B.A. Baracus
Mason Ale Works

Mostly opaque brown body, lighter brown collar. Taste explodes on the palate with barley and big dark fruit, plum, date, and black currant especially, with bourbon starring, then molasses, oak, booze supporting. Smell is dark fruit and barley forward, boozy barrel and earth the second layer, not as complex or potent as taste. Feel is very warm verging on hot, otherwise thin and barley enthused. Has a very high moment mid sip, want a bit more sustaining, but for the heights it achieves I would recommend seeking it out

 

 

16 ounce can, 2022 Vintage, label says it's 15.5% ABV and aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon and Vanilla Brandy barrels. Another brew from Brutaltruth, thanks again! Served in a snifter, the beer pours a very dark brown color with about an inch tan head that stuck around for a little while. Good amount of lacing. The brew smells like vanilla, bourbon, brandy, dark fruit, brown sugar and caramel. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also some dark bread and toffee flavors noticeable too. Nice malty barleywine, it's sweet but not overpowering at all. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick, a bit rich and has a moderate amount of carbonation. I liked this brew a lot, definitely recommended if you like maltier tasting barleywines!

Look: It pours dark brown with a tan head. Head retention is low.

Smell: It has strong dark molasses aroma with bourbon and toffee. There are background chocolate notes with a touch of vanilla.

Taste: The flavors and strong with bourbon and whiskey with some toffee and black molasses. The alcohol is quite noticeable.

Feel: It has a full body with strong alcohol warming. The finish is a bit alcoholic without being overly hot.

Overall: It's a bit strong in the spirts which in itself it not a bad thing, but to me it's not my cup of tea as a beer thing.

 

Can into plastic cup (hey I'm on vacation give me a break). Pours a very dark brown with a brief tan head. Initial impression ia bourbon, coffee, caramel, dark molasses, oak, and vanilla. Mouthfeel is slick and smooth. Finish is thick and warming. Overall, an excellent Barleywine and one that I'd revisit in a heartbeat!

 

Poured from a 16 oz can into a snifter glass.
L - Pours a murky dark brown color with a slight tan colored head that dissipates quickly.
S - Smells of bourbon and toffee.
T - Taste matches the smell lots of bourbon, toffee and cherries on the finish.
F - Full bodied and lightly carbonated.
O - It’s boozy, but I’m really enjoying this one.

 

 

From the 16 oz can in a snifter. This monster of a brew pours a muddled dark
brown with a nice head of khaki foam that settles to a thick ring, thin clumping
layer, and sports some light lacing. Nose of caramel, fig, date, cherry, rich bourbon,
and astringent booze. Flavors expand nicely with cherry, fig, date, oak, bourbon, caramel,
light toffee, and vanilla. Nice mouth feel; medium body, smooth, coating, rich, warming,
boozy, and finishing medium dry.

Overall----meaty, beaty, big, and bouncy. WOW!

Cheers

Appearance: Pours a caramel color with a thin head that quickly fades to a ringlet; a few spots drizzle

Smell: The Bourbon brings power to the aromatics, presaging a big, boozy Barleywine; caramel and cherry elements are present, as well

Taste: A touch of caramel, up front, with some cherry elements joining, but the Bourbon quickly overwhelms; dry and boozy finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with low carbonation; considerable warmth in the gullet

Overall: This is the 2019 canning and I would have thought the flavors would have matured nicely; it is quite boozy, the mouthfeel is thin and the flavors of an English Barleywine are overwhelmed, at first by the booze and, in the finish, with an unexpected dry element

Mason Ale Works 'B.A. Baracus' whisky bourbon barrel aged @ 14.0% , served from a 473 ml can , limited edition 2021
A-pour is a dark cola brown from the can to almost black in the glass with little/no head , minimal lace ring along the tulip
S-Barrel aged whisky bourbon , Cutwater Single Malt (one year)
T-almost sweet whisky & bourbon barleywine , strong and smooth
MF-mild carbonation , feels full bodied , very warming
Ov-taste seems closer to an Imperial Stout than Barleywine
prost LampertLand

2021 vintage.

One of the more fruit forward Barleywines I've tried. Dark fruits like fig and raisin plus an unusual cherry note. There is a hint of an umami note at the edges. The barrel aging adds mellow booze and lots of coconut. Seriously, lots of coconut with kind of a woody edge to it. The body is a bit thin. Good stuff, stands out as unique.

16 oz. Can
2021 Limited Edition
ABV: 14%

Poured into a goblet a pretty nice translucent dark brown color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice quick/small/fizzy tan head, which leaves a nice medium size oil slick, and some minimal sticky lacing behind. The nose is pretty nice, malty, hoppy, with some pretty nice dark fruit complex (cherries, figs, raisins, plums, dates), toffee, vanilla, oak, bourbon/whiskey notes, licorice. The taste is pretty nice, malty, hoppy, with some pretty nice dark fruit complex (cherries, figs, raisins, plums, dates), toffee, vanilla, pretty nice bourbon/whiskey note, oaky, licorice. Full Body, ABV hidden very nicely, a pretty complex brew. Overall, this is a big beer/sipper, pretty tasty.

 

 

Type: 12-oz. can
Reviewed as: English Barleywine
Glass: Pure Project 16-oz. snifter glass
Price: $6.99
From: Bine & Vine Bottle Shop in Normal Heights (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: May 29, 2020
Consumed: June 27, 2020
Misc.: No canned on date

Spent way too much money on a bunch of beer from North Park Beer Company, Windmill Farms and Bine & Vine. Woof. Specifically went to Bine & Vine for this and another Mason Ale Works barrel-aged beer. In my mind, MAW is putting out the best BA beers in San Diego. Had a can of this before, giving it a 4.25 on Untappd on Dec. 24, 2018 and writing, “This is tremendous. Will be coming back for more later. Probably in 4.35-4.45 range. Complex Air Force. #Bil. And to all a good night…” Well I finally got my chance to try it again. Untappd description called it, “BBA Barleywine: Aged in Cutwater Bourbon Barrels for a year, this limited release was named after our Favorite A Team Character. Baracus is full of rich toffee, plum, vanilla, and rich cherry notes. Let this brew warm up to 50 degrees to fully appreciate its complexity.”

Poured a pitch black color with two fingers of khaki tan frothy head. No noticeable bubbles underneath the head. Average spotty lacing. Very good retention. (Sight - 3.75)

Smelled bourbon, leathery oak, plum, date, dark cherry, toffee, caramel, vanilla and brown sugar. Smelled much better out of the glass than it did from the can. (Smell - 4.50)

Taste wasn’t quite as good as the nose, but still awesome. In order got leathery oak, bourbon, vanilla, plum, date, dark cherry, purple grape, toffee, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, hints of maple, rye spice and sugary molasses. Tasted much smoother than 14 pct. ABV. (Taste - 4.25)

Full body. Sticky texture. Average carbonation. Long, warming, smooth finish. (Feel - 4.75)

Just as good as I remember it. Just a world-class barleywine. (Overall - 4.50)

4.38 | 97 | A