Old Salty Barleywine 2002
Heavyweight Brewing Co.

Old Salty Barleywine 2002Old Salty Barleywine 2002
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From:
Heavyweight Brewing Co.
 
New Jersey, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
91
Avg:
4.15 | pDev: 11.08%
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
29
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 05, 2012
Added:
Dec 19, 2002
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by Suds:
Photo of Suds
Reviewed by Suds from Missouri

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2002 Vintage.
Wow! This is one phenomenal beer. First, some serious pressure built up in the bottle....the twist off cap exploded with a loud pop rather than a hiss.
Pours a deep, ruddy brown with an amazing head. The foam is thick, deelp, soft, stickey, and everlasting. High carbonation and a lot of yeast. Served in a tall tulip glass, this beer is something to see.
Aroma is a mix of alcohol, malt, and a pleasant woodiness. The aroma isn't as intense as a lot of great barlywines, but it's still quite nice.
The taste begins with a ripe fruit, berry sweetness. Midtaste fades into a malty sweetness, and the finish is very creamy and smooth. Wonderful yeast fullness and thick mouthfeel throughout.
Great beer! I'm sure to have many more.
May 16, 2003
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.25 by whartontallboy from New York

Jul 05, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by nmann08 from Virginia

Feb 19, 2012
Photo of Higravity
Reviewed by Higravity from Michigan

5/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
My last bottle opened on my birthday-eve. I had hidden this one for so long I don't think I would have found it until I moved out if not for my cats, but I digress. I poured it into my thick walled Chimay chalice and the dark brown liquid still gave me a decent head. The smell was mouth watering mix of malty sweetness with caramel notes and still a touch of piney hops. Laces the glass as I drink it down and the taste is near orgasm. Malt driven with a hint of oxidation but not too much with still some tange to the hops. This holds up so well and I am truly sad that Heavyweight will be closing soon. Well so long 2002 it was a good year.
Jun 07, 2006
Photo of ppoitras
Reviewed by ppoitras from Massachusetts

4.88/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
12oz bottle from jcalbi as part of BIF15. Thanks for the opportunity. Brewed 2002, according to the label.

Poured into a Rapscallion glass, formed a 1 1/2" tan head above the clear burgundy brew. Head lasts very well, with heavy foam lacing, both incredible for style and age. Aroma is sweet malts, and fruity alcohol. Taste is just as the nose indicated, with a warming alcohol close. Mouthfeel and drinkability are superb. Creamy and smooth, goes down like nothing of this age and alcohol should. Only wish I had more...
Dec 11, 2005
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.8/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A good barleywine and beverage. Orange body with Very thin head. Scotch colour and scotch and bold barleywine flavour. Well carbonated. Saltwater taffy and malt. Molasses sweetness, fruity, citrus, medium bodied. Ages nicely and different than other barleywines in sweetness. Very quaffable.
Dec 06, 2005
Photo of granger10
Reviewed by granger10 from Wisconsin

4.37/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
The third version of the Old Salty vertical thanks to Shapudding.

This had a lighter red color with a bit of a head and some decent lacing. Aroma had much more hop precense than before. A fruity bitterness and earthy spicyness seemed present. Alcohol took the form of cream sherry. Lighter fruits were there with the darker fruits. The taste followed form. Light cherry fruits then some sherry and caramel came about. Quite vinous and great mouthfeel from these flavors. Spicyness was higher and maybe even more saltyness. The hop strike in the finish made this beer the best, most balanced of the 4 Old Salty versions I tried. Definitely worth a try.
Sep 30, 2005
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Of my recent vertical tasting of Old Salty (2000-2004), I found the 2000 to be brilliant, and the 2002 to be my otherwise favorite.

2002. On the label, the Salty Dog looks in the mirror at his aged self... leaving the viewer to ponder. There are lots of possibilities here, and I think this might be Mr. Coleman's best label so far. It seems like only yesterday I bought a case of this, and now there's only one bottle left.... perhaps I have become the Salty Dog in the mirror!? Nah! That was only 3 years ago!!!

