Santa Vs Unicorn
Pipeworks Brewing Co.

As a Barleywine this beer is not that good. Tastes a bit like a light Barleywine. Having said that, this beer is actually pretty good even if it's not that close to what I think a Barleywine should be. The hops make this a very interesting and enjoyable beer. If you're looking for a unique take on a Barleywine, try this beer.

Canned less than 2 months ago, this vintage is 9.3%. The fresh tasting C hops shine with earthy grapefruit and to a lesser extent, juicy pineapple. I get some slightly overcooked sugar cookies and caramel for a bit of malt balance, but this is pretty much all about the hops. Really liking the lingering brash bitterness that lingers long on the tongue. Good stuff.

Pours a clear ruby-hued brown color with a foamy tan head that provides big splotches of lacing. Beautiful barleywine/imperial red ale.

The nose features a lot of grapefruit and mandarin orange, and there’s some earthy pine and ripe berries, and a dollop of caramalt.

The citrus notes are forward on the taste and work well with pine and berry flavors, with the caramalt for balance. There’s also a noticeable alcohol warming at the back of the palate.

There’s also mouthfeel is full and drying. This bounces between hoppy barleywine and big red ale, but it’s worthy of a try.

Unknown vintage; drank 6/14/14 @ Yuss Haus.

Dark orange rust murkiness.

Off-white head; thick lace.

Pine hops in the nose; hints of caramel.

Thick mouthfeel.

Caramel, citrus, pine & booze battle for supremacy; the result is a mess with no cohesion.

Not good.

Thanks for the beer, Matt!

Rich copper body, cloudy but not turbid. Beige head disappears as I pour leaving a thick ring around the glass.
Caramel malts, grapefruit and pine hop aroma.
The taste is toasted malts, caramel and toffee. This barely wine has a good dose of hops. Citrus rind and and fresh pine.
Medium bodied. Lighter than I would have expected. Smooth over all but with an alcohol presence in the finish along with a good spicy bite from the hops. Highly carbonated for the style.

Winsome, like most Pipeworks.

 

 

Bottle: Poured a copper color ale with a medium size off-white foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of caramelized malt with some light green hoppy notes is quite enticing. Taste is a nice mix of caramelized malt notes with some light dry green hoppy notes, small residual sugar notes with a somewhat dry finish. Body is about average with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. I prefer English style barleywine but this version is well balanced with hops and quite enjoyable.

 

 

Not sure what this is. I was expecting a barley wine but it's more like and ale. That's not to say it not good, just not what I expected. Way more hoppy than I expected with a medium mouth feel and a dry finish.

 

22 ounce bottle into a tulip snifter. Bottled 11/18/16, had 2/14/17.

Pours a medium amber/garnet, mostly clear, with a one and a half inch foamy head and a good amount of foamy lacing. The smell is pine, resin, some grapefruit, floral hops, yeast, malt, toffee. The taste is more substantial. Grapefruit, pine, malt, caramel, light yeast. A little bready. A good amount of hop bitterness throughout, a sweet spot midway. The malt takes over when fully warmed. Smooth, good level of carbonation, a good, medium body, but a touch light for the style.

Very good flavor and good aroma. No dark fruits here, seemed more like a DIPA or amber/red than barleywine at times. Reaper kicks Santa's butt, if you compare. Worth a try, though. It's still pretty good.

 

 

 

 

 

A little too bitter and unbalanced.