Murderous
Pipeworks Brewing Company

MurderousMurderous
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From:
Pipeworks Brewing Company
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.76 | pDev: 11.44%
Reviews:
29
Ratings:
157
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 18, 2022
Added:
Apr 19, 2013
Wants:
  16
Gots:
  17
A variation on Santa vs Unicorn, but with English yeast, much less hops, a bit sweeter with more caramel, and just a hint of Nelson Sauvin.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by weonfire:
Photo of weonfire
Rated by weonfire from Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%

Aug 15, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.64 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Jan 18, 2022
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

3.97/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Notes from 2013: Murky and dark, looking very purplish, maroon-y, magenta-esque, with hardly a sliver of head on top.

Wait, there's something on the label that screams out: STOP: Read Before Opening, although I already have. Let's read it anyway: "This beer is unfiltered. Sedimentation may occur. For best flavor, allow bottle to chill for two hours before serving, allowing for the natural yeast to settle out. Pour slowly into your favorite glass, being careful to leave sediment behind." I'll keep that in mind. It has been chilling for weeks, so that's covered.

There's more: "Cellar worthy! Store Cool!"
Why the exclamation points? Why is the bottle yelling at me? And why do I read that as stating that a cellar is worthy and that a store is cool?As read by a caveman, of course.

Enough of that.
We did appearance, now aroma: sweet and malty and deep. Dark fruits aplenty here, raisins, plums, dates. Brandy, cognac. Vastly flavorful, growing more so as we go. I'm going to take it real slow, then.

Taste: Heat from the first, big, fat, full to bursting. Massive malt, full fruit, plenty of hops holding in just in check. Bitterness only holds it's own against the vast wall of multitude.

There's a poem on the label, but they decided to do red letters on black backgrounds, and I can't read it. Something to with crows, murders, crimes. Looks like it rhymes. Quoth the raven, terrible design choice.

Tasty, tasty stuff. Batch 3, according to a Sharpied notation, black ink on white, quite sensibly. And © 2013, so it's fresh.
Big time barley-wine, but not particularly remarkable. Adequate, but far from awesome. I'm drinking it, I'm liking it, but I feel it could be better. Should be better.
Sigh…maybe just not to my taste. They're nothing wrong with it, but it doesn't really have to force and power that a big, booming fresh barley-wine often does. More mellow, and subdued, how a bw ought to be after some aging.
Feb 09, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by smartassboiler from Illinois

Jan 27, 2020
Photo of Zeeck
Reviewed by Zeeck from Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Look - This pours a nice, rich reddish brown color. It has light bubbles noticeable on the pour and a think, wispy head. The beer itself looks very thick.

Smell -The smell is predominantly caramel and dark chocolate. It also has a slight nutty smell and a slight saltiness to it interestingly.

Taste - This beer is full of caramel and vanilla bean. The caramel really smacks you in the face. It also has a certain woody tone, close to a cinnamon flavor, that dries it out a bit and is actually pretty good. As it came to room temperature, these flavors all blended together for a nice baked apple flavor that was really enjoyable!

Feel - This doesn't feel as thick as it looks. It's actually quite more refreshing than expected (I don't exactly consider barleywines "refreshing"). It still has some of those syrupy qualities of a barleywine, and still had me smacking my lips after each sip.

Overall - This is very well done and very good! After so many bourbon barrel aged barley wines, it was nice to go back to a non-BA one.

Pairs Well With - Getting the Sunday scaries on a Tuesday night.
Apr 15, 2018
 
Rated: 3.96 by CoreyC from Wisconsin

Mar 05, 2018
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Reviewed by stortore from Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
22 ounce bottle into a snifter. Bottled 3/20/17, had 5/17/17.

Pours a dark amber, a little red in the light. Somewhat opaque, with a short head and light soapy lacing. Smells of malt, caramel, plums, figs, dates, some brown sugar and white grapes, light yeast and cherries. The taste is also malt forward, then caramel, cherries, dates, toffee, some plums, light brown sugar. Mostly smooth, a good body, well carbonated.

