Tørst Front Room
Evil Twin Brewing

 

 

Poured no head and looks kind of murky brown, not very appealing. First hit in the nose you can smell the wine barrel and hints of musty barleywine. I don't like the balance. It's sweet and bitter but doesn't really meld together. Sweat coat in mouth but leaves a dry astringency that is unpleasant. Overall it is not the quality for the cost of a single 12 oz at $13.

Lots of dried fruit sweetness, prunes, raisins...alcohol is well hidden, a really good sipper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

330 ml bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours hazy dark brown color with a minimal head and a thin ring of bubbles around the glass. Some lingering wisps of bubbles on the surface, with some slight spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, raisin, plum, fig, date, toffee, vanilla, chocolate, toast, oak, light red wine, and toast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, dark fruit, and wine barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, raisin, plum, fig, date, toffee, vanilla, toast, chocolate, oak, red wine, and oak/toasted earthiness. Some light tannic wine/oak bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, raisin, plum, fig, date, vanilla, toast, chocolate, oak, red wine, and oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice robustness and complexity of dark/bready malt, dark fruit, and wine barrel flavors; with a great malt/barrel balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light carbonation and very full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy, and fairly slick mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a light warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent English Barleywine style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, dark fruit, and wine barrel flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. A very enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

11.2 oz bottle poured into a tulip glass. Aged around seven months since point of acquisition. Dark reddish brown brew with the lightest smattering of tan bubbles, mostly on the sides of the glass. Like its brother Back Room, pours into the glass like a sticky torrid glut of pure darkness with precious little in the way of overt carbonation. Aroma of dark fruits (raisins, prunes), toffee, vanilla, resinous wine, and a tinge of fresh earth. Palate features some medicinal wine notes due to the barrel selection which serve to cut the sweetness a bit, although this is by and large a sweet rather simple barleywine full of brown sugar, vanilla, raisin, fig, molasses, and brown bread flavors. Less obviously vinous than its port barrel aged counterpart (in which I got more fresh grape) but more resinous and tart. Some alcohol astringency. Thick and slick body with slightly more carbonation than expected. Finishes on the dry side for the style, reminiscent of burnt sugar doused raisins or perhaps a cheap cigar. Nothing notably wrong here although I've had less dry barleywines that reveal a more fresh fruitiness.

 

 

 

 

Date: 3/25/14
Location: Eagle Provisions Brooklyn
Glassware: Tulip
Appearance: Black. When holding it up the light none gets through. Brief head but the carbonation slips away. Little bit of viscosity at the glasses edge.
Aromatics: Dark Fruits. Grapes, Raisins, and Prunes. Something very sweet as well like vanilla. Some warm alcohol notes.
Flavor: This is a beautifully sweet and fruity barleywine. The mouthfeel starts with the carbonation but ends in a velvety smoothness. The dark fruits are in here with some alcohol, but the alcohol is hidden well.
Finish: The carbonation rides it out on the tongue for a little and the viscousness stays for a while as well. I get the feeling I'm breathing grapes out of my nose.
Notes: This might have becomes my favorite English Barleywine.