Beyond X (Spanish Sherry Cask)
King Street Brewing Company

absurd beer here, super old now it seems, or at least long aged, the sherry does a whole lot for this, i found it quite a lot more dynamic and interesting than the cognac edition, which i was lucky enough to have right next to it, although both were awesome, and the packaging slays, so sexy! these look pretty dark and murky, maybe some mahogany to them in the right light, but i am seeing more brown, a little turbid, short lazy little ring of off white head hanging around the edges, looks the part of a timeless barleywine. the nose is striking, the sherry is immediately evident and identifiable, even in front of any other element, with the oak of course, i get earthy spiciness, vanilla, aromatic cedar for some reason, white and black pepper, and maple sugar, stunning. there is alcohol here too, a lot of grain sweetness, and some appropriate oxidation, all working well together. the flavor is wonderful too, the sherry is real well integrated but not at all subtle, to me way more robust than the cognac is in that edition. i get raisins and toffee, oak and english yeast i think, dried citrus peel, black tea, and brown sugar, lots of residual sweetness here but enough other points of interest for it to not be a problem, i even appreciate it with the sherry at times, better and better as it warms too, although quite a bit more alcoholic as it sits also. impressive specimen here, sherry seems to love barleywine and vice versa, this is smart stuff, sure to continue ageing well, memorable!

Pours a dark amber with a finger thick beige head and dissipates quickly.

Tasted the dark fruits and sherry barrel upfront. There is a nice light bitterness involved along with a nice alcohol influence mixed in. Has a medium mouthfeel and was a pleasure to have. A nice barleywine offering.