Olde Bartholomew
Yards Brewing Co.

Olde BartholomewOlde Bartholomew
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From:
Yards Brewing Co.
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
10.3%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.65 | pDev: 12.33%
Reviews:
44
Ratings:
132
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 07, 2020
Added:
Dec 25, 2002
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  21
No description / notes.
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Ratings by LEdubs:
Photo of LEdubs
Rated by LEdubs from Ohio

4/5  rDev +9.6%

May 11, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of rudiecantfail
Reviewed by rudiecantfail from Pennsylvania

3.52/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at the brewery. Poured into a 12 ounce snulip glass.

L---Crystal clear, dark golden color. Nice fluffy, white head that had good retention and left very good lacing. The color and clarity actually took me aback and I asked the waiter if this was in fact the beer I ordered. He took it back to the bar and reported that it was. He said that they had just started brewing this at this location, so everything was brand new and perfectly clean. That's why it was so light and clear.

S---Fruity & sweet. A strong hop backbone. Malts were up front.

T---Hoppy & fruity. Good, but not what I was expecting.

F---Medium bodied and pretty well carbonated.

O---It was a good beer, but not at all what I was expecting from a barleywine.
Mar 07, 2