Indentured Soul
Declaration Brewing Company

 

this is an excellent barleywine, in my case aged in breckenridge whiskey barrels, but they do several different versions of this one, and actually are currently selling a six pack of cans where each one is aged in a different barrel, which i think is awesome, except for the price which is north of ten bucks a can. still, a neat project, and the breckenridge edition is great, sweet but not overly sticky or boozy, and just well layered with the malts, notes of toffee and black tea and pretzel and caramel and raisin, not stupidly complex but nicely constructed. not particularly hoppy, but i dont really get any english yeast either, sort of a mild hybrid between the two, more american though, i think the tameness of both sets up the barrel really well, and i think this would be missing something without it. the whiskey adds a great vanilla note and a lot of wet wood, making this at once richer and more well rounded than it would otherwise be. lots of body, some confection type sweetness at the end, a splash of maple and just a little alcohol late. very good beer, id love to try some of the more interesting barrel aged versions, but i may be priced out...

edit: a little less good over time, tons of sediment in it, lots of caramel, cardboard, and toffee, some parts of it remain real nice, but its fallen off quite a bit in a few years. thick as can be, boozy and sweet, still some bubbles. heavy beer, more winter than spring, not sure which barrel aged version i had this time around, but its strong and massive.

 

 

 

 

 

Served on draft at the brewery.

Appearance: copper brown. Very brite and copper colored when held to light. A light tan head lasts as a very thin lacing.

Aroma: not much there...at all. The aroma is almost non-existent. Totally neutral.

Flavor: a generic blend of malts, none stand out. Anonymous, but malt flavor then fades into an alcohol warmth, and suddenly the beer improves. At 11.3% abv, the alcohol is well hidden. The warmth is there, but it is in no ways hot.

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy. Nice. Just about right. Perhaps a bit light given the abv. More body would be beneficial.

Overall: an excellent beginning but the flavor and aroma need improvement. More malt standout flavors and aroma - any aroma.