.
I feel this needs a year or two to calm down, at this point it's just too abrasive, too boozy, too hoppy, and just too much. There's a lot of malt sweetness, and really bitter piney hops, and some grapefruit. Just not a fan, to be honest.
This is medium bodied, with a bitter and slightly grainy mouthfeel, and a moderate level of carbonation.
Meh, pass.
★ 614 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
On tap at Half Pint Pub in Rochester, NY.
This one pours a clear orange-ish, with a very small head, and no lacing.
This smells fairly abrasive, boozy, and hoppy- admittedly, not the type of barleywine I prefer. There's a big sweet caramel aroma as well.
I feel this needs a year or two to calm down, at this point it's just too abrasive, too boozy, too hoppy, and just too much. There's a lot of malt sweetness, and really bitter piney hops, and some grapefruit. Just not a fan, to be honest.
This is medium bodied, with a bitter and slightly grainy mouthfeel, and a moderate level of carbonation.
Meh, pass.
★ 614 characters
4.25/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look: Pours a nice shade of brown with a fluffy tan head that leaves good lacing
Smell: Caramel, plum, raisin, malt
Taste: Dark fruits, a nice subdued bitterness, malt, caramel, hints of tobacco
Feel: Full body, good carbonation
Overall: A pretty good example of the style, though it seems more subdued than typical American Barleywines, feels like it has been aging for 6 months already
★ 391 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look: Pours a nice shade of brown with a fluffy tan head that leaves good lacing
Smell: Caramel, plum, raisin, malt
Taste: Dark fruits, a nice subdued bitterness, malt, caramel, hints of tobacco
Feel: Full body, good carbonation
Overall: A pretty good example of the style, though it seems more subdued than typical American Barleywines, feels like it has been aging for 6 months already
★ 391 characters
4.09/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Transparent deep reddish-brown in color. Easily holds a nice cream colored head for a few minutes.
This smells heavily hopped, very citrusy and resiny for what I was expecting.
That same hop profile continues into the flavor. Citrusy. Resiny. Heavily hopped.
Mouthfeel is very nicely done. A bit thicker than medium-bodied. Good carbonation.
This is a quality barleywine.
★ 382 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Transparent deep reddish-brown in color. Easily holds a nice cream colored head for a few minutes.
This smells heavily hopped, very citrusy and resiny for what I was expecting.
That same hop profile continues into the flavor. Citrusy. Resiny. Heavily hopped.
Mouthfeel is very nicely done. A bit thicker than medium-bodied. Good carbonation.
This is a quality barleywine.
★ 382 characters
4.34/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Super barley wine, strong, with an APV of 10+, excellent flavor, great look and feel. This is no simple brew, this is a potent barley wine that delivers on flavor, feel and punch. Definite raisiny oak barrel flavors, sweet in the back of the mouth with sharpness and bite up front. One of my favorites.
★ 302 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Super barley wine, strong, with an APV of 10+, excellent flavor, great look and feel. This is no simple brew, this is a potent barley wine that delivers on flavor, feel and punch. Definite raisiny oak barrel flavors, sweet in the back of the mouth with sharpness and bite up front. One of my favorites.
★ 302 characters
4/5 rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark rusty copper orange with a light red hue and a thick finger of off-white foam that quickly dissipates but leaves webbed lacing.
Raisin, caramel, toffee, and grapefruit.
Caramel and toffee are much more pronounced, the raisin is still there, but much more subdued, and the grapefruit/citrus comes out much more as well and has a bit of a juicy tropical fruit aspect.
Heavy-bodied, light-medium carbonation, chewy, juicy, dry finish.
Overall, one of my favorite barleywines to date!
★ 497 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark rusty copper orange with a light red hue and a thick finger of off-white foam that quickly dissipates but leaves webbed lacing.
Raisin, caramel, toffee, and grapefruit.