It pours a fairly-clear/slightly-hazy crimson and orange accented amber-copper body beneath a short head of creamy yellowed-ivory foam that holds immaculately and maintains a short wall of lace around the collar as it drops. No lace sticks, but the short wall is quite nice in itself. And for a barleywine, for it to hold its head to the bottom of the glass is quite remarkable. Additionally, the clarity it offers is pretty damned good considering it's bottle conditioned.

The nose is cereal-like, grainy, lightly cocoa-ish and drizzled with caramel. Ovaltine comes to mind. There's some soft fruitiness to it; a pinch of leafy/grassy/floral hops; and some alcohol. It appears almost candyish in a way, like cotton candy, but with some fresh cut strawberries and cherries on the side. It's enticing, to say the least.

In the mouth it's just lightly tingly on the tongue with a medium-full body and standard English-style barleywine carbonation.

The flavor is rich with caramel, toffee, and slight molasses; and accented by notes of ripe red summer fruit (berries, cherries, apple), leafy/grassy/floral hops, and a spritz of mild alcohol. The bitterness is kept to a balancing minimum (or perhaps it's softened a bit with age), and it's superbly balanced; leaving it to finish dry and lingering with a dull bitter undercurrent and a residual smear of leafy hops and some licorice-tinged, molasses-like malt.

Brilliant! Utterly brilliant! Oh-so-English and Oh-so-good! Not to be missed!
Aug 04, 2005
Photo of blitheringidiot
Reviewed by blitheringidiot from Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
HEAVYWEIGHT 2002 Barleywine Ale label. No ABV %.

Pours into a tylip with a frothy coating that hangs out for the party, quite easily aroused with a swirl. Brilliant ruby cloudy glow with plenty of settled particles that managed to comingle around.

Scents of sweet grapes, raisins, currants, bananas, Mostly Kraft caramel square like malts. That’s good malts. Dense raisins and figs aroma.

First swigs: Pancake dry malts and sweet fig and plum flavors. Smooth. No Awl-kee-hawl detected. This is an under the radar zinger. Cherry & dark fruit. Cherry ice cream syrup. Am I at IHOP drinking syrup? Caramel cubes malts.

This is a winner!

Re-reviewed from 06-06-2005 to 06-21-2005 from a case of vertical 4 packs via Beeryard last year. Looking forward to next year.

Barley wine is good. Happy beering.
Jun 22, 2005
Photo of meathookjones
Reviewed by meathookjones from Virginia

4.42/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Murky brownish red with a small cap of tan foam that disappears into the body fairly quickly. Sweet molasses and ripe dark fruit come out quite strong. Light smoky and mustiness to it add some interesting depth. Some caramel as well. Flavor starts off with a big sweet kick of fruits, plums, figs and other darker fruits with a syrupy molasses coating. Hints of smoky throughout and the cellar mustiness blend in well. Caramel and light brown sugar. Very robust and rich flavor. Mouthfeel is fairly thick with a sticky sweetness. Drinkability is great due to so many layers of flavors going on. Not sure if this brew has the same recipe each year but 2 years did this one wonders I am guessing.
Jun 07, 2005
Photo of LuckySevens82
Reviewed by LuckySevens82 from Florida

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle courtesy of Higravity and Secret Bunny '05.

