Barrel-Aged Bollocks
Haymarket Beer Co. Pub & Brewery

Pours a dark copper, moderately thin with light soda-like fizzing that leaves no head or lacing behind. Raisin, caramel malts, brown sugar, blueberry, and very modest boozy notes on the nose. Tasty but fairly straightforward on the palate, not much barrel character and not much complexity. I would love this if it was more like 8% ABV and less of an investment.

 

Had on tap. Clear dark brown body, no head. Dark wet oak backs bourbon, wet date, toasted caramel, and dry barley and earth in the nose, but thin complexion overall. Taste is barley centric, barrel is hotter here, caramel is thin, dark fruits linger well though. Feel is warm, dry, and thin for style, but pretty smooth. Solid ba barleywine but depth is shallow. The wife liked it

 

Part of @FBarber's salvo of midwest goodies during NBS BIF #13
Pours a fine crisp cola brown out the can, but reveals itself to be more garnet-hued in the glass held up to the light. A smalle head quickly dissipates leaving a few sets of bubbles more wispy than my FIL hair.

Nose is boozy and dark up front. Honestly doesn't really stand out as BW-y to me, sitting firmly in the BA-something-but-it's-less-important-exactly-what range. Oak and char and spicy booze.
I got distracted reading an article about secret fake towns for training exercises, and as it's warmed, that BA-first-and-only aroma has offered up some more layers and taken on at least some BW-type character, mostly of the toffee and leather, which combined with the vanilla/oak from the barrels almost imparts a kind of sherry-like high note.

Flavour offers a little more distinctiveness. Initial impression follows that same high sweet boozy note, though it's really more brandy than sherry, and then bridges that to more of the leather and prune and spicy tobacco type flavours.

Very boozy. Does not hide the fact that it's 12% at all. Bitter alcohol on the finish. Body and carbonation are both inoffensive enough that I have to actively think about what their profile is. Finish is boozy and somewhat dry. Lingering finish is brandy-like alcohol.

Thanks Frank for sending this my direction

Pours a dark prune-brown color. Opaque, but appears to have good clarity. Thin two finger tan head forms and then dissipates pretty steadily. Ultimately no head or foam remains on the top of the beer. Aroma has notes of dark fruits, some light toffee and brown sugar and some wet oak. The aroma overall is rather subdued and Im ultimately left wanting more from it. Also, the rich maltiness you get in the best English barleywines is missing here.

The taste has notes of dark fruits, toffee, burnt brown sugar, molasses, and some light malt notes, albeit very mild. Again, I am left wanting more maltiness to the beer. The bourbon and oak comes through on the back end in a very complimentary and balanced presentation. Overall its moderately sweet, but avoids being cloying. Feel is on the thin side for the style. The lack of those rich malts is noticeable in the feel as it is lacking a fuller body. Moderate, but prickly carbonation.

Overall its a solid barrel aged English barleywine. Enjoyable to drink for sure, but the falls in it keep in in he middle of the pack.