Old Fashioned
Siren Craft Brew

Shared 330 ml bottle. ABV is 11%. Mahogany colour, no head. Aroma of molasses and bourbon, notes of vanilla and oak. Very moderate carbonation. Very sweet flavour, again molasses and bourbon, vanilla and oak. Also a hint of fine chocolates.

 

330 ml bottle into snifter, best before 12/16/2020. Pours fairly crystal clear very deep ruby red/brown color with a small fairly dense light khaki head with solid retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, peach, orange zest, pear, apricot, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, molasses, nuts, chocolate, cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Slightly booze in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, orange zest, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, peach, orange zest, pear, apricot, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, molasses, nuts, chocolate, cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Mild herbal, grassy bitterness; and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruits, cherry, peach, orange zest, pear, apricot, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, brown bread, coconut, molasses, nuts, chocolate, cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, orange zest, and bourbon barrel flavors; with a solid malt/bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; and no cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and slightly slick/sticky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 11%, with minimal barrel booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing English barleywine! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, orange zest, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the minimally bitter/dying finish. Perfectly balanced between rich malts, fruity yeast, orange zest, and bourbon barrel presence/integration. Minimally boozy/tannic on barrel. Not overly sweet from lingering dryness. A highly amazing offering, and top tier style example.

Barelywines are one of my favorite styles, but this was so sweet i couldn't finish it.