Old And In The Way | High Water Brewing
Brewed by:
High Water Brewing
California, United States
highwaterbrewing.com
Style: English Barleywine
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 11.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Old and In The Way Barley Wine Style Ale is brewed in the traditional English Barley Wine Style. Flavors of toffee, treacle and caramel emerge as the beer opens up. Enjoy this beer a little warmer to fully appreciate the depth and complexity of flavors in this beer. Brewed to be enjoyable as a sipping or fireside beer. Share one with a good friend.
11% ABV 95 IBU
Added by BeerAdvocate on 02-05-2011
Ratings: 59 | Reviews: 18
4.02/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Got this one in Buffalo
From a bomber into a snifter
APPEARANCE: Pours a 2 finger, medium looking, creamy, off-white head with great retention. Opaque dark maroon red in color with no carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a full wisp leaving some lacing on the glass. A splotchy wisp remains until the end leaving traces of lacing on the glass as it empties.
SMELL: Caramel and toffee with some spicy booze and red fruits on the nose. Slightly bread with bubble gum as well. Bold and boozy.
TASTE: Caramel and toffee sweetness up front with some spicy booze and piney notes up front. Bold finish of malty sweetness, piney hops, bitterness and some boozy alcohol too. Flavorful and plenty of bittersweet character.
PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Creamy on the palate, goes down fine and finishes somewhat mouth-coating. Some spicy booze lingers. Creamy and weighty for the style.
OVERALL: Really good stuff here. This reminds me of Laguintas’ Gnarleywine. Top notch flavor and feel here with lots of sweet malt character and hoppy bitterness as well. Really enjoyed this and will be picking up more next time I see it. Give this one a shot if you’re a fan of the style. Recommended.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Got this one in Buffalo
From a bomber into a snifter
APPEARANCE: Pours a 2 finger, medium looking, creamy, off-white head with great retention. Opaque dark maroon red in color with no carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a full wisp leaving some lacing on the glass. A splotchy wisp remains until the end leaving traces of lacing on the glass as it empties.
SMELL: Caramel and toffee with some spicy booze and red fruits on the nose. Slightly bread with bubble gum as well. Bold and boozy.
TASTE: Caramel and toffee sweetness up front with some spicy booze and piney notes up front. Bold finish of malty sweetness, piney hops, bitterness and some boozy alcohol too. Flavorful and plenty of bittersweet character.
PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Creamy on the palate, goes down fine and finishes somewhat mouth-coating. Some spicy booze lingers. Creamy and weighty for the style.
OVERALL: Really good stuff here. This reminds me of Laguintas’ Gnarleywine. Top notch flavor and feel here with lots of sweet malt character and hoppy bitterness as well. Really enjoyed this and will be picking up more next time I see it. Give this one a shot if you’re a fan of the style. Recommended.
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4.75/5 rDev +25.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.04/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.86/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
this was a 2011 model, it was a B+ in my opinion. it was more alcohol on the front than barrel aged goodness. lacked those toffee, vanilla, caramel notes you come to expect from a 4 year old bba
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
this was a 2011 model, it was a B+ in my opinion. it was more alcohol on the front than barrel aged goodness. lacked those toffee, vanilla, caramel notes you come to expect from a 4 year old bba
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3.48/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.09/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2013 vintage served in a snifter at cellar temps.
Appearance: deep garnet with a very sticky off white head that lingers. Lacing galore.
Nose: dark fruits, caramel, almost butterscotch, toffee, creamy and rich, chocolate, well integrated and balanced but still has some boozyness in there.
Taste: very chewy, toffee, dark fruits, Malt forward with some residual bitterness for balance. No hot alcohols at all but there is some booz on the tongue.
Overall: my only bottle. Need more. This is a fantastic English barleywine, not hot or solventy but the booz is still very present just not like what I'd expect from an 11% beer thats almost 2 years in the bottle.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2013 vintage served in a snifter at cellar temps.
Appearance: deep garnet with a very sticky off white head that lingers. Lacing galore.
Nose: dark fruits, caramel, almost butterscotch, toffee, creamy and rich, chocolate, well integrated and balanced but still has some boozyness in there.
Taste: very chewy, toffee, dark fruits, Malt forward with some residual bitterness for balance. No hot alcohols at all but there is some booz on the tongue.
Overall: my only bottle. Need more. This is a fantastic English barleywine, not hot or solventy but the booz is still very present just not like what I'd expect from an 11% beer thats almost 2 years in the bottle.
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3.89/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.51/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Dark brown with hints of ruby, slightly murky. Smell is roasted noted with chocolate. Taste is chocolate, roasted malt, carmel, no fruit notes. Mouthfeel is heavy, and abv is hidden. Getting some bourbon notes on the end. Pair with nuts, sausage, or lamb stew.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Dark brown with hints of ruby, slightly murky. Smell is roasted noted with chocolate. Taste is chocolate, roasted malt, carmel, no fruit notes. Mouthfeel is heavy, and abv is hidden. Getting some bourbon notes on the end. Pair with nuts, sausage, or lamb stew.
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4.08/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.47/5 rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2011 was very well balanced and smooth.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2011 was very well balanced and smooth.
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3.84/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.93/5 rDev +4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Not a fan at all, to light for me
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look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Not a fan at all, to light for me
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3.75/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.03/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
13 vintage.
A: tan head, stays for a while. Very dark amber color. I love barleywines that are super dark. 3.75
S: sweet smelling, you smell the barrel. 3.75
T: only a hint of barrel in the taste, but it's awesome. Sometimes barleywines are too oaky, and this is a great barleywine with just that last good hint of wood. 4.25
M: great chewy mouthfeel for a barleywine. It's almost creamy. Leaves a great malty aftertaste. 4.
O: I had the 12 when it came out and have a couple saved. Can't wait to see where they, and this years, go in the future. 4.0
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
13 vintage.
A: tan head, stays for a while. Very dark amber color. I love barleywines that are super dark. 3.75
S: sweet smelling, you smell the barrel. 3.75
T: only a hint of barrel in the taste, but it's awesome. Sometimes barleywines are too oaky, and this is a great barleywine with just that last good hint of wood. 4.25
M: great chewy mouthfeel for a barleywine. It's almost creamy. Leaves a great malty aftertaste. 4.
O: I had the 12 when it came out and have a couple saved. Can't wait to see where they, and this years, go in the future. 4.0
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Old And In The Way from High Water Brewing
3.78
out of 5
based on 59 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25