The Sadness Of Ophelia
5 Paddles Brewing Company
- From:
- 5 Paddles Brewing Company
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 11%
- Score:
- +7 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.08 | pDev: 3.92%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 03, 2018
- Added:
- Dec 27, 2014
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
4.13/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.13/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Wax-sealed bottle received in a trade earlier this summer - my gratitude goes out to Chris for sending this limited edition bomber. Listed at an even 10%, and served barely chilled. I'm grading this as an English BW, since that's what they call it on the label.
Pours a translucent crimson-red burgundy colour, with one finger of loose, frothy, off white-coloured head seated atop. It wilts over the next couple of minutes, leaving behind a foamy collar and a few scattered splotches of lace. Lots of dark fruit on the nose - raisins, dates, prunes and fig newtons - and in case those aren't sweet enough for you, they're bulwarked by added notes of toffee, red licorice candy and molasses. Noticeably boozy, with kind of a fruitcake feel to the overall aroma.
This is the sort of beer that will put hair on your chest - intensely saccharine and malt-forward, forgoing any semblance of balance whatsoever. Notes of caramel and toffee immediately make themselves known, followed by hints of toasted bread and nutty almond mid-sip. Medjool dates, cherry, raisin and fig, with molasses and earthy, herbal hops on the back end, interrupted quickly by the boozy warmth and fruit-cakey sweetness of the aftertaste. Full-bodied, with light carbonation and an exceptionally soft, silky-smooth feel on the palate. A potentially dangerous brew - if you're not a professional drunk, you should either plan on limiting yourself to this one bottle for the night, share it with someone, or accept the inevitable hangover.
Final Grade: 4.13, an A-. When I think of an English BW, I think of a big malt-forward beer that is bold, fruity, and unabashedly boozy. I can't seriously argue that the Sadness of Ophelia doesn't meet all of those criteria with considerable gusto - indeed, this brew has aged beautifully, and is pretty much exactly what I expect from a traditional BW. This isn't something I'd ever reach for on a regular basis... but once a year, when the mood strikes? That's an entirely different story. A seriously solid barleywine that has managed to pique my interest - I'd love to try the barrel-aged Madness variant at some point.
Aug 30, 2016Pours a translucent crimson-red burgundy colour, with one finger of loose, frothy, off white-coloured head seated atop. It wilts over the next couple of minutes, leaving behind a foamy collar and a few scattered splotches of lace. Lots of dark fruit on the nose - raisins, dates, prunes and fig newtons - and in case those aren't sweet enough for you, they're bulwarked by added notes of toffee, red licorice candy and molasses. Noticeably boozy, with kind of a fruitcake feel to the overall aroma.
This is the sort of beer that will put hair on your chest - intensely saccharine and malt-forward, forgoing any semblance of balance whatsoever. Notes of caramel and toffee immediately make themselves known, followed by hints of toasted bread and nutty almond mid-sip. Medjool dates, cherry, raisin and fig, with molasses and earthy, herbal hops on the back end, interrupted quickly by the boozy warmth and fruit-cakey sweetness of the aftertaste. Full-bodied, with light carbonation and an exceptionally soft, silky-smooth feel on the palate. A potentially dangerous brew - if you're not a professional drunk, you should either plan on limiting yourself to this one bottle for the night, share it with someone, or accept the inevitable hangover.
Final Grade: 4.13, an A-. When I think of an English BW, I think of a big malt-forward beer that is bold, fruity, and unabashedly boozy. I can't seriously argue that the Sadness of Ophelia doesn't meet all of those criteria with considerable gusto - indeed, this brew has aged beautifully, and is pretty much exactly what I expect from a traditional BW. This isn't something I'd ever reach for on a regular basis... but once a year, when the mood strikes? That's an entirely different story. A seriously solid barleywine that has managed to pique my interest - I'd love to try the barrel-aged Madness variant at some point.
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