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Blue Ridge
Perennial Artisan Ales
- From:
- Perennial Artisan Ales
- Missouri, United States
- Style:
- English Barleywine
- ABV:
- 13%
- Score:
- 97
- Avg:
- 4.55 | pDev: 4.84%
- Reviews:
- 8
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 22, 2023
- Added:
- Jan 28, 2019
- Wants:
- 8
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
97
World-Class
97
World-Class
Blue Ridge is an English-style barleywine aged in bourbon barrels. With rich notes of raisin, chocolate, toffee, molasses and bourbon, this is a super decadent, self-indulgent beer meant to be enjoyed on cold nights with family. Brewed in celebration of love in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio
4.51/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.51/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Quite a dark pour of coffee black, yet mostly clear until it darkens when filled, with a short tan blanket that fizzles out fairly quickly to a silky molasses surface.
Taste is rich, dark and mature, but also sweet and not as thick as it looks. It's very maple syrup forward, but there's also a melange of fruits, which are more like mild berries as opposed to the expected raisin, prune or date you often see in aged strong ales like this. It's got a character that's like blackberry and currant, but without any tartness. This provides a nice contrasting brightness to the clean, almost stout-like body, which features notes of caramelly barrel char and hints of toffee coconut.
A mild, slowly lifting fizz brings a warming exhale to the medium body after the semi-dry finish.
Mar 16, 2020Taste is rich, dark and mature, but also sweet and not as thick as it looks. It's very maple syrup forward, but there's also a melange of fruits, which are more like mild berries as opposed to the expected raisin, prune or date you often see in aged strong ales like this. It's got a character that's like blackberry and currant, but without any tartness. This provides a nice contrasting brightness to the clean, almost stout-like body, which features notes of caramelly barrel char and hints of toffee coconut.
A mild, slowly lifting fizz brings a warming exhale to the medium body after the semi-dry finish.
Rated by Huhzubendah from District of Columbia
4.59/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.59/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Bottle shared by Jay. Cheers!
Jan 19, 2020
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
4.86/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
4.86/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
This pours a dark brownish color, with some black to it, along with a small head, and not much lacing.
This smells like spicy oak, drippy caramel, caramelly bourbon, dark fruit, chocolate fudge, toffee, raisin, and tobacco. This smells so inviting.
This is basically as good at it gets when it comes to barleywine. There's a really well integrated barrel presence here - with a whisp of coconut and vanilla, and lots of spiced oak character, and a nice tobacco/caramel type bourbon presence that helps adds a touch of bitter heat to balance the beer. It's a malt monster, with so much toffee and milk chocolate, along with caramel, a dried and mildly sweet fruit character, and spiced bread. There's so much here and I love it all.
This is medium bodied, creamy, and not too boozy, with a decent amount of drinkability despite the big body and ABV here.
There aren't many barleywines that top this one for me. It's basically as good at it gets for one of my favorite styles.
Nov 14, 2019This smells like spicy oak, drippy caramel, caramelly bourbon, dark fruit, chocolate fudge, toffee, raisin, and tobacco. This smells so inviting.
This is basically as good at it gets when it comes to barleywine. There's a really well integrated barrel presence here - with a whisp of coconut and vanilla, and lots of spiced oak character, and a nice tobacco/caramel type bourbon presence that helps adds a touch of bitter heat to balance the beer. It's a malt monster, with so much toffee and milk chocolate, along with caramel, a dried and mildly sweet fruit character, and spiced bread. There's so much here and I love it all.
This is medium bodied, creamy, and not too boozy, with a decent amount of drinkability despite the big body and ABV here.
There aren't many barleywines that top this one for me. It's basically as good at it gets for one of my favorite styles.
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
4.13/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.13/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottle at share. Pour is medium amber, small head subsides. Sweet malty aroma, some booze. Slick, smooth feel. Taste comes in malty and syrupy.Big, fat mallt bomb.
Nov 08, 2019
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4.5/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2019 vintage; drank 6/22/19 @ Golgi Apparatus.
Wow, this is English Barleywine bliss...toffee, caramel, tobacco, autumn leaves & mild bourbon heat. Since Goose Island has abandoned the style, I think we can go ahead & crown this it's rightful successor. Wonderful.
Jun 24, 2019Wow, this is English Barleywine bliss...toffee, caramel, tobacco, autumn leaves & mild bourbon heat. Since Goose Island has abandoned the style, I think we can go ahead & crown this it's rightful successor. Wonderful.
Blue Ridge from Perennial Artisan Ales
Beer rating:
97 out of
100 with
33 ratings
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