Caramel and toffee are much more pronounced, the raisin is still there, but much more subdued, and the grapefruit/citrus comes out much more as well and has a bit of a juicy tropical fruit aspect.
Heavy-bodied, light-medium carbonation, chewy, juicy, dry finish.
Overall, one of my favorite barleywines to date!
★ 497 characters
3.98/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Appearance - Pours relatively clear and the color is a deep copper red. Khaki colored head that peaks at about a finger's width and holds well before dying down to a thin, broken layer of surface suds and a fair ring around the edge. Mostly spotty lacing with a chunk or two that clings to the glass.
Smell - Red grapefruit along with caramel and a hint of raisin. Subtle chocolate.
Taste - Follows the nose. Bittersweet grapefruit hop that is moderate but consistent throughout. Sweetness that rides that edge between caramel and toffee. Leafy bitterness. Vague hints of chocolate and tobacco rise up in the finish. An undertone of astringency from the alcohol.
Mouthfeel - Thick and full-bodied with moderate carbonation. Sticky, near syrupy texture.
Overall - Pretty delicious, but nothing they haven't shown us before. Actually somewhat reminiscent of Arrogant Bastard, believe it or not, only thicker and not quite the hop bite of the latter. They sure do love their signature grapefruit hop profile don't they? Can't even do something different for their barleywine. No surprise, but still a bit of a letdown.
★ 1,120 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Appearance - Pours relatively clear and the color is a deep copper red. Khaki colored head that peaks at about a finger's width and holds well before dying down to a thin, broken layer of surface suds and a fair ring around the edge. Mostly spotty lacing with a chunk or two that clings to the glass.
Smell - Red grapefruit along with caramel and a hint of raisin. Subtle chocolate.
Taste - Follows the nose. Bittersweet grapefruit hop that is moderate but consistent throughout. Sweetness that rides that edge between caramel and toffee. Leafy bitterness. Vague hints of chocolate and tobacco rise up in the finish. An undertone of astringency from the alcohol.
Mouthfeel - Thick and full-bodied with moderate carbonation. Sticky, near syrupy texture.
Overall - Pretty delicious, but nothing they haven't shown us before. Actually somewhat reminiscent of Arrogant Bastard, believe it or not, only thicker and not quite the hop bite of the latter. They sure do love their signature grapefruit hop profile don't they? Can't even do something different for their barleywine. No surprise, but still a bit of a letdown.
★ 1,120 characters
4.19/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
1 pt 6 flz oz bottle, bottled mid Feb 2015, poured into a tulip glass
A - Pours dark ruby red and brown, clear, with one finger head that moves quickly to a creamy lace.
S - Picking up the signature Lagunitas citrus hop aroma, dark fruit/fig
T - Follows the nose, picking up some orange and a touch alchohol heat.
M - Carbontion is fairly active for a barley wine. Very full mouthfeel.
O - Finally came across this one, been looking forward to trying it. Well made, I would rate it in the upper tier of American Barleywine category based on what I have tried so far.
★ 578 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
1 pt 6 flz oz bottle, bottled mid Feb 2015, poured into a tulip glass
A - Pours dark ruby red and brown, clear, with one finger head that moves quickly to a creamy lace.
S - Picking up the signature Lagunitas citrus hop aroma, dark fruit/fig
T - Follows the nose, picking up some orange and a touch alchohol heat.
M - Carbontion is fairly active for a barley wine. Very full mouthfeel.
O - Finally came across this one, been looking forward to trying it. Well made, I would rate it in the upper tier of American Barleywine category based on what I have tried so far.
★ 578 characters
3.93/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
22 oz. bottle, no apparent bottled on date present, 2015 vintage. My first encounter with this beast, the legendary barleywine from Lagunitas.
Poured into a clear balloon snifter.
A - It pours an astounding ruby colored body with excellent clarity. About a finger of soft bubbly khaki head that retains.
S - The smell is pretty boring and muted, in all honesty. Hoppy, piney, mildly acidic, mild alcohol fumes, some caramel malt presence.
