Helliwell
Muddy York Brewing Co.

Keep this one brief, didn't really produce a lot of head and what was there was almost soda pop like, nice brown red body though. Toffee, caramel, plum and maybe a hint of oakey whiskey, which is fair because this stuff does not disguise it's alcohol at all. I've had Belgians and Barleywines that come across as far less boozey then this stuff. It really mutes the same notes in the nose, save the addition of piney hops near the end. That high alcohol does keep the palate clean in the aftertaste, and it carbonation is welcome while it sticks around, but this stuff just isn't doing it for me. It's like drinking overproof wine.

1815
Name: Helliwell
Brewery: Muddy York Brewing
Location: Ontario CN
Style: Old Ale
Date: 02/23/2022
Not many of these beers are floating around anymore. Breweries are jumping on the fruity or hazy IPA train. I am happy to see breweries doing these beers. I am using a tulip glass, and the temperature is 46 degrees. A hard pour created a tan half-fingered head with dismal retention. The color of the beer is SRM 18, ruby brown with mahogany hues. The clarity is mostly clear with a few carbonation bubbles. The appearance is average; I wanted a longer-lasting head.
A toasty note with caramel, bread, floral, prunes, raisins, and leather is what I smell.
This surprised me; the nose was malt forward and had little hops. The taste is this muscular malt body with a massive dose of hops. The flavors are bread, prunes, caramel, leather, tobacco, floral esters, grapefruit, pine tar, oranges, and bay leaves.
The mouthfeel is astringent and chewy with a long finish. The body is medium-plus and has medium carbonation.
I am stuck here. This beer is closer to an American Barleywine, similar to an Arrogant Bastard. I enjoyed sipping on this ale with huge flavors. Thank you, Peter, for this beer.

Mild head production; before too long, it has receded to a thin pale cream-colored ring around the edge of the glass and a thin, sparse topper. Body is an attractive dark brown with hints of red and purple, apparently lively and clear, but difficult to say due to the dark color.

Lovely nutty aroma, with strong notes of chocolate and caramel, as well as secondary notes of prune, cola, and leather. A bit of booze as well, but not harsh.

A bit lacking in balance on the palate, as the malt and yeast come together in a nuts-banana-cola sweetness, not quite offset by the bark-and-leather edge of the hops. Not particularly complex, but tasty. A bit hot on the palate; this isn't a modern beer that tries to hide the ABV, but it's by no means harsh.

Thanks to Coronaeus for this one from NBS BIF #12. 375ml bottle poured into 14oz teku. Poured a cloudy dark brown color with 1/4 inch of tan head that had very low retention and no lacing.

The aroma had the expected rich malts of the style, and also had a touch of leather, and some wood and wine from the Chateau Lafite Rothschild barrel it spent time in.

All those aspects were also apparent on the tongue, along with a slight bit of smokiness.

The body was a touch thinner than I've found for the style, and could have used some carb, but was smooth and even, and, while sweet, the finish was a bit drier than anticipated.

Drinkability was nice. I wouldn't mind having a few bottles for the cellar.

Overall, a very nice example of style that there should be more of.