Divine Reserve #1
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
- From:
- Saint Arnold Brewing Company
- Texas, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 9.3%
- Score:
- 86
- Avg:
- 3.8 | pDev: 14.47%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 18
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 08, 2020
- Added:
- Nov 03, 2005
- Wants:
- 14
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
Brewed: August 18, 2005
Bottled: October 17, 2005
Cases Made: 327
Brewed with pale Maris Otter malt as a base and supplemented with Munich and Chocolate malts. It was then heavily hopped in both the kettle (with Northern Brewer and Cascades) and in the fermenter (with Saaz). Fermented at 72 F with Saint Arnold's yeast. The first few cases where bottled without filtering which caused complications with the bottling line. The remainder were bottled with an in-line hop filter which removed the hop particles only.
Bottled: October 17, 2005
Cases Made: 327
Brewed with pale Maris Otter malt as a base and supplemented with Munich and Chocolate malts. It was then heavily hopped in both the kettle (with Northern Brewer and Cascades) and in the fermenter (with Saaz). Fermented at 72 F with Saint Arnold's yeast. The first few cases where bottled without filtering which caused complications with the bottling line. The remainder were bottled with an in-line hop filter which removed the hop particles only.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by brokensail from California
3.2/5 rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
3.2/5 rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Thanks to Bobby for sharing yet another series of beers.
A: The pour is a murky brownish color with just about no head. Some scattered light khaki bubbles.
S: This beer is fairly oxidized, but still some brown sugar, toffee, and caramel. A few hints of dark fruits, too.
T: Still a surprising amount of piney bitterness to this beer. Toffee, stale brown sugar, and some light chocolate and caramel. A bit of cardboard, as well.
M: The body is medium and so is the carbonation.
D: Not much left worth drinking, here. Lots of oxidation and not in the good, "chocolatey" sense.
Sep 27, 2010A: The pour is a murky brownish color with just about no head. Some scattered light khaki bubbles.
S: This beer is fairly oxidized, but still some brown sugar, toffee, and caramel. A few hints of dark fruits, too.
T: Still a surprising amount of piney bitterness to this beer. Toffee, stale brown sugar, and some light chocolate and caramel. A bit of cardboard, as well.
M: The body is medium and so is the carbonation.
D: Not much left worth drinking, here. Lots of oxidation and not in the good, "chocolatey" sense.
Reviewed by gford217 from Georgia
3.88/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle courtesy of KAggie97 poured into a snifter.
Pours a dark, murky brown with hints of orange around the edges with a decent beige head that leaves a collar and spotty lacing on the way down.
The aroma is fairly mellow with lots of sweet caramel malts and even hints of citrus aroma. There are some dark fruits in the nose as well.
The taste is a tad better than the aroma and has a quick (and faint) hop hint up front. Outside of that, it's really about the sweet caramel malts and toffee with some raisins and a bit of woody dryness in the finish.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied with good carbonation and very smooth and slick going down.
This is a decent barleywine that has definitely held up well over time. It's not as complex as some of the world-class barleywines out there but it's definitely drinkable despite probably seeing better days.
Jun 16, 2009Pours a dark, murky brown with hints of orange around the edges with a decent beige head that leaves a collar and spotty lacing on the way down.
The aroma is fairly mellow with lots of sweet caramel malts and even hints of citrus aroma. There are some dark fruits in the nose as well.
The taste is a tad better than the aroma and has a quick (and faint) hop hint up front. Outside of that, it's really about the sweet caramel malts and toffee with some raisins and a bit of woody dryness in the finish.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied with good carbonation and very smooth and slick going down.
This is a decent barleywine that has definitely held up well over time. It's not as complex as some of the world-class barleywines out there but it's definitely drinkable despite probably seeing better days.
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina
4.42/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
4.42/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Blowing the doors off tonight with one of my last big, huge tastings of the year. I am gonna roll through all seven of these tonight thanks to a very kind trader. Only one way to do this, so up first is #1. Served chilled and poured into an oversized pint glass, this one was consumed on 12/27/2008.
