Bluegrass Billionaire
Clown Shoes

Bluegrass BillionaireBluegrass Billionaire
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Clown Shoes
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
12.5%
Score:
93
Avg:
4.17 | pDev: 6.24%
Reviews:
81
Ratings:
240
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 30, 2022
Added:
Mar 07, 2016
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  54
ABV varies by batch
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Dragginballs76:
Photo of Dragginballs76
Reviewed by Dragginballs76 from South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Appearance - Pours cloudy plum color with a tan head that has really good retention. Spotty lacing around the glass.

Aroma - There is lots of caramel and toffee mildly sweet. There is also a good amount of oak and just a kiss of bourbon

Taste - Wow really good flavors very similar to the aroma. There seems to be less caramel and toffee although they are there and more plum and raisin. The bourbon and oak are also more pronounced.

Feel - Very smooth, nice warmth from the bourbon .

Overall - I really like this, just amazing flavors and so smooth.
Mar 05, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a bottle at fridge temp. Pours an opaque brown with a reddish hint. Minimal head. The nose is dominated by barrel and fruit. Toffee, bourbon, plums, raisins, figs, a bit of sherry, and some wood. Incredible nose.

The taste is fantastic. Toffee, bourbon, leather, figs, port, maple, walnuts, and booze. The alcohol is not hidden on this one. The barrel is also quite dominant, which is great. Really nice tasting beer.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied. The aftertaste is sweet with a bit of leather. Overall, a wonderful barleywine that has aged very gracefully.
May 30, 2022
 
Rated: 4.47 by Bogdawg from Massachusetts

Aug 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4.19 by Tcsox from Massachusetts

Aug 29, 2021
Photo of StoutElk_92
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.67/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Pours amber maroon red with a creamy light khaki colored off-white foam head. Rich and malty notes with a touch of stone fruit, stewed plum, dark cherry, some fig, red grapes, prune, raisin, orangey citrus, grapefruit, caramel malts, dark toffee, brown sugar, fruity molasses, chocolate, toasty graham cracker, hints of vanilla, oak barrel, sweet bourbon, mild char, tobacco, cigar box, and some earthy grassy piney hops. Feels medium plus bodied, slick with moderate smooth carbonation. Overall a really nice bourbon barrel aged English barleywine.
May 20, 2020
Photo of hardy008
Reviewed by hardy008 from Minnesota

4.16/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
pours reddish brown with a one finger khaki head which settles down quickly to 1/4 finger. Nice smell of Bourbon, caramel, toffee, and brown sugar. I wish more breweries produced an English Barleywine. How many NE IPAs do we need? Tastes like it smells. sweet up front with a little bitterness at the back end. Medium to full bodied with modest carbonation. a real pleasure to drink. Too bad it is retired. I found this in the back of a refrigerator that normally does mot have beer in it. A very nice find!
Oct 26, 2019
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
22oz bottle. Bottling date is stamped as '05/13/16'.
Ruby brown colored body. Light tan, bubbly head, from about one thin finger width to a thin cap. Big patterns of lacing left behind.
Aroma of toasted malts, caramel, dark fruit, vanilla, and oak barrel.
Taste is sweet, with toasted malts, caramel, dark fruit, vanilla, and bourbon oak barrel. The bourbon is there but mellow.
Mouth feel is medium high. Texture is silky smooth and soft. Very good carbonation.
The beer finished slightly bitter with dryness. Very good to style with the extra touch of the bourbon barrel. Hides the ABV% well. Provides a drinking experience with excellent taste and so smooth in the mouth.
Apr 26, 2019
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Poured into a snifter to a deep reddish brown topped by a dense finger and a half of rocky light tan head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing.
S: Smells of rich maltyness with some dark fruits, toasted bread, caramel, vanilla, and oak from the barrels.
T: Taste is caramel and toffee up front with some dark fruits, oak and vanilla. Almost a raisin like flavor at times but not quite. On the swallow this one is a little hot with oak, caramel, and vanilla from the barrels, brown sugar, stewed fruits, and lingering sugar sweetness.
M: This beer has a fairly full body with a slightly syrupy feel on the palate. Carbonation is apparent and adequate without being overbearing for the style while the beer has a drying finish.
O: Overall I think this is a pretty solid interpretation for this beer with some nice additions from the barrel. This one may benefit from a little more time but it's drinking well. The beer has some really nice flavors and a good amount of complexity but it does drink a little hot at times.
Mar 17, 2019
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
$ 14.65 (Including tax and discount)/22 oz bottle ($0.666/oz) from Spec’s # 100, DeZavala, San Antonio, TX. Reviewed 1/22/19.
“Bottled On 04/26/16” in green ink on shoulder. On shelf at distributor. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 57 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.
Body – Amber, hazy. When held to the light, very hazy with some faint penetration through the thickest portion.
Head – Small (Maximum 2.2 cm, controlled center pour), tan, fizzy, short duration, diminishing to a one mm ring and thin partial layer.
Lacing – None. As expected for a 12.5% ABV BBA brew.
First pour – Amber, clear.
Aroma – 3.5 - Initially caramel with a fruity finish. Fades to nearly nothing.
Flavor – 3.5 - Begins with a caramel and toffee flavor and ends with just a hint of over-ripe apples and bitterness. No bourbon, no barrel, no alcohol (12.5% ABV), no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3.5 – Full, almost syrupy, soft carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 3.5 – A slightly above average take on a British barley wine with any bourbon barrel characteristics too well blended to be undetectable. The hoppy happy ending is weak and could easily be overlooked since the slight sour fruitiness tends to overshadow it. Perhaps aging on a fluorescent-lit store shelf has had a detrimental effect.
Jan 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.34 by smi69 from New York

Nov 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Oct 02, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by joshhug141 from Ohio

May 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.12 by BarrelAgedG from California

Jan 27, 2018
 
Rated: 4.89 by m1k3g3tz from Ohio

Jan 14, 2018
 
Rated: 3.93 by tobelerone from New Jersey

Jan 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4.04 by AyatollahGold from Indiana

Dec 12, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by Kurmaraja from California

Oct 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.52 by cuvtcuv from Florida

Sep 19, 2017
Photo of TreyIsWilson
Reviewed by TreyIsWilson from Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A - Poura a murky dark amber with a one finger off white head.

S - Aroma is raisIn, toffee, brown sugar, vanilla and bourbon.

T - The taste follows the aroma. Toffee, brown sugar, vanilla, raisins, plums, bourbon and oak.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a crisp dry finish.

O - Great BBA Barleywine. Very smooth with a nice depth of flavor.
Sep 02, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

Aug 28, 2017
Bluegrass Billionaire from Clown Shoes
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 240 ratings