T - The taste is basically the same as the nose: lots of sweetened caramel malts, sticky, sugary, with lots of bitter resinous hops lingering hard on the palate.
M - The feel is smooth, creamy, & easy-drinking, especially for the high 10.60% abv. Medium-bodied with good carbonation.
Overall, a fairly generic example of the style, I'd say, but well-built nonetheless, and you can never beat out Lagunitas on pricing. Would be interested to see how a bottle of this stuff ages.
Lagunitas Olde GnarlyWine -----4/5.
★ 963 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
22 oz. bottle, no apparent bottled on date present, 2015 vintage. My first encounter with this beast, the legendary barleywine from Lagunitas.
Poured into a clear balloon snifter.
A - It pours an astounding ruby colored body with excellent clarity. About a finger of soft bubbly khaki head that retains.
S - The smell is pretty boring and muted, in all honesty. Hoppy, piney, mildly acidic, mild alcohol fumes, some caramel malt presence.
T - The taste is basically the same as the nose: lots of sweetened caramel malts, sticky, sugary, with lots of bitter resinous hops lingering hard on the palate.
M - The feel is smooth, creamy, & easy-drinking, especially for the high 10.60% abv. Medium-bodied with good carbonation.
Overall, a fairly generic example of the style, I'd say, but well-built nonetheless, and you can never beat out Lagunitas on pricing. Would be interested to see how a bottle of this stuff ages.
Lagunitas Olde GnarlyWine -----4/5.
★ 963 characters
3.89/5 rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Vintage 2015. 22 oz bomber poured into a Stella chalice.
Pours a clear ruby-amber color with a full two fingers of fluffy foam that cascades up the glass. Aroma is is mostly sweet crystal malts, with some plum and raisin notes as well.
Taste is quite sweet, with some plum and a hint of cardboard. Quite boozy if you let the beer engulf the back of your tongue. I can barely notice the hop presence behind the thick, boozy, sweetness. Extremely viscous.
This is a behemoth of a brew, nice to slowly enjoy over the course of an evening. Would be hard pressed to finish this even in the time it takes to enjoy a meal.
This was value-priced, worth picking up another bottle to cellar for a few years.
★ 711 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Vintage 2015. 22 oz bomber poured into a Stella chalice.
Pours a clear ruby-amber color with a full two fingers of fluffy foam that cascades up the glass. Aroma is is mostly sweet crystal malts, with some plum and raisin notes as well.
Taste is quite sweet, with some plum and a hint of cardboard. Quite boozy if you let the beer engulf the back of your tongue. I can barely notice the hop presence behind the thick, boozy, sweetness. Extremely viscous.
This is a behemoth of a brew, nice to slowly enjoy over the course of an evening. Would be hard pressed to finish this even in the time it takes to enjoy a meal.
This was value-priced, worth picking up another bottle to cellar for a few years.
★ 711 characters
4.68/5 rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
In my snifter at around 283 Kelvin.
Pretty beige cap of foam which lasts long, and a stunning deep crimson color. Dazzling.
It smells sweet and fruity like caramel, honey, lemon, orange, mango, and pineapple, but there's also more. Kind of a dank, herbal, grassy side, with ever so subtle earth and leather. Really really nice!
Fantastic flavor. What strikes me especially is the potency of the citrus, which is delectably tart and zesty. There is definitely some sweet brown sugar or caramel, but it's balanced by a (I want to say savory) quality which is the sum of astringent pine, dank hops, woody earthiness, and a toasty thingy. Yup. Definitely detecting a toasty thingy.
The feel is magnificently full, thick, and sticky. I am pleased.
Truly a stellar barleywine. And it totally has that signature hoppy Lagunitas essence in the finish. Quite a pleasure to have it dressed up in the form of a fine barleywine.
★ 921 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
In my snifter at around 283 Kelvin.
Pretty beige cap of foam which lasts long, and a stunning deep crimson color. Dazzling.