Pours a hazy, tarnished copper color. A Tan head with decent lacing and retention tops this one off.
Aroma is very strong caramel. Toasted malts and a strong sweetness fill out the backbone. Fruit is heavy (peaches, cherries, green apples) as well. Smell is kind of musty, but that could just be because it's 3 years old. Some alcohol is evident in the nose as well.
Taste is very complex, which is nice and quite different from the aroma. Taste is sweet and just a bit chewy. Loads of caramel and chocolate dominate this one, followed closely by raspberries, cherries, green apples and a truckload of other fruits. A slight bitterness throughout and a hint of alcohol as it goes down balance this one out nicely.
Overall, a good barleywine. I would have liked to have tried this one fresh to compare side by side, but I can't complain as this is was a really good beer on all counts.
Apr 18, 2005
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Beatiful, opaque burgundy body, plummish, raisiny, resting nicely under a creamy, beigish foam.
Aromatics speak up from first crack of the crown, wafting out dark fruits and the sting of alcohol...a close examination gives a ripe, pungent smell, all afire, glowing large with fruit and spice, akin to cognac, a powerful nose, one I enjoy keeping my nostril hairs atingle with...
Grapes, berries, cherries, yeast, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, juicy, pithy, all blended with glorious booze...a rich deliciousness, full of character, puckering, a little sweet, a touch tangy, very flavorful, but mellow, as well. Full bodied, rounded moutfeel, long, fruity finish.
This is damned good, held up fine in it's two years, and rewards this drinker well, warming and comforting in this Janurary freeze.
Belongs in every conversation about the best barleywines produced in the U.S.A.
Jan 05, 2005
Photo of Rastacouere
Reviewed by Rastacouere from Canada (QC)

3.4/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
2002: Totally headless pour, dark copper, no apparent carbonation. Aroma consists of ripe fruit, vinous grapes, a few berries, rich caramelic and pruney malt, but also a weird aspect closing to leather and salty smoke (am i just influenced by the name or what?). Restrained hoppiness and bitterness in mouth are accompanied by wine-like raisin and orange fruitiness, mostly sweet altogether, but not overly so. Still medium mouthfeel, rather bold and alcoholic finish (definitely not unpleasant in this case) with smoke hints, almost meaty. English-style enough, but this does not impress me particularly unfortunately and I love barley wines. Thanks to TAR for that one.
Nov 01, 2004
Photo of nomad
Reviewed by nomad from Kansas

2.9/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
To me, it was a mukry dark amber beer, with very little action on the pour, maybe a sliver of head that didn't stay. Surely no lacing or other prizes for the swimsuit competition.

Smelled of lightly spiced brown sugar with a heavily sweet scent of cherries and molasses. An alcohol tone close to that found in cordials wafted about with a prune-like tone as it opened. Altogether overbearing in its sticky sugars.

Taste is awful close to cloying, as cherry sweetness is dominant. Faint roast flavor with nary a hop accent, it opened to thin caramel and prune flavors. Finishes with a low vegetal bitterness and creaminess. Rounded but dull moderate mouthfeel - flat carbonation but not viscuous or smooth to balance.
Aug 27, 2004
Photo of sponberg
Reviewed by sponberg from New York

4.77/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pulled this one out from the deepest darkest corner of the fridge where it has resided for the past year in a paper bag, just to see what happened with cold aging.

Cloudy dark amber - rather muddy, actually - with a thin white head. Aroma of fourteen or so different sweet malts and some hop spiciness alongside some whiffs of alcohol. The aroma says "I'm a good dog - drink me and I'll be your friend."

This beer is like drinking a dreidel. Sip it and the flavors start spinning and don't stop until three minutes after the sip is gone. Liquid velvet across the tongue with a bit of pinpoint carbonation to awaken that big pink organ in your mouth (don't go there). All sorts of flavors then hit and disperse, almost like fireworks - apricot fruity malt dipped in caramel here, dry cocoa there, figs over by the horizon, toffee front and center, spicy noble hop vapors atop the mouth, alcohol coating the back of the tongue, coffee with cream in there somewhere... astounding. The complexity of this beer is exemplary. What really got me was the aftertaste - I don't know that I've ever had a beer whose aftertase changed three times after the swallow. Whatever kind of alchemy Tom has figured out, it works. One of the rare barleywines that almost begs another bottle just to watch the fireworks again.

Exceptional brew. Thanks to Davo for the bottle - gracias, Evil!
Jun 21, 2004
Photo of PopeJonPaul
Reviewed by PopeJonPaul from Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Picked up a cool "Old Salty 4-pack" ('03, '02, '01, '00) last time I was at Heavyweight.

2002 looked like delicious unfiltered cider (read: mud) with a grainy, caramel smell. Sugary, chewy, with butterscotch, caramel, cinnamon, cherry flavors. Great smooth milky mouthfeel and drinkability, very little to no carbonation. I will have to stuff one of these away to see how it ages over the next few years.
Jun 07, 2004
Photo of mzwolinski
Reviewed by mzwolinski from California

3.45/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Medium brown in color, with a thin tan head. Aroma is sweet and malty, with a hint of dark fruit. This beer, in spite of its name, is sweeter than most barley wines I've had, though perhaps this stems from the relatively low level of carbonation. Malt is caramely, with a light fruitiness mid-palate. This develops into a more full-bodied plum flavor toward the finish. A bubblegum sweetness lingers throughout the sip. Hops lend a bit of floral flavor to the finish, but not enough to balance -- a bit cloying for my tastes.
Mar 18, 2004
Photo of CRJMellor
Reviewed by CRJMellor from Arkansas

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a murky, deep orange and light brown hue with no head and little carbonation evident.
Aroma of caramel, oranges, raisins and sweet flowery hops.
Flavor is super sweet caramel apple, full blow citrus orange and a hint of sweet bitterness.
Mouthfeel is sweet, sweet and sweeter. Really escalates all the way through. Just a hint of light bitter at the end cuts the sweetness. Beer has aged very well.
Drinkability is very nice, would like to taste this with some carbonation but still very nice.
Thanks to beerluvr (again!) for this great HW offering.
Mar 16, 2004
Photo of JMH_
Reviewed by JMH_ from New Jersey

4.17/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
moving on to round three of the salty pack: the 2002 pours a cloudy brown iced tea-esque colour. once aagin, the minimal head dies down to nothing. the smell here is sweet again, like the 2001: bubblegum, candy, banana and other fruit, malt and earth. gone is the buttery/caramel flavouring from the previous two. the taste her is less sweet than the smell, and a bit woody. warming alcohol effect but no alcohol flavouring. nice malt balance throughout. the finish is dry with a trace of the caramel that was gone from the smell. it's still here and is quite nice at the finish. this one seemed to be aged just right. right now it's my favourite in the series, but the 2003 is still to come.
Jan 30, 2004
Photo of Boilermaker88
Reviewed by Boilermaker88 from California

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Thanks go out to frank4sail for placing this in among all the other goodies that he sent me for the Christmas gift exchange. Presented in a 12oz bottle as depicted, Old Salty 2002 had a turbid ochre color and a firm ½" vanilla hued head that slowly shrank down to a small cap, leaving behind thin tendrils of lace.
The smell had elements of maple, caramel, bready malts, and dark fruit. As it warmed up, a more potent nose-grabbing alcohol note came to the fore along with hints of floral hops and butterscotch. The taste had a powerful maltiness and almost syrupy cramel sweetness that bathed the palate. Prunes and raisins also asserted their sweetness across the tongue, followed up by a slightly nutty flavor. Again, as it warmed, the alcohol essence really began to take a more central role, as a wine-like flavor carried through the finish with a mild hops-induce bitterness. The feel was full, rich and almost cloying, and the alcohol left a nice warmth down the throat and in the stomach.
I've not been a big fan of the barleywine style but this was pretty darn tasty. I found my glass to be nearly empty far more quickly than I would have imagined. This brew from Heavyweight is as much a malt-bomb as some double IPA's are with hops. A real treat.
Jan 15, 2004
Old Salty Barleywine 2002 from Heavyweight Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 29 ratings