Thomas The Stumbling Buffalo
Strong Rope Brewery

 

Served on tap at the Gun Hill Brewery in Bronx, NY.
A: Pours hazy dark brown with a modest, light brown head, quite decent retention and lacing.
S: Aromas run to caramel/molasses, oak/vanilla, and maybe a touch of raisin.
T: Semisweet. Flavors favor the nose, but boozier. Bitterness certainly present but hiding a bit behind the rest of the flavor profile.
M: Medium to full bodied with solid carbonation.
O: Spoke with the producers; they are using Corn Whiskey barrels for aging. They have produced a very nicely composed American Barleywine. Enjoyed it.

I was told this was the first bottle of their release that day. Pours like a Belgian dark almost like a dark cola without the reddish edges. Not much on the nose. The taste is big Earl grey, oak, bitter caramel. The beer is closer to a Scotch Ale than a Barleywine but it's a delicious nonetheless. The beer is on the high side of carbonation.

This one is a sipper by the fireplace. The only knock against this is the price. The bottle wasn't even a bomber, it's comes in a 16.9oz. They were selling this at the brewery for $13 which is a little absurd.