It smells sweet and fruity like caramel, honey, lemon, orange, mango, and pineapple, but there's also more. Kind of a dank, herbal, grassy side, with ever so subtle earth and leather. Really really nice!
Fantastic flavor. What strikes me especially is the potency of the citrus, which is delectably tart and zesty. There is definitely some sweet brown sugar or caramel, but it's balanced by a (I want to say savory) quality which is the sum of astringent pine, dank hops, woody earthiness, and a toasty thingy. Yup. Definitely detecting a toasty thingy.
The feel is magnificently full, thick, and sticky. I am pleased.
Truly a stellar barleywine. And it totally has that signature hoppy Lagunitas essence in the finish. Quite a pleasure to have it dressed up in the form of a fine barleywine.
★ 921 characters
4.09/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Pours a dark ruby color with 2 fingers of head that slowly fades down to a nice cap that leaves lots of sticky lacing
S: Very malty with notes of dark fruit, caramel, toffee, and some alcoholic esters. Quite complex
T: Follows the nose. Dark fruits and caramel sweetness come out first, followed by touches of estery alcohol and toffee. Again, very malty overall. Finishes with lingering fruitiness and esters
M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth but a little sticky
O: A nice sipping barleywine with a good amount of complexity and drinkability. Would definitely be a good candidate for aging just to let it mellow out a bit, although it's really not hot at all right now
★ 693 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Pours a dark ruby color with 2 fingers of head that slowly fades down to a nice cap that leaves lots of sticky lacing
S: Very malty with notes of dark fruit, caramel, toffee, and some alcoholic esters. Quite complex
T: Follows the nose. Dark fruits and caramel sweetness come out first, followed by touches of estery alcohol and toffee. Again, very malty overall. Finishes with lingering fruitiness and esters
M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth but a little sticky
O: A nice sipping barleywine with a good amount of complexity and drinkability. Would definitely be a good candidate for aging just to let it mellow out a bit, although it's really not hot at all right now
★ 693 characters
4.56/5 rDev +11.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
22oz bomber bottled on 02/19/2015 poured into a tulip glass.
Appearance: Pours a clear ruby with 1/2 finger of head
Smell: Earthy hop notes of pine and spruce with some bread pudding
Taste: Rich layers of earthy hops and toffee, dark plums, and raisins; hop-foward
Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and slightly sticky in the finish
Overall: Exactly what I want in an American BW. Very hoppy but balanced with complex malt layers. There isn't much here that needs to be improved and the price point for a bomber is amazing.
★ 524 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
22oz bomber bottled on 02/19/2015 poured into a tulip glass.
Appearance: Pours a clear ruby with 1/2 finger of head
Smell: Earthy hop notes of pine and spruce with some bread pudding
Taste: Rich layers of earthy hops and toffee, dark plums, and raisins; hop-foward
Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and slightly sticky in the finish
Overall: Exactly what I want in an American BW. Very hoppy but balanced with complex malt layers. There isn't much here that needs to be improved and the price point for a bomber is amazing.
★ 524 characters
4.17/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Vicious viscous ocean white head sits atop a deep amber base.
Smells of sweet fruit leather.
Tastes of sweet fig, raisin and caramel. Some cinnamon or clove on the end, as well. A bit too much bitterness, but surprisingly it helps this one by the end as barleywines can feel much too cloying by the end.
I liked it a lot and for the price you will literally not find a better barleywine.
★ 390 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Vicious viscous ocean white head sits atop a deep amber base.
Smells of sweet fruit leather.
Tastes of sweet fig, raisin and caramel. Some cinnamon or clove on the end, as well. A bit too much bitterness, but surprisingly it helps this one by the end as barleywines can feel much too cloying by the end.
I liked it a lot and for the price you will literally not find a better barleywine.
