Barley Wine Ale Aged in Rye Whiskey, Bourbon & Red Wine Barrels
Broken Bow Brewery

Appearance: After a battle with the cork, I ultimately broke it off and pushed them remant down into the bottle - not the best way to open a beer but you gotta do what you gotta do; the initial pour had a two finger tan head capping the fudge brown liquid; after a few minutes, the head faded and there was no lacing action

Smell: Smells like American Pie (i.e. Whiskey and Rye) with chocolate, molasses, red wine grape, vanilla and coconut

Taste: The red wine barrels dominate with jammy red wine grape forward; underneath, the molasses adds a depth of sweetness that is buttressed by the Bourbon and spicier Rye barrel tones; backing up, there is cacao, berry and the hints of vanilla and coconut; the aftertaste is very bitter with a medicinal tone

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation; warmth in the gullet

Overall: The medicinal aftertaste detracts from the extreme complexity of the blend; after 2 1/2 years in the bottle, there is still a bit of a battle going on between the blends

Broken Bow Brewery "Barley Wine Ale Aged in Rye Whiskey, Bourbon & Red Wine Barrels"
25.36 fl. oz. brown glass bottle, corked & caged, and dated 12/19
$18 at the brewery on 22 March 2021

Notes via stream of consciousness: It didn't seem to have much carbonation upon opening but let's see. It's poured a very dark mahogany brown body with ruby highlights beneath a short cap of tan foam. If you hold it to the light you can see that it's clear. It appears black in the full Imperial pint glass that I've poured for myself - good thing I don't have to work tomorrow. The aroma is massive! It's loaded with fudge-brownie-like chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, coconut, vanilla, Bourbon, and soft oak. All I'm missing is the red wine. That's a really incredible aroma. I could just smell this all night, that's how enjoyable it is. Unfortunately I have a task at hand so let me give it a taste... ahhh, there's the red wine! I wasn't expecting that. I thought it would be rich and sweet like the aroma but that intense fruitiness comes right through at the outset. The rest of it comes forth mid palate, and I'll be damned if that's not a fabulously intense flavor. The switch from the red wine to the more fudge-like and sugary malt and then to a combination of the two is killer! And here I was worried that this might not be that good - it's absolutely fantastic. So what am I missing? ... ... ... there is a little bit of acidity to it that comes on with the wine, and that's a good thing because it helps to balance the rich maltiness. It seems lactic but it's not at an infection level, there's just a touch. It's definitely not Brett, and I'm assuming it's from the wine that was in the barrel. I'm also finding rich notes of dark chocolate that really work well with the red wine as well, giving it a kind of chocolate covered cherry thing. That chocolate really lingers in the aftertaste as well, steadily fading to become quite caramelish. It's not that bitter but there is some there, it just can't fight its way through the rich malt. I'm getting a little bit of nuttiness too, and I'm thinking almond although I wonder if that's just my brain going there because I'm getting rich dark chocolate and coconut like in an Almond Joy candy bar. If you let it go, once the chocolate fades in the finish plenty of raisin comes forth, which is nice. Then it dries up and your ready for another sip except that it takes a really long time to get there. I'm not getting a lot of alcohol here, although there is definitely some present. It wouldn't be the same without it, but it's the good kind that's not harsh or hot in anyway, just letting you know you're drinking a strong beer. In the mouth it's full bodied and dextrinous. The carbonation is moderate, and there's just a light caress on the tongue. That's OK for a beer like this, I have no problem with that at all as this is a sipper, not a standard beer. Overall I'm quite impressed with this.
Review #7,276

 

Decanted from a 25.36 oz (750 ml) bottle into a chardonnay glass; packaged October 2016.
A: Pours a clear, dark copper to mahogany brown with a short-lived, half finger, tan head, retention to a rim only, but with a little lacing.
S: Aromas of molasses, bourbon, cookie, and vanilla. Nutty.
T: Semisweet. Flavors similar to nose with molasses, bourbon, vanilla, and sugar cookie. Strong tobacco, nutty, and earthy notes. Fairly boozy. Bitterness ever-present, but fairly understated relatively to the sweetness.
M: Full bodied with no more than moderate carbonation.
O: A strong, nicely composed, if somewhat boozy, American Barleywine. Had been saving a couple of years and opened for New Year's Eve. Enjoyed it.

