A Deal With The Devil
Anchorage Brewing Company
- From:
- Anchorage Brewing Company
- Alaska, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 17.3%
- Score:
- 100
- Avg:
- 4.53 | pDev: 8.61%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 157
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 01, 2025
- Added:
- Jan 29, 2013
- Wants:
- 804
- Gots:
- 303
SCORE
100
World-Class
100
World-Class
Barleywine style ale brewed with Galaxy Hops. A starting gravity of 37 Plato. Aged eleven months in Cognac barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Pro_Magnon:
Rated by Pro_Magnon from Texas
4.51/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Apr 25, 2023
4.51/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Apr 25, 2023
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by WickedBeer from Alabama
4.63/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.63/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Batch 1 - 2013. Drank on 5/25/2025.
Straight chocolate raisins out of the bottle - in glass, oxidation comes to the forefront. That said, drinking well. Burnt toffee & boozy raisins on nose. Palate more hop-forward & bitter; finishes w/ caramel & milk chocolate. Well-carbed, good viscosity.
Batch 2 - 2014. Drank on 5/25/2025.
Rich caramel on the nose - definitely oxidized, but not as much as B1. Good balanced bitterness with notes of sweet toffee, caramelized raisins, vanilla, & oaky spice. More vibrant than B1 - still tons of character.
May 28, 2025Straight chocolate raisins out of the bottle - in glass, oxidation comes to the forefront. That said, drinking well. Burnt toffee & boozy raisins on nose. Palate more hop-forward & bitter; finishes w/ caramel & milk chocolate. Well-carbed, good viscosity.
Batch 2 - 2014. Drank on 5/25/2025.
Rich caramel on the nose - definitely oxidized, but not as much as B1. Good balanced bitterness with notes of sweet toffee, caramelized raisins, vanilla, & oaky spice. More vibrant than B1 - still tons of character.
Reviewed by CraftBeerRocks from Massachusetts
4.79/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.79/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
I was just bored on a Sunday night. I had no expectation for this beer since it was Batch1 2013. Well, I’m not bored anymore!
Wow, wow, wow! I am not even a fan of BWs, but this is one of the best beers I’ve ever drank in my life.
Look: it’s brownish, reddish, orangey colored. Only the slightest bit of head that disparates immediately to completely flat. Closest thing is maple syrup, but obviously a bit thinner. Notice I said a bit, because this beer is thick.
Smell: Unfortunately, expecting nothing. I tasted it before I smelled it. Beyond that I have a sinus condition so this affects everything. But I’m getting subtle sweet fruity notes with sweet toffee and caramel. Nothing overwhelming, but super inviting.
Taste: Excellent. Like the nose, sweet, tangy, fruits, toffee and caramel. There is a very nice subtle bitter finish. Not overpowering but present. No off flavors. Very rare for a barleywine. It’s been a long time since I drank King Henry, but this is better. I remember that ia having some off flavors. I can’t taste any alcohol. As good as this is, I would have love to have tried it fresh, at 3 years, and 5years.
Feel: this beer shines here too. It’s silky, smooth, thick and creamy, pretty much perfect.
Overall: The 4.75 is reflecting a really high standard, having drank some of the best beers in the world over the years. (I know, I didn’t rate them) If I was only comparing barley wines, I would give this a five.
Dec 30, 2024Wow, wow, wow! I am not even a fan of BWs, but this is one of the best beers I’ve ever drank in my life.
Look: it’s brownish, reddish, orangey colored. Only the slightest bit of head that disparates immediately to completely flat. Closest thing is maple syrup, but obviously a bit thinner. Notice I said a bit, because this beer is thick.
Smell: Unfortunately, expecting nothing. I tasted it before I smelled it. Beyond that I have a sinus condition so this affects everything. But I’m getting subtle sweet fruity notes with sweet toffee and caramel. Nothing overwhelming, but super inviting.
Taste: Excellent. Like the nose, sweet, tangy, fruits, toffee and caramel. There is a very nice subtle bitter finish. Not overpowering but present. No off flavors. Very rare for a barleywine. It’s been a long time since I drank King Henry, but this is better. I remember that ia having some off flavors. I can’t taste any alcohol. As good as this is, I would have love to have tried it fresh, at 3 years, and 5years.
Feel: this beer shines here too. It’s silky, smooth, thick and creamy, pretty much perfect.
Overall: The 4.75 is reflecting a really high standard, having drank some of the best beers in the world over the years. (I know, I didn’t rate them) If I was only comparing barley wines, I would give this a five.
Rated by hopley from Massachusetts
4.47/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.47/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2014 Version
Apr 23, 2022Rated by jb_4226 from Texas
4.9/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
4.9/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
#99, so good!
Dec 31, 2021
Reviewed by GreatStoutman from Texas
5/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
2014 blend 2 is drinking amazing. First time with this beer so I can’t compare it to drinking fresh, but it doesn’t seem to of lost anything. Thick and viscous, slightly boozy, and just tons of dark fruit and toffee flavors. Really incredible
Oct 13, 2021
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