Second time having this (2013), and it’s good and enjoyable, but doesn’t have the depth of flavor and aroma as the next tier. But, at a good price point, certainly worth a purchase.
Feb 09, 2018
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.04/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Someone put out an a.p.b on Pipeworks Brewing because they are killing it. Rearranging their famous hoppy beer into a yeasty English influence and reappropriating hop character, a new beer is born.

The Murderous pours with a mostly bright ruby and garnet hue, slightly lighter in color than twany port but with all the visual density. Its aromas are jam packed with toasted barley malt- sweet on the nose and remiss of cooked caramel, baking cake and a fruitcake-like medley of dried fruit and booze spice. Lavishly sweet on the tip of the tongue, the sweetness of brown sugar, toffee, caramel and maple hit the sweet tooth just right.

The superior malty beer applies layers upon layers of flavor on the middle palate; its sweetness seeps deep into each and every tastebud along the way. Toasty with nutty pecan and praline, caramel, maple and jam soon lead into a dark fruit flavor of apple, date, fig, sultan, cherry and grape, all seemingly soaked in wine. Modestly bitter, the ale trails into a malty sweet late palate of white wine, gin, vinous spice and sweet earthy tobacco.

Full and oily in texture, the beer's light carbonation allows the ale to apply a firm pressure on the tongue leading to a richer experience and a more candied culinary experience. A long, sweet, nutty, earthy and lightly cloying character allows the beer to become a slow and sipping affair, more like an after dinner digestive, rather than anything meant for drinkability or refreshment.
Feb 08, 2018
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Reviewed by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

4.07/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Tasted in a Rastal Teku from a 1 pint 6 fl oz bottle on February 5, 2018. I really enjoyed this. Tastes like a barleywine should and goes down incredibly smooth for a beer of this strength.
Feb 06, 2018
Photo of orcrist_cleaver
Reviewed by orcrist_cleaver from New York

3.63/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Nice depth of color to it. Dark brown with cherry cola accents. Head seemed to be a light tan, but don't blink or you'll miss it.

Not too sweet on the nose. Honestly I'm getting the essence of a pickle, or at least weedy, grassy dill. Malt is caramel mostly although there is a tropical nuttiness...lychee maybe.

Low carb. Lighter in body than I figured. Just has no warmth.

White grape, raisin fruitiness. Caramel and molasses malt presence. Ultimately, I'm left thinking of a caramel granny smith apple.
Dec 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.99 by Mikexw from New York

Dec 14, 2017
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Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.99/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured out a murky, dark brown color with a small, khaki-colored head of foam. It smelled of sweet caramel and toffee. Some piney notes. Sweet but not overly sweet with a rich malty backbone. Mild bitterness adds balance.
Dec 03, 2017
 
Rated: 4.01 by dannycohen62 from Illinois

Sep 16, 2017
Photo of BSiegs
Reviewed by BSiegs from Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Extremely muddy ruby to dark brown in color. Some light gets through, but not much. One finger of dark khaki foam with decent retention. Aroma is excellent. Rich molasses, dark brown sugar, caramel, earthiness. Big bready, toasty malt presence. Slight nelson hop presence, with mild notes of white wine. Light hop bitterness of the finish. Medium full body, low moderate carbonation, and a slightly dry finish. Very enjoyable barleywine from PW.
Jul 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.78 by jaxon53 from Connecticut

Jul 02, 2017
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Reviewed by FBarber from Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a ruddy brown color. Appears clear when held to light. Thin off white head dissipates steadily leaving no residual head or lacing. Smell has notes of dark fruits but also notes of white wine and green grapes ... hello nelson sauvin. Taste follows the nose with notes of dark fruits, white wine, green grapes, a hint of green apple. Interesting profile. Its within the broad expectations of an English Barleywine - not overly hoped, rich caramel malts, dark fruits. But the nelson hops really provide a unique flavor. Feel is smooth, light bodied, and pretty drinkable. Overall this is a nice middle ground between the malt forward classic English examples and the overly hopped American versions.
May 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.9 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

May 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.9 by Bartleby91 from Wisconsin

May 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by NappyB from Illinois

May 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by cryptichead from Illinois

Apr 30, 2017
Murderous from Pipeworks Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 157 ratings