★ 390 characters
3.77/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I picked up a bottle of Lagunita's Olde GnarlyWine a few weeks ago at The Lager Mill. I got to try this beer when it was really fresh and I liked so I thought I would pick up a bottle to review, so lets see how it goes. 2015 Vintage. Poured from a brown 22oz bottle into a snifter.
A- The label looks nice, it's pretty typical for Lagunitas and I don't find it to be too eye catching. It poured a nice amber color that takes on more of a red hue when held to the light with a finger and half of really light tan head that died down to a thin ring that stayed till the end and it left lots of small spotty lacing behind. This is a good looking beer I have no complaints.
S- The aroma starts off with a lower amount of high sweetness with the hops being the first to show up and they seem to impart a mixture of candied citrus rinds and green onion aromas with the citrus rind hops sticking. Up next comes a slight alcohol aroma that leads right into the malts which impart some caramel malt and sweet malt aromas. This beer has a nice aroma, but I could go without the green onion hops, when it was really fresh it didn't show up much.
T- The taste seems to be similar to the aroma and it starts off with a lower amount of high sweetness with the hops still being the first to show up and this time the green onion hops show up almost as much as the candied citrus rind hops. Up next comes a pretty light alcohol flavor that goes right into the sweet malts and caramel malts. On the finish there's almost equal parts bitterness and sweetness with a sweet candied citrus rind and light green onion hop aftertaste. This is a pretty nice tasting beer. but I wish the green onion hops weren't there.
M- A little smooth, sticky, not too crisp, full bodied with a lower amount of medium carbonation. This beer has a pretty nice mouthfeel. but i wish it was a little smoother and not as sticky.
Overall I thought this was a pretty nice beer and a nice example of the style, when it's fresh I would give it a 4, as it is now I would give it a 3.5, so I decided to give it a score that was right in the middle to reflect that. I liked it, but it seemed to be just a little rough around the edges. This beer has ok drinkability, one glass is enough for me, I don't really have the urge for more than that, but I should be able to make it through the whole bottle. What I like the most about this beer is the appearance and how smooth it was when it was really fresh. What I like the least about this beer is the green onion hops, this beer would be better without it. I would buy this again if I knew it was really fresh, but other than that I don't think I would buy it again. I would recommend this beer if your a big fan of American Barleywines, but I can't say it's a must try beer. All in all I still like this beer, but I prefer it when it's very fresh. It's not a favorite Lagunitas beer. bit it is one above average for the style. Nice job guys, I just wish you would leave out the hops that impart those green onion flavors and aromas.
★ 3,064 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I picked up a bottle of Lagunita's Olde GnarlyWine a few weeks ago at The Lager Mill. I got to try this beer when it was really fresh and I liked so I thought I would pick up a bottle to review, so lets see how it goes. 2015 Vintage. Poured from a brown 22oz bottle into a snifter.
A- The label looks nice, it's pretty typical for Lagunitas and I don't find it to be too eye catching. It poured a nice amber color that takes on more of a red hue when held to the light with a finger and half of really light tan head that died down to a thin ring that stayed till the end and it left lots of small spotty lacing behind. This is a good looking beer I have no complaints.
S- The aroma starts off with a lower amount of high sweetness with the hops being the first to show up and they seem to impart a mixture of candied citrus rinds and green onion aromas with the citrus rind hops sticking. Up next comes a slight alcohol aroma that leads right into the malts which impart some caramel malt and sweet malt aromas. This beer has a nice aroma, but I could go without the green onion hops, when it was really fresh it didn't show up much.
T- The taste seems to be similar to the aroma and it starts off with a lower amount of high sweetness with the hops still being the first to show up and this time the green onion hops show up almost as much as the candied citrus rind hops. Up next comes a pretty light alcohol flavor that goes right into the sweet malts and caramel malts. On the finish there's almost equal parts bitterness and sweetness with a sweet candied citrus rind and light green onion hop aftertaste. This is a pretty nice tasting beer. but I wish the green onion hops weren't there.
