Bottle Logic / Ritual - Arcane Rituals
Bottle Logic Brewing
Beer Geek Stats:
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- Style:
- British Barleywine
Ranked #35 - ABV:
- 13.6%
- Score:
- 93
Ranked #2,182 - Avg:
- 4.54 | pDev: 5.29%
- Reviews:
- 10
- Ratings:
- From:
- Bottle Logic Brewing
- California, United States
- Avail:
- One-off
- Wants
- 7
- Gots
- 7
SCORE
93
Outstanding
93
Outstanding
Notes:
The crackling magic of Chevallier Heritage malt courses through this English-style barleywine. A combination of bourbon, brandy, and VSOP cognac barrels cast a spirited spell over the brew and mix to manipulate space and time, opening a viscous liquid portal into what surely must be immortality.
Reviews: 10
| Ratings: 31
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4.79/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Dark mahogany brown, nearing black but not quite, with a moderate, uniformly dense khaki foam head settling to a short but persistently thick collar.
Super deep and rich, yet mature and infinitely complex. A character of bourbon syrup gives an impression of thickness without any sort of absurd viscosity whatsoever. An excellent barrel char brings Tootsie Roll, caramel and vanilla marshmallow ribbons with it, accented by black pepper. The nose is just so chock full of vanilla nougat.
The moderate body is slick and smooth, broken up by a crackly carbonation that is pulling out chocolate and toffee drizzled graham, as well as dark fruit notes that come across like a wonderfully woody Madeira. But again, I must stress, this isn't an overly thick or decadent sugar bomb. Having recently had Maple BA Mecha Planetoid, the contrast is illustrative. Arcane Rituals is so much more complex, drinkable, mature and refined. It's just astounding how the pastry notes really get pulled out of the oak and interplay with the malt without any having been added.
Is this the best beer Bottle Logic has made? Quite possibly. And it's also one of my favorite barleywines in general, full stop.
1,189 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Dark mahogany brown, nearing black but not quite, with a moderate, uniformly dense khaki foam head settling to a short but persistently thick collar.
Super deep and rich, yet mature and infinitely complex. A character of bourbon syrup gives an impression of thickness without any sort of absurd viscosity whatsoever. An excellent barrel char brings Tootsie Roll, caramel and vanilla marshmallow ribbons with it, accented by black pepper. The nose is just so chock full of vanilla nougat.
The moderate body is slick and smooth, broken up by a crackly carbonation that is pulling out chocolate and toffee drizzled graham, as well as dark fruit notes that come across like a wonderfully woody Madeira. But again, I must stress, this isn't an overly thick or decadent sugar bomb. Having recently had Maple BA Mecha Planetoid, the contrast is illustrative. Arcane Rituals is so much more complex, drinkable, mature and refined. It's just astounding how the pastry notes really get pulled out of the oak and interplay with the malt without any having been added.
Is this the best beer Bottle Logic has made? Quite possibly. And it's also one of my favorite barleywines in general, full stop.
1,189 characters
4.67/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
This murky, mahogany brown beer that sports a dense, dark tan head looks like an imperial stout from a distance. It’s only when you hold the glass up to light that you see the brown colors, especially on the edges. What a beautiful beer.
The nose is filled with boozy aromas that feature cherries, stone fruit, toffee, caramel, and a subtle milk chocolate note. This is SCREAMING “dessert beer.”
That dessert beer theme carries through to the taste. There’s a lot of sweet in this beer, with the cherries, caramel, toffee, and milk chocolate, but the stone fruit and booze reel this huge barleywine back in before it ventures into “Cloyingville.”
The mouthfeel is full and has a silky quality I didn’t expect. Stated quite simply, this is the best barleywine I’ve had. It’s truly magnificent.
818 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
This murky, mahogany brown beer that sports a dense, dark tan head looks like an imperial stout from a distance. It’s only when you hold the glass up to light that you see the brown colors, especially on the edges. What a beautiful beer.
The nose is filled with boozy aromas that feature cherries, stone fruit, toffee, caramel, and a subtle milk chocolate note. This is SCREAMING “dessert beer.”
That dessert beer theme carries through to the taste. There’s a lot of sweet in this beer, with the cherries, caramel, toffee, and milk chocolate, but the stone fruit and booze reel this huge barleywine back in before it ventures into “Cloyingville.”
The mouthfeel is full and has a silky quality I didn’t expect. Stated quite simply, this is the best barleywine I’ve had. It’s truly magnificent.
818 characters
4.68/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Had on tap. Medium brown with light edges and a tan collar. Toffee, raisin, cognac, brandy, brown sugar, plenty of wood, and a hint of dried cherry within some bourbon. Taste explodes intensely: bourbon, wood, dark fruit, and caramel start us, with a huge burst of cognac, brandy, plum, raisin, super rich toffee, malts, and cherry, with vanilla, more toffee, a huge spot of barley and moderate booze to round it out, superb. Feel is so smooth, well balanced, with great barrel character that doesn't allow it to get too boozy or sweet. Great contrasting extremes in the flavors, getting the most out of everything involved. The wife loved it
648 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Had on tap. Medium brown with light edges and a tan collar. Toffee, raisin, cognac, brandy, brown sugar, plenty of wood, and a hint of dried cherry within some bourbon. Taste explodes intensely: bourbon, wood, dark fruit, and caramel start us, with a huge burst of cognac, brandy, plum, raisin, super rich toffee, malts, and cherry, with vanilla, more toffee, a huge spot of barley and moderate booze to round it out, superb. Feel is so smooth, well balanced, with great barrel character that doesn't allow it to get too boozy or sweet. Great contrasting extremes in the flavors, getting the most out of everything involved. The wife loved it
648 characters
4.64/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
I can't possibly give a proper review as I drank this last night with friends and family for Thanksgiving. What I can do is say thank you very much to Derek for the bottle. This was extremely delicious and definitely the favorite if the night of said party. Rich, decadent, bursting with aromas and flavors. A must seek for any Barleywine fan out there. Cheers!
