Colorado Double Strong Ale
River North Brewery

Pours a blonde-orange with some nasty floaties suspended in the liquid. Head is two fingers of white foam. Particles eventually settle out after a half hour or so, forming a ruddy bottom. Aroma is caramel, fig, toffee, and molasses with whiskey underneath. It has a dry finish, forming a staccato start. Flavor profile is caramel, fig, molasses, and maple. Whiskey does add a little swell of heat, with oak right behind it. Mouth feel is medium in thickness with a glassy, smooth texture. Overall, pretty mild throughout, and when paired with an initial rough look, keep this one from setting a favorable impression.

Served in a 15.5oz Speigelau tulip from a 375mL bottle. Vintage: 2020. 11.8% ABV.

375ml Bottle
Capped
2020 Vintage
Cases Bottled: 75
ABV: 11.8%

Poured into a chalice a very nice translucent light copper color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger off-white head, which leaves a very nice huge size island, and some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is pretty nice, malty, hoppy, with a very nice touch of caramel, vanilla, oak, whiskey, licorice. The taste is very nice, malty, hoppy, with a very nice touch of caramel, very nice vanilla sweetness, very nice whiskey note, oaky, licorice, a very nice sipper. Full Body, ABV hidden very nicely, a pretty nice complex brew. Overall, this is a big beer, very tasty. Glad to see it around here.

Creamy white head sits atop an opaque deep gold liquid at 55 degrees; very good cap retention; solid ring; sudsy lace, thin legs. Malty nose. Caramel malt, spicy hop flavors, some hop bitterness. Medium full body, moderate minus carbonation; clean and light drinking for a barleywine; no warmth from 10.8% abv. Overall an odd barleywine style beer for me, as there is not much caramel malt presence and not much heft for the abv; it is light feeling and tasty with the hops coming through ... why isn’t this just an imperial blonde?

375 mL bottle 2020 vintage poured into a brandy snifter at fridge temp 10.8% ABV. The beer pours slightly (chill) hazy in a light amber color with off white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island of puffy bubbles. The aroma is mild with malt, slight alcohol and some earthy hops. The taste is slightly barley sweet with nice malt depth and a crisp earthy hops popping in mid palate. Moderate to heavy bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good. It's been quite a while since I've reviewed an American barleywine. This one delivers without the need for barrel treatment or additives letting the Colorado malts & hops shine. Thanks Dave!

Dull, partially cloudy amber-orange body topped with a very thick and creamy off-white head. Alluring smell of ripe peach and other yellow pitted fruits; faint caramel quality. Big, juicy sweetness and prominent alcohol taste at first sip; heavy bread-like malt base; low-key hop bitterness appears at the finish. Heavy body; dense and spongy; thick and sticky; boozy warmth.

There is no mistaking this beer for a lightweight! Big beers are a River North specialty, and this particular offering makes the grade. It has a fine and complex malt base; coats the palate with warmth and residual sugars, and has a fine, comforting boozy kick. When a hop bomb or light lager won't do, and a sour or saison aren't in the cards, chances are this one will fit the bill and bring a smile to your face...