M- A little smooth, sticky, not too crisp, full bodied with a lower amount of medium carbonation. This beer has a pretty nice mouthfeel. but i wish it was a little smoother and not as sticky.
Overall I thought this was a pretty nice beer and a nice example of the style, when it's fresh I would give it a 4, as it is now I would give it a 3.5, so I decided to give it a score that was right in the middle to reflect that. I liked it, but it seemed to be just a little rough around the edges. This beer has ok drinkability, one glass is enough for me, I don't really have the urge for more than that, but I should be able to make it through the whole bottle. What I like the most about this beer is the appearance and how smooth it was when it was really fresh. What I like the least about this beer is the green onion hops, this beer would be better without it. I would buy this again if I knew it was really fresh, but other than that I don't think I would buy it again. I would recommend this beer if your a big fan of American Barleywines, but I can't say it's a must try beer. All in all I still like this beer, but I prefer it when it's very fresh. It's not a favorite Lagunitas beer. bit it is one above average for the style. Nice job guys, I just wish you would leave out the hops that impart those green onion flavors and aromas.
★ 3,064 characters
3.76/5 rDev -7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Lagunitas's Olde GnarlyWine. 10.6% ABV.
A: Two fingers of slightly cream colored head. Rosy red-amber. Very clear. Yellow in the dimple. Decent lacing.
S: Decently strong hop aroma. Mostly pine. Slightly resinous. Fruity note in the background, but it's hard to make out against the pine. Plum and/or orange, maybe.
T/MF: Definitely too hoppy for me. I thought 10.6 might enough to balance out 70 IBU, but I guess not. Molasses/tree sap flavor is the only remnant of the beer, itself. Plenty of resin, cigarette ash, and pine. Note my favorite flavors to find in a beer. Still a bit cold, so we'll see how it settles.
Poured from a 22 oz. bottle, into a Belgian tulip glass.
★ 678 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Lagunitas's Olde GnarlyWine. 10.6% ABV.
A: Two fingers of slightly cream colored head. Rosy red-amber. Very clear. Yellow in the dimple. Decent lacing.
S: Decently strong hop aroma. Mostly pine. Slightly resinous. Fruity note in the background, but it's hard to make out against the pine. Plum and/or orange, maybe.
T/MF: Definitely too hoppy for me. I thought 10.6 might enough to balance out 70 IBU, but I guess not. Molasses/tree sap flavor is the only remnant of the beer, itself. Plenty of resin, cigarette ash, and pine. Note my favorite flavors to find in a beer. Still a bit cold, so we'll see how it settles.
Poured from a 22 oz. bottle, into a Belgian tulip glass.
★ 678 characters
2.61/5 rDev -36%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
BOTTLE: 1 pint 6 fl oz. Brown glass. Branded copper-colour pry-off pressure cap. Classic Lagunitas label design.
10.6% ABV. 1.096 O.G.
Cost was...$5.00 USD? Ah, Lagunitas.
Served cold into a pilsner glass and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Expectations are well above-average given the brewery.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: ~2 inches wide. Off-white colour. Creamy and soft-looking, with a nice even consistency. As full and thick as it should be. Leaves no lacing as it recedes.
Retention is stellar - ~12+ minutes at minimum - shockingly good.
BODY: Clear copper of average vibrance. Clean, with no yeasty or hoppy muck to be seen.
Overall, it's a typical appearance for a barleywine.
AROMA: It's quite hoppy, actually...shockingly so. Pine, floral hops, light hop oils, some resins...why is this so hoppy? Must definitely be an American barleywine. All I get hopwise is some (surprisingly light) caramalt and some pale malts. If I didn't know better, I'd think it was an IPA. There's no toffee, marshmallow, graham cracker, et al.
Aromatic intensity is average.
I'm a bit taken aback. It's just plain not a barleywine aroma. Way overhopped, but appealing outside of stylistic conventions.
