M.V.G.S.
Lagunitas Brewing Company

a bottled product of the now defunct lagunitas seattle, a shame. this is a bold barleywine fermeted with kviek yeast, not sure i have seen that in this style before, and it part of a trilogy with a bourbon barrel edition and one that was in both bourbon and port, those are next level, but this one is rad too, reddish mahogany colored with more head than a lot of these have, just off white but quite the contrast. the nose here is lightly spicy, some alcohol in play, dried cherry and even cranberry fruitiness, faint oxidation, leather, and long boiled grain richness, sturdy but not insane. the flavor is really layered and this warms up well, at times vinous, at others fruity and like a hearty trail mix, hazelnut, almond, raisin, almost healthful to me, caramel and toffee in the malt layers but not getting super dark or thick, very fruity, and this yeast adds a cool almost saison note, its not neutral at all, nor do i wish it to be, it has nordic character as i have now come to know it from this yeast, and it fits. dried currant, black tea, molasses, and fruit leather to close with just a little warming alcohol. unique and good, i don think the independent minds at the seattle operation ever got enough credit...