Barley Wine 2013
Helltown Brewing

 

 

 

One of the worst mouthfeels on a beer I have ever experienced. Chalky dry bitterness. Appearance is in line with a highly carbed dopplebock. Really harsh flavors and disjointed.

 

Floavirful barleywine that is well worth a try

 

Unbalanced and disjointed, this feels more like a Belgian Strong Ale than a Barleywine. Excessive carbonation and yeast galore. The taste is tart but not unpleasant, yet this is far from the sweet, malty profile you expect in a barleywine. I don't get much of the maple barrel they say was used, and not much of the oak either.

This brew attacks your palate in a rather unfriendly way. I drank about 1/4 of the bomber and used the rest in a cauliflower soup. A much better use. Would not and will not revisit this.

22oz bottle into a duvel tulip.

A: Hazy, amber, great head retention.
S: A hint of cherry? Yeasty. No maple smell. A little light for the style.
T: Not what I was expecting in a barley wine. A bit harsh with an ethanol background. Some dried fruit qualities but I cannot find the maple.
M: Too carbonated for my taste. Harsh on the tongue.
O: A disappointment for what I was expecting. Drinkable but would not buy this one again. Sorry Helltown Brewery.

 

 

 

Aged on oak and maple

This was a hazy peachy copper color after the foam eventually settled. There is a very pleasant maple aroma here, but unfortunately there is also plenty of raw abrasive oakiness and harsh, booze toffee. Taste follows the nose, but it is even more abrasive on the tongue. Lightly sweet raisins, plums, and maple up front; very nice. The harsh, naked woody tingle at the end and the aggressive carbonation are tough to get past.

Overall there are some good elements here, but I wish the wood had been much less prominent. My first from these guys, I'll try more.

Edit: As the carbonation subsided, the harsher elements became much more subdued. The second glass wasn't half bad.

Welcome to disappointing town with my 2100 review! Had no idea the low ratings on this or I may not have gotten it. Paid $8.99 for the bomber at my local RT 8 Giant Eagle.

A - Not sure why people are talking about over carbonation mine was carbonated normally but sadly the head fizzes out to nothing within seconds. Never a good sign like a malt liquor. Body is a hazy amber brown with no sediment floaties.
S - Again disappointment all maple or old is faint if you didn't tell me it was brewed with it I would have never guessed. Typical caramel and some cherry notes highlight.
T - Well its not undrinkable with heavy ethanol flavors but its pretty tasteless. Wet cardboard, some oak, and some herbal bitterness herbal and lingers mildly. Sadly it doesn't taste sweet of maple it only inherited the dryness of what maple brings making this beer a chore to drink.
M - Well it's not too light drinking with a medium bodied. It can be chugged so its not as heavy as the style should be.

Overall I am so sad this beer exists but its bound to happen that every great brewery releases a beer that is drinkable but not up to par. Kind of feel ripped off paying that much for the bomber since most of their on tap releases are usually 3-4 dollars.

 

As another guy before me said, this is in no way, shape or form a barley wine. This is more of a borderline English Strong Ale if anything. Far from horrible, but even farther from a barley wine. Helltown is a top notch brewery in my eyes. I have never been even close to remotely let down by one of their products, until now. This one misses the mark in every way for a barley wine. Fail.