366 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
I can't possibly give a proper review as I drank this last night with friends and family for Thanksgiving. What I can do is say thank you very much to Derek for the bottle. This was extremely delicious and definitely the favorite if the night of said party. Rich, decadent, bursting with aromas and flavors. A must seek for any Barleywine fan out there. Cheers!
366 characters
4.8/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
500ml bottle, poured into a snifter.
Dark brown, very small off white head, which mostly diminishes. Fairly murky for an English Barleywine.
In the nose I get a lot of barrel, followed by leather, brown surgar, caramel, some cherry and cognac.
The favor is very complex and well balanced, flavors include vanilla, bourbon, caramel, cherry, brown sugar.
The feel is full bodied, syrupy and skicky. It coats the mouth and lets the favor linger.
Overall this is a really well executed beer. A great example of a beer that pulls complex flavors from the barrels. The base keeps it from blurring any lines. This is a barley wine. An excellent one at that.
As I dtink my last bottle, I'm left with the thought, I hope they rebrew this one.
741 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
500ml bottle, poured into a snifter.
Dark brown, very small off white head, which mostly diminishes. Fairly murky for an English Barleywine.
In the nose I get a lot of barrel, followed by leather, brown surgar, caramel, some cherry and cognac.
The favor is very complex and well balanced, flavors include vanilla, bourbon, caramel, cherry, brown sugar.
The feel is full bodied, syrupy and skicky. It coats the mouth and lets the favor linger.
Overall this is a really well executed beer. A great example of a beer that pulls complex flavors from the barrels. The base keeps it from blurring any lines. This is a barley wine. An excellent one at that.
As I dtink my last bottle, I'm left with the thought, I hope they rebrew this one.
741 characters
4.24/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This one pours a slightly murky dark brown color, with a small head, and not much lacing.
This smells like cognac, jammy dark fruit, bourbon, oak, chocolate, caramel, and brandy.
The various barrels intertwining work very well here, adding a fruity sweetness that goes well with the toasty and caramelly malt backbone. It doesn't go into cloying or too intense territory - it's surprisingly balanced, as the barrel tempers the sweet desserty backbone.
This is medium bodied, and not boozy at all, with a pretty nice level of drinkability for the style.
Bottle Logic does a lot of barleywines and strong ales, but the ones that don't have "adjuncts" added are almost always better here.
689 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This one pours a slightly murky dark brown color, with a small head, and not much lacing.
This smells like cognac, jammy dark fruit, bourbon, oak, chocolate, caramel, and brandy.
The various barrels intertwining work very well here, adding a fruity sweetness that goes well with the toasty and caramelly malt backbone. It doesn't go into cloying or too intense territory - it's surprisingly balanced, as the barrel tempers the sweet desserty backbone.
This is medium bodied, and not boozy at all, with a pretty nice level of drinkability for the style.
Bottle Logic does a lot of barleywines and strong ales, but the ones that don't have "adjuncts" added are almost always better here.
689 characters
4.59/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Tons of flavor in this bad boy the. Tons of figs and Brandy. The three barrels did this wonders. The cognac barrel balanced the Brandy over-sweetness. Everything you look for in a good heavy barley wine
202 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Tons of flavor in this bad boy the. Tons of figs and Brandy. The three barrels did this wonders. The cognac barrel balanced the Brandy over-sweetness. Everything you look for in a good heavy barley wine
202 characters
3.92/5 rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Boozy bourbon, salty sweet aromatics on this one. Taste follows well, with a sweet boozy chocolate bite...a little heat in there. Decent on the palate...
154 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Boozy bourbon, salty sweet aromatics on this one. Taste follows well, with a sweet boozy chocolate bite...a little heat in there. Decent on the palate...
154 characters
4.49/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
500 mL bottle poured into teku glass. 2019 vintage.
Dark amber-brown with a thin off-white lacing.
Nose: Bourbon, dark fruits, oak, and a bit of peach.
Taste: The barrels dominate with a healthy dose of bourbon and brandy. Nice backbone of dark fruit and caramel malt. Extremely balanced, very drinkable considering the abv. Just a hint of heat on the finish.
Feel: Full-bodied and extremely smooth.
406 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
500 mL bottle poured into teku glass. 2019 vintage.
Dark amber-brown with a thin off-white lacing.
Nose: Bourbon, dark fruits, oak, and a bit of peach.
Taste: The barrels dominate with a healthy dose of bourbon and brandy. Nice backbone of dark fruit and caramel malt. Extremely balanced, very drinkable considering the abv. Just a hint of heat on the finish.
Feel: Full-bodied and extremely smooth.
406 characters
4.57/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Malt-heavy English barleywine with caramel, toffee, nougat, raisin and mild barrel accents. ABV is nearly undetectable. Thick and silky smooth. World class.
156 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Malt-heavy English barleywine with caramel, toffee, nougat, raisin and mild barrel accents. ABV is nearly undetectable. Thick and silky smooth. World class.
156 characters
Bottle Logic / Ritual - Arcane Rituals from Bottle Logic Brewing
Beer rating:
93 out of
100 with
31 ratings
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