Big Barleywine
Zaftig Brewing Co.

A barleywine evening. Having omelets and fried potatoes for dinner and cool for Texas evening.

Got this beer while in Cincinnati.

Poured from a can into a tulip glass. Dark mahogany color with a good beige head and nice curtain lacing. Caramel and toffee smell and taste. Vanilla, sweet cherries,and cinnamon. Warming and comforting. Excellent with dinner.

Canned on 12/8/21. 16oz can poured into a tulip.

Pours a murky mahogany with ruby and auburn hues; small khaki head that fades leaving decent retention and lacing.

The aromas are malt forward. Lots of sweet caramel and sweet cherries.

The flavors follow the nose perfectly. Lots of caramel leading the way. More cherries. Some dark fruits. Some toffee and cocoa. Hints of vanilla and coconut in the mix. Low bitterness. Solid sweetness. Strong malt backbone. Mild warmth in the finish, but the alcohol is ultimately well hidden considering the ABV.

Mouthfeel is full-bodied with moderate to low carbonation. It's slick and smooth.

This is a really nice barleywine. It's a classic and traditional example of the style. It's big and bold while remaining balanced. Well done. I really like it.

 

 

 

 

16.9 ounce/500 ml bottle, Batch #130, bottled on 12/05/2016, label says 13.5% ABV. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a dark brown color with some ruby reddish tinges to it. There's a couple inch tan head, the head retention is great and there's also a small amount of lacing. Aroma is nice and sweet, the brew smells like caramel, molasses, dark fruit, brown sugar and candied fruit. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some dark bread, sweet apple, peppery spice and earthy flavors. Like the aroma, it's mostly sweet. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick and smooth with a good amount of carbonation. For being 13.5% ABV this sure doesn't seem that strong! I know Zaftig calls this an American style barleywine but with about 10 months of age on it, if I tried this in a blind tasting you could tell me this was an English style barleywine and I'd agree. Either way I think this is a pretty good barleywine, I really liked drinking this one. Maybe I need to try this fresher in the future. Or not. $9.99 a bottle.

500 ml bottle into snifter, bottled on 12/5/2016. Labeled as 13.5%. Quite over carbonated upon opening, let this degas through the glass. They probably bottled this prematurely. Pours fairly hazy dark ruby red/light brown color with a 2-3 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of huge raisin, prune, plum, peach, fig, apricot, apple, date, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, molasses, toasted brown bread, herbal, floral, light pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt sweetness, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of huge raisin, prune, plum, peach, fig, apricot, apple, date, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, molasses, toasted brown bread, herbal, floral, light pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of raisin, prune, plum, peach, fig, apricot, apple, date, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, molasses, toasted brown bread, herbal, floral, light pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt sweetness, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from bitterness and carbonation; touch of lingering resin. Medium-high carbonation and massively full bodied; with a very creamy, slick, and fairly syrupy/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden; lightly increasing warming and mild booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is a very nice American barelywine. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt sweetness, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Pretty interesting take on the style, was expecting more hop presence. Super sweet but not cloying, huge dominating fruity yeast and sweet malts; but has just enough hops to balance things out. A very enjoyable offering.

Visited the brewery last night whilst son had hockey practice at the Ice Works. It poured a hazy amber with white head that left some lace. The scent had alcohol and wheat. The taste was very sweet and white winish. The Mouthfeel was medium in body with smooth carbonation. Overall I did not think this was a very good Barley Wine. Way to sweet for me

 

 

Great representation of barley wine style but amped up. Just like their other beers they are big and bold but don't stray from the true taste of the style.

Big boozy malt profile. At 12% ABV, will kick your ass AND take your name.