TASTE: Has a caramalt and pale malt backbone. And damn, is it hoppy for a barleywine. Heavy notes of pine, resin, and floral hops provide the bulk of the flavour, with hop oils a distant second. There's a bit of biscuit, but no real toffee, marshmallow, etc. The faint brown sugar is a nice touch, I guess, as is some muted citrus zest. It's actually surprisingly plain and shallow overall, with no real intricacy or subtlety to its execution. Not a gestalt beer by any means. Too bitter to be well-balanced.
Average duration and intensity of flavour.
I don't dislike it, but it's not on par with the quality I've come to expect from Lagunitas. Has an obvious booziness that doesn't do it any favours.
TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, somewhat creamy, sticky, a bit soft in the third act, overcarbonated, and full-bodied. It gets the job done, but it doesn't accentuate specific notes or elevate the beer overall. A decently executed mouthfeel for a barleywine, but not one that harmonizes with the taste to any special effect.
OVERALL: I thought $5.00 for a barleywine was a steal, but now I'm not so sure. This is overhopped to its detriment, and misses stylistic fundamentals. Drinkable for what it is, but I do wish I had a friend or three to help me finish it off. Maybe it'd get a bit better with age? Not a beer I'd revisit, but I guess for its price you could do worse. A rare miss from the cats at Lagunitas. Very pedestrian.
C- (2.61)
★ 2,675 characters
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
BOTTLE: 1 pint 6 fl oz. Brown glass. Branded copper-colour pry-off pressure cap. Classic Lagunitas label design.
10.6% ABV. 1.096 O.G.
Cost was...$5.00 USD? Ah, Lagunitas.
Served cold into a pilsner glass and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Expectations are well above-average given the brewery.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: ~2 inches wide. Off-white colour. Creamy and soft-looking, with a nice even consistency. As full and thick as it should be. Leaves no lacing as it recedes.
Retention is stellar - ~12+ minutes at minimum - shockingly good.
BODY: Clear copper of average vibrance. Clean, with no yeasty or hoppy muck to be seen.
Overall, it's a typical appearance for a barleywine.
AROMA: It's quite hoppy, actually...shockingly so. Pine, floral hops, light hop oils, some resins...why is this so hoppy? Must definitely be an American barleywine. All I get hopwise is some (surprisingly light) caramalt and some pale malts. If I didn't know better, I'd think it was an IPA. There's no toffee, marshmallow, graham cracker, et al.
Aromatic intensity is average.
I'm a bit taken aback. It's just plain not a barleywine aroma. Way overhopped, but appealing outside of stylistic conventions.
TASTE: Has a caramalt and pale malt backbone. And damn, is it hoppy for a barleywine. Heavy notes of pine, resin, and floral hops provide the bulk of the flavour, with hop oils a distant second. There's a bit of biscuit, but no real toffee, marshmallow, etc. The faint brown sugar is a nice touch, I guess, as is some muted citrus zest. It's actually surprisingly plain and shallow overall, with no real intricacy or subtlety to its execution. Not a gestalt beer by any means. Too bitter to be well-balanced.
Average duration and intensity of flavour.
I don't dislike it, but it's not on par with the quality I've come to expect from Lagunitas. Has an obvious booziness that doesn't do it any favours.
TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, somewhat creamy, sticky, a bit soft in the third act, overcarbonated, and full-bodied. It gets the job done, but it doesn't accentuate specific notes or elevate the beer overall. A decently executed mouthfeel for a barleywine, but not one that harmonizes with the taste to any special effect.
OVERALL: I thought $5.00 for a barleywine was a steal, but now I'm not so sure. This is overhopped to its detriment, and misses stylistic fundamentals. Drinkable for what it is, but I do wish I had a friend or three to help me finish it off. Maybe it'd get a bit better with age? Not a beer I'd revisit, but I guess for its price you could do worse. A rare miss from the cats at Lagunitas. Very pedestrian.