 

750ml bottle with relatively little head but some retained lacing. A nice melange of smells on the nose, presumably attributable to the blend of barrels. However, the flavor profile was dominated by the red wine, with very prominent tannins and berry tartness. I've enjoyed plenty of ales aged in wine barrels, but the degree of fruit and tartness on the palate has me wondering whether some undesirables were left in the bottle and are taking hold slowly over time. (Purely speculation, as I have not tried this fresh and have not had other beers from Broken Bow, so I don't know if what I tasted was consistent with their intention. That said, given a mix of barrels to choose from, I would never have blended so heavily in favor of the wine barrels.) I had to enlist my wife to help finish it because, while interesting, I didn't enjoy it enough to have a second glass.

Poured from a 750 mL bottle

Pours the color of a stout, with the character of a barleywine. Dark brown (nearly black) and viscous, with quickly-dissipating cola-colored foam, with outstanding sticky lacing.

The aromas advertised on the label are all "there," though the whiskey notes are the most pronounced. Sweet vanilla bourbon and dry rye are at the fore with vinous oak taking a finely balanced second-chair. And then chocolate, anise, smoke, a hint of dark fruit bring it all home. Fine, complex, and balanced.

The flavor is as complex as one might expect given the variety of aging employed. Again, the whiskey notes are the strongest--bourbon vanilla, rye caramel, and malt malt and more malt hit you right between the eyes, and then--the red-wine barrels deliver the oak, dark fruit, berries, and licorice spice. The finish is bitter chocolate, smoke, and spice, with a hint of red-wine fruitiness. The 14% (!) ABV is remarkably hidden, providing more of a drying note than a burning one.

The mouthfeel is all about the wonderful interplay of muted but persistent carbonation mixed with the warming spiciness imparted by the unmistakable, but never unpleasant booziness, and a pleasing touch of acidity.

Overall, a fine limited release barley-wine that doesn't let the "barrel-aging" overpower what is clearly a fine base brew. Highly recommended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter. 10/16 hand written in the "Date Packaged" box.
A: Pours a nice thick deep brown hue (minimal light comes through with backlighting) with 1 inch light tan head with good retention. The head is maintained around the edges of the glass throughout. Faint lacing.
S: Can start to smell this immediately after opening the bottle and from a couple feet away. Bready yeast, raisin, cinnamon, sweet caramel malt, with a hint of rye whiskey. With warming, a buttery merlot comes forward and just the slightest hint of bourbon.
T: Bready yeast, cinnamon, and raisin hit first, closely followed by a brief bourbon note, which leads on to a full bodied red wine note that lingers more on the palate. Later on, oak, vanilla, and rye whiskey emerge. Hints of dark chocolate and berries too. Just a load of complexity here! In the finish, the red wine makes a resurgence to the forefront again.
M: Medium-heavy body...which means this drinks ridiculously below the hefty 14%. Super smooth and sweet (caramel, berry, dark dried fruit, etc.). Toasted notes with a mild warming in the finish. Excellent lingering and maturing on the palate too.
D: This is exactly why I love blends! So much complexity packed in here. A very interesting brew and well balanced. Definitely not your typical barleywine. Well done, Broken Bow! Careful...the 14% will catch up with you!

Review from BeerAdvocate magazine issue #110
(MAR 2016)

Sweet, Toasty, Woody, Alcohol
There’s more than enough wood tannin here, plus spice from the rye barrel-aging and alcohol. A kiss of sweetness up front is followed by suggestions of caramel and raisins, and then it seems to settle into a semi-dry state in the finish. Quite a unique Barleywine. I expected something with a bit more body and a sugary backing, but I’m actually loving that this beer doesn’t have either. Warming with a kiss of fusel alcohol from the barrel in the finish. How is this 14 percent? Its very well hidden for the most part. Great job! [Jason]

Look 3.75 | Smell 3.75 | Taste 4.00 | Feel 4.25 | Overall 4.00

Sampled this at the brewery. L - dark copper - almost heading towards brown. Small head with decent lacing. S - Pick up some whiskey notes, but not overpowering. Smell was pleasant, but not mind-blowing. T - Strong malt backbone. Barrel is there, but not in your face like some. A little on the sweet side, but I found the 14% to be well hidden. F - Nice mouthfeel. A big, chewy beer. O - I really liked this beer. Not the best BA Barleywine I've had, but I will definitely pick up a bottle or two. Local grocery has it at $14.99 for a 750ml. Certainly not bad for what you get.