The pour was nice. A rich amber color with a wonderful haziness and a light off white crown that sat for a second before going bare. Some sediment in the bottom of the glass.
The aroma was very nice. Rich caramel malts, and light hop notes still present afte all this time, simply amazing hey were still there. Very sweet overall. The flavor though was out of this world. Very mellow, with an enormously nice profile to it. Rich candied malts were the norm here. Thick, syrup like consistency with a smooth and subtle bready profile. Light hops in the finish were enough to let you know this one was hot when it was new. Much mellowed now, as was the acohol which was a mere afterthought.
Overall this is drinking wonderfully and it really is a sublime barleywine at this time. Cannot wait to move on to #2 with dinner.
Dec 27, 2008The pour was nice. A rich amber color with a wonderful haziness and a light off white crown that sat for a second before going bare. Some sediment in the bottom of the glass.
The aroma was very nice. Rich caramel malts, and light hop notes still present afte all this time, simply amazing hey were still there. Very sweet overall. The flavor though was out of this world. Very mellow, with an enormously nice profile to it. Rich candied malts were the norm here. Thick, syrup like consistency with a smooth and subtle bready profile. Light hops in the finish were enough to let you know this one was hot when it was new. Much mellowed now, as was the acohol which was a mere afterthought.
Overall this is drinking wonderfully and it really is a sublime barleywine at this time. Cannot wait to move on to #2 with dinner.
Reviewed by mar from Texas
4.2/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
4.2/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
bottle poured into a snifter. very deep murky brown color with no head at all. malts, fruits and cloves on the nose. nice thickness and there are still some hops that are noticeable. very bitter taste but the hops smooth this one out. i'd like to get another bottle of this for fun.
Apr 23, 2008
Reviewed by JDV from Texas
4/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle shared by chadspivey. Thanks!
Rich chocolately, caramel color and a yellowish, beige head atop. Fresh caramelly scent and an almost bright lemony hint to accompany. Taste is very smooth, easy drinking and I got an almost oaky, drying flavor out of it as well. This has stood up well over time, and was a great barley wine, I thought. Glad to have been able to try it, and wish more were available.
Mar 26, 2008Rich chocolately, caramel color and a yellowish, beige head atop. Fresh caramelly scent and an almost bright lemony hint to accompany. Taste is very smooth, easy drinking and I got an almost oaky, drying flavor out of it as well. This has stood up well over time, and was a great barley wine, I thought. Glad to have been able to try it, and wish more were available.
Reviewed by hoppymeal from Michigan
4.07/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.07/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a murky and hazy rusty amber in color with zero head. Aroma is a sweet caramel bready maltiness, sweet and sugary mixed in with some nice deep salty and old leather notes of aged malts. Taste shows some sweet sugary caramel malts but they are much more muted than in the aroma, a bit of a tart bite in the finish before a warmth of alcohol. Mouthfeel is medium in body, slightly slick and watery from the very low level of carbonation. A good barleywine that has obviously seen its better day. Still, an incredible aroma and very drinkable for me though I do wish I could have tried a fresh sample for comparison. Thanks to Steve for the opportunity.
Feb 29, 2008
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania
3.85/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.85/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Much thanks to hopdog for unleashing this aged beauty...
Appears a dark amber with a light tan head that quickly fades into a mild collar. Spotty speckles of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of caramel, vanilla, toffee, and cocoa, and light notes of cherries.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with standout caramel grains on the tip of the tongue.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, boozy, syrupy, and surprisingly drinkable with hardly a notice of the abv.
Feb 19, 2008Appears a dark amber with a light tan head that quickly fades into a mild collar. Spotty speckles of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of caramel, vanilla, toffee, and cocoa, and light notes of cherries.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with standout caramel grains on the tip of the tongue.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, boozy, syrupy, and surprisingly drinkable with hardly a notice of the abv.
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