RVA Beard League
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

 

This is one of the best BA Barleywines I've ever had. This was only made once and I would hope that the rotational BA Barleywine Hardywood releases yearly tasted like this. Classic dark Barleywine color with a bit of purple hue to it. Huge notes of the barrels as it is opened up from the waxed flip top mini growler. Awesome lazer engraved bottle art too. Huge notes of dried dark fruit, dates, prunes with caramel and vanilla notes. Big Barrel but balanced on the nose. The body is pretty good for a Barleywine - it is pretty thick but not chewey like some of the BA stout offerings. Extremely balanced on the finish as I think 2 years of age did this one well. So many complex flavors shine here that you don't usually get from a Barleywine. I wish Hardywood made this again. So tasty.

 

Ridiculous amount of residual sugar, very sweet, dangerous with that high abv

From a bottle, pours a murky reddish brown with a thin wispy carbonation.

The nose is mostly barrel, caramel, vanilla, dark fruit. The flavor is mostly booze, caramel malt, faint citrus, run or bourbon oak, sweet berries, dried fruit. The barleywine qualities are overpowered by the sweetness and alcohol of the barrel. I like this, but it would be so much better just a little bit more dry.