Massive! - Rye Barrel-Aged
Gigantic Brewing Company

 

Bottle: Poured a deep dark brown color ale with a medium dark brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of caramelized malt notes with some massive rye notes. Taste is also a good mix of caramelized malt notes with some strong dry rye notes with not much residual sugar notes. Body is about average for style with good carbonation and strong warming alcohol notes. Interesting barleywine with too much barrel rye notes.

2022 vintage. Poured from a 500mL bottle into a snifter.

Dark auburn body with a lasting almond collar. Very fine lacing; modest retention.

Rich, sweet aroma with a wonderful mix of malt, fruit, and barrel elements. Caramel, plum, toffee, leather, vanilla, bourbon, chocolate, and some low herbal notes.

Potent, dense, chewy malt on the palate entry. Hops and alcohol provide balance, moderate bitterness, and complexity. Medium finish with some rye whiskey like spiciness, toffee, and fruit. Almost meaty.

Oily, creamy, medium-full bodied, gently warming with some residual menthol-like alcohol notes.

Very enjoyable, though not a great value.

Dark ruby ​​color with orange and red reflections, fine ocher foam with good persistence. Aroma of caramel, molasses, dark fruit in alcohol, citrus, herbaceous and floral tones, vanilla, oak and bourbon. The drink traces the olfactory perceptions with a good balance between an elegant sweetness and a fresh bitterness. Medium and soft body with low carbonation. Robust and constant ABV that, together with the nuances of aging, manages to pamper the drink.

 

Type: 500-ml. bottle
Reviewed as: American Barleywine
Glass: Karl Strauss 26th anniversary .25L tulip
Price: $17.99
From: Bine & Vine Bottle Shop in Normal Heights (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: March 26, 2020
Consumed: April 3, 2020
Misc.: No bottled on date; 2019 version

Was looking forward to this after having one of their MASSIVE’s a (BBA 2016) a 4.50 at the 2018 Firestone Invitational. A little pricey at $17.99 for 16.9 oz., but was still looking forward to it.

Poured a dark reddish brown color with one finger of khaki frothy head. Could see some light bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. Average spotty lacing. Outstanding retention. (Sight - 3.75)

Smelled smooth bourbon, rye, vanilla, toffee, caramel, oak, plum, date, leather, dark fruit, purple grape, milk chocolate syrup and maple syrup. (Smell - 4.25)

Tasted better than the smell. In order got rye barrel, smooth oak, toffee, caramel, vanilla, plum, date, leather, dark fruit, purple grape, milk chocolate syrup and maple syrup. (Taste - 4.50)

Medium body. Oily-to-creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long, warming finish. (Feel - 4.75)

I may have undervalued this overall. Just an excellent BBA barleywine, but not worth the price. (Overall - 4.25)

4.37 | 97 | A

 

$ 21.39 (Including shipping)/500 mL bottle ($ 1.27/oz). Received 5/5/20 from Craft Shack, San Diego, CA. Reviewed 5/10/20.
Printed on the neck in Lilliputian letters and black ink “Awesome After 10/28/20 Figue 19” – I literally needed a magnifying glass to read it. Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 60 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Between medium and deep amber (SRM 12-15), murky.
Body – Between deep amber and amber brown (SRM 15 - 18), murky. No advertised ruby color is initially present, just muddy brown. As the temperature reaches 60, the ruby color begins to appear. When held to direct light, the same but now slight effervescence can be seen.
Head – Average (Maximum three cm, aggressive center pour), khaki, high density with many medium rocks, short retention, diminishing to a three mm regular crown and no cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4.25 – Predominately sweet toasted malt with a hint of rye on the backside, no hops, no yeastiness.
Flavor – 4.25 – Begins with a malty sweetness short of cloying mixed with a weaker rye pepperiness, no hops, no yeast. No alcohol (14 % ABV, as marked on the label) taste or aroma, but an instant gentle alimentary warming occurs, beginning in the stomach and creeping back up the esophagus to the soft palate. No diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3.75 – Full, silky, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 As with all Gigantic’s Massive! Bottles which I have consumed to date, this is a comfort beer best consumed under low light conditions while watching Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder. Delicious aroma and taste, good mouth feel. A bit expensive, but worth the price point.