Barrel Aged Gnomas
Blackrocks Brewery

Appearance: Pours a burnt orange color with a thin head that fades to a ringlet; spotty lacing all around

Smell: Treacle, caramel, raisin, Bourbon, vanilla and oak

Taste: Treacle and raisin forward with the Bourbon and vanilla building; oaky, through the middle, with some caramel in the finish; a somewhat boozy finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low to moderate carbonation

Overall: Not the best English Barleywine I have come across but pretty darn good and maturing well

Thanks, daniels79, for the opportunity

A - Pours a lightly hazed amber with a one finger off white head. The head dissapates quickly leaving very little lacing.

S - Aroma is raisins, caramel, vanilla and bourbon,

T - The taste follows the aroma. Caramel, brown sugar, raisins, figs, vanilla and bourbon.

M - Medium body with low carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a soft finish.

O - Very nice BBA Barleywine. The flavors are perfectly balanced with the alcohol well hidden.

 

 

 

 

Im a sucker for barley wines. Especially barrel aged renditions.
This one is definitely top notch in my book. Caramel colored body with reddish hues. Looks like a thin maple syrup in the glass. No head retention but thats ok. The flavor makes up for it.
Smells of sugary sweet malts and light bourbon. Low carbonation and minimal hops, but in a good way. Taste is expected from an above average barley wine. Sweet, malty, rich in dark fruits and a touch of vanilla from the barrel aging Im guessing. Thick mouthfeel. A+

 

 

 

A really nice, heavy, malty brew. Perfect for those who really like malts and oak in their beer. I was fortunate enough to be able to try this at Escanaba's UPtoberfest this year. As one would expect, it pours reddish-brown, and doesn't have much of a head. If they sold this in cans, I'd be buying it!

Dirty, muddled brow with peach highlights. Short lasting head. Raisins, figs and coconut in the nose. Big chewy mouthfeel leads to more of the raisins, figs, vanilla, wood, coconut and toffee. Hops are all are but non-existent. That's not a bad thing.

 

 

Purchased from Blackrocks prior to the 2016 U.P. (Upper Peninsula) "Fall" Beer Festival (meteorological fall). Pours dark and somewhat translucent. Smells sweet "bourbony", not very complex (generally barleywine aren't). Taste is smooth with a prominent bourbon background, ABV hidden. No burn noted. A delicious barleywine, glad I bought more to enjoy as astronomical summer slips into fall. This can was canned 9/6/16.