Lone Wine
Sawdust City Brewing Co.

 

Appearance: I don't really drink a lot of Barleywine so this one is a bit hard for me to judge, but poured with a finger of head that retained exceptionally well and made some minor lace. The body is semi-cloudy orange that boasts fairly solid carbonation. I also want to applaud the brewer for stating that the can has sediment, so I didn't end up getting much in thus only a few specks made it past the pour.

Smell: Smells of apricot jam on toast, although to get more nuanced I'd say dried apricots and sweeter bread toast. Like someone made Panettone with dried apricots instead of raisins, maybe a slight bit of candied orange and toasted it. It did require quite a bit of warming though to come out and even then it could be a lot stronger here.

Taste: It really leans into that apricot note, even though it's very clear that there aren't any apricots involved with the brewing, as it starts us off, with that reigned in with a bit of toasted bread malt and a alcohol note that you don't taste but know is there keeping things balanced here. The alcohol becomes more present as that flavor passes over to earth, herb and mild citrus hops.

Mouthfeel: This very much comes across as wine like as the carbonation while present is very light on the palate and velvet like. The aftertaste is a nice mix of the beers flavors, predominantly that faux Apricot that the yeast is making is dominant. Transitioning is good, like a baton being passed. It's not a perfect dissolving, but does a good job.

Drinkability: Medium bodied, and very clear that the higher ABV is present. That said, it's a Barleywine, and that really is a hallmark of the style, but think one does a better job of rounding that out more then other ones I've had. This I would say would be the Barleywine I would swap out for a glass of red wine for a more refreshing experience, but it isn't quite as there on that front to swap it out for a white. Settles down very well.

Final Thoughts: So I'd say this is the second best Barleywine I've had. It does come across as very much an acquired taste. That said, this offering did things I very much enjoyed. It was well balanced and restrained with an interesting flavor profile, but reminded me that this is to be drunk like wine. I'd still probably prefer Trappist styles as a wine substitute, but this I thought was very well done.

Good old school American BW, with hops. Being a year later, they were likely a bit faded, but still added a good taste to the solid base beer. Can in trade.