C- (2.61)
★ 2,675 characters
4.86/5 rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Awesome barleywine. I actually like it better than Old Guardian. For 10.6% it tastes like an 8% beer. Good malt presence, solid hops, and lighter than I thought it would be. For $4.99 at the local grocery store, you cannot find a barleywine for a better price! A+!
★ 264 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Awesome barleywine. I actually like it better than Old Guardian. For 10.6% it tastes like an 8% beer. Good malt presence, solid hops, and lighter than I thought it would be. For $4.99 at the local grocery store, you cannot find a barleywine for a better price! A+!
★ 264 characters
3.96/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Quite simply the best BW value out there at $3.50/bomber. Delicious fresh with an incredible balance between the pine hop notes and the caramelized sugars. Sweet, piney, toffee, earthy. Further evidence that no one does it better when it comes to great beers at a great price.
★ 279 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Quite simply the best BW value out there at $3.50/bomber. Delicious fresh with an incredible balance between the pine hop notes and the caramelized sugars. Sweet, piney, toffee, earthy. Further evidence that no one does it better when it comes to great beers at a great price.
★ 279 characters
4.36/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Snifter glass on draft, it is a clear amber with a nice white head. It smells of sweet malts and earthy hops. Taste is of the same with some apple and dried fruit notes
★ 182 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Snifter glass on draft, it is a clear amber with a nice white head. It smells of sweet malts and earthy hops. Taste is of the same with some apple and dried fruit notes
★ 182 characters
3.94/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Had on tap at Brain Dead brewing, Dallas,TX in a snifter glass.
A - 4.50 - Dark caramel in color with a half finger of slightly off white colored, quickly dissipating head.
S - 3 - Quite simple and basic in smell. Just getting mostly a hop and malt sweetness here. To be fair it was quite chilled from the tap.
T - 4.25 - Sweet malts and hops, touches of caramel. Seems more like a strong old ale to me than a Barleywine.
F - 4.50 - Nice creamy mouthfeel.
O - 4 - A good brew, but not a perfect representation of the Barleywine style.
★ 536 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Had on tap at Brain Dead brewing, Dallas,TX in a snifter glass.
A - 4.50 - Dark caramel in color with a half finger of slightly off white colored, quickly dissipating head.
S - 3 - Quite simple and basic in smell. Just getting mostly a hop and malt sweetness here. To be fair it was quite chilled from the tap.
T - 4.25 - Sweet malts and hops, touches of caramel. Seems more like a strong old ale to me than a Barleywine.
F - 4.50 - Nice creamy mouthfeel.
O - 4 - A good brew, but not a perfect representation of the Barleywine style.
★ 536 characters
Olde GnarlyWine from Lagunitas Brewing Company
4.08
out of 5
based on 1,597 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Type: 22-oz. bottle
Glass: Karl Strauss 26th anniversary snifter glass
From: Barons Market in Alpine, Calif.
Price: $4.59
Purchased: April 27, 2015
Consumed: April 27, 2015
Misc.: 2015 release
Poured an auburn, caramel, clear color with 2-to-3 fingers of khaki, tan, rocky head. Good looking bubble streams coming up from the bottom of the glass. Average spotty lacing on the sides of the glass. Good retention on the top all the way down. (Sight - 4.00)
First smell and I could tell it was a Lagunitas beer. Kind of how like I can always tell it’s a New Belgium or Sam Adams (that’s not a bad thing, just saying). Got sugary caramel, brown sugar, toffee, semi-boozy rye, Cascade and floral. Kind of reminded me of a Brown Shugga’ and Lagunitas Sucks. (Smell - 4.00)
Taste followed the nose with candied sugar, brown sugar, caramel, Citra, light earthy rye, floral, Citra, Cascade, light molasses, toffee and light grapefruit late. (Taste - 3.75)
Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long, hoppy, warming finish. (Feel - 4.00)
This was a pretty good American Barleywine. I’d have it again for sure. (Overall - 4.00)
3.90 | 88 | B+
★ 1,158 characters