BFD25
Great North Aleworks
- From:
- Great North Aleworks
- New Hampshire, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 10.8%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.88 | pDev: 7.99%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Mar 16, 2019
- Added:
- Mar 10, 2017
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
87
Very Good
87
Very Good
Brewed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Brew Free or Die (BFD), New Hampshire's first and longest running homebrew club. The beer was brewed in collaboration with BFD club members and 25 different ingredients were added including a 25 pound block of NH granite.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by WesMantooth from Ohio
3.47/5 rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.47/5 rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Canned 2/6/17 in a 12oz aluminum
A river water appearance with a light tan head that settles into a ring around the glass.
It smells like alcohol and a bit perfumey/ or like paint thinner/nail polish remover. Also an odd Werthers butterscotch with some dark fruits.
It definitely tastes a little better than it smells, but it has a strong phenolic note along with that butterscotch candy like intense toffee. Some carmalized brown sugar/molasses, raisin/prunes, and a whiskey with some vanilla before a spicy hop at the end.
The body is decent if it is an American Style.
Basically as many mediocre things going as good for me. I have another can that I will let sit to see if it mellows out any because any barrel character it has is kind of rough
May 26, 2017A river water appearance with a light tan head that settles into a ring around the glass.
It smells like alcohol and a bit perfumey/ or like paint thinner/nail polish remover. Also an odd Werthers butterscotch with some dark fruits.
It definitely tastes a little better than it smells, but it has a strong phenolic note along with that butterscotch candy like intense toffee. Some carmalized brown sugar/molasses, raisin/prunes, and a whiskey with some vanilla before a spicy hop at the end.
The body is decent if it is an American Style.
Basically as many mediocre things going as good for me. I have another can that I will let sit to see if it mellows out any because any barrel character it has is kind of rough
Reviewed by Bierman9 from New Hampshire
4.34/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bought a 4-pack of 12oz cans today at The Flight Center for $15. Checking it out now, in The 'Zebo.
Poured into a small tulip, it is a murky, deep, dark brown. The head is a 1/4" layer of fine, creamy beige foam. Has a bit of lacing sticking around. The aroma is quite potent, with lots of boozy bourbon notes and rich malts. The body is more than medium, and it is exceedingly smooth.
The flavor has lots of caramel, molasses, brown sugar and bourbon. I also find a hint of vanilla, a touch of toffee, a mix of dates and raisins, and some earthy, tobacco-like notes. The bourbon action just lingers and lingers. I quite like this one, and must get more before it disappears. Prosit!!!
4.34/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
1911
Apr 30, 2017Poured into a small tulip, it is a murky, deep, dark brown. The head is a 1/4" layer of fine, creamy beige foam. Has a bit of lacing sticking around. The aroma is quite potent, with lots of boozy bourbon notes and rich malts. The body is more than medium, and it is exceedingly smooth.
The flavor has lots of caramel, molasses, brown sugar and bourbon. I also find a hint of vanilla, a touch of toffee, a mix of dates and raisins, and some earthy, tobacco-like notes. The bourbon action just lingers and lingers. I quite like this one, and must get more before it disappears. Prosit!!!
4.34/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
1911
Reviewed by SawDog505 from New Hampshire
4.23/5 rDev +9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev +9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a 16 oz Troegs Snulip at near room temperature canned on 2/6/17. Pours a very attractive mahogany with a massive 3 finger off white head, that leaves behind plenty of patches of lace, with excellent retention as it settles into a thin layer of bubbles.
Smell is boozy, dank dark fruit, hazelnut, caramel, toffee, and clove.
Holy hell, the nose was very boozy, almost turpentine but the taste is really good and complex. Starts out with dark fruit, brown sugar, toffee, hazelnut, caramel, biscuity grains, and some warming bourbon in the balanced finish.
Mouthfeel is almost large, mild carbonation, maybe a little dry, and once you get used to the fairly aggressive bourbon, it goes down nicely.
Overall this beer will age awesome, I am counting on it, not sure why we see so few barrel aged Barleywines, but this was really nice. That being said the nose was a little over barring at first, but the taste was really nice. Full review 999!
Mar 26, 2017Smell is boozy, dank dark fruit, hazelnut, caramel, toffee, and clove.
Holy hell, the nose was very boozy, almost turpentine but the taste is really good and complex. Starts out with dark fruit, brown sugar, toffee, hazelnut, caramel, biscuity grains, and some warming bourbon in the balanced finish.
Mouthfeel is almost large, mild carbonation, maybe a little dry, and once you get used to the fairly aggressive bourbon, it goes down nicely.
Overall this beer will age awesome, I am counting on it, not sure why we see so few barrel aged Barleywines, but this was really nice. That being said the nose was a little over barring at first, but the taste was really nice. Full review 999!
Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire
3.75/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
From the 12 fl. oz. can with a smudged stamp on the bottom that ends in 06/17. Sampled on March 25, 2017.
This really has a murky looking brown pour under a modest tan head that fades. Sediments if I am really looking close.
What an unusual aroma for a Barleywine! I get a melted toffee, butterscotch or caramel sensation along with a big fig thing. Wooden barrel. Low to no alcohol for 10%. Low to no hop profile. All malts and fig.
The body falls in the medium to full range.
The taste has the same unusual butterscotch and fig character as the nose and maybe a touch of booze at the end. I also get a musky, cellar like quality in the taste more than the aroma.
Mar 25, 2017This really has a murky looking brown pour under a modest tan head that fades. Sediments if I am really looking close.
What an unusual aroma for a Barleywine! I get a melted toffee, butterscotch or caramel sensation along with a big fig thing. Wooden barrel. Low to no alcohol for 10%. Low to no hop profile. All malts and fig.
The body falls in the medium to full range.
The taste has the same unusual butterscotch and fig character as the nose and maybe a touch of booze at the end. I also get a musky, cellar like quality in the taste more than the aroma.
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire
3.61/5 rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.61/5 rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Can from the source.
Dirty brown color with a small off white head that dissipates quickly. Caramel and toffee with a bit of apple and fruit on the nose rounded out with some alcohol vanilla tannin and bourbon notes, Flavor follows the aroma quite well. Its a sipper for sure, I'm curious how this will age.
Mar 19, 2017Dirty brown color with a small off white head that dissipates quickly. Caramel and toffee with a bit of apple and fruit on the nose rounded out with some alcohol vanilla tannin and bourbon notes, Flavor follows the aroma quite well. Its a sipper for sure, I'm curious how this will age.
Reviewed by smanson56 from New Hampshire
4.24/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured into my snifter from a 12oz can picked up at the brewery on 3/10/17. The beer pours a hazy golden brown color with a thin creamy tan head on top.
The aroma in the glass brings forth the Bourbon Barrel aging (8 months I think was written somewhere) along with the sweetness from the malts used in the brewing.
The taste is wonderful blend of the barrel aging bourbon with the of the malts. There is a nice sweetness in the taste that's blends with the bourbon really well.
The mouthfeel is smooth and almost creamy making this way to easy to drink at 10.8% ABV.
This is a well done beer that hopefully will become a yearly release for this up and coming brewery.
Mar 12, 2017The aroma in the glass brings forth the Bourbon Barrel aging (8 months I think was written somewhere) along with the sweetness from the malts used in the brewing.
The taste is wonderful blend of the barrel aging bourbon with the of the malts. There is a nice sweetness in the taste that's blends with the bourbon really well.
The mouthfeel is smooth and almost creamy making this way to easy to drink at 10.8% ABV.
This is a well done beer that hopefully will become a yearly release for this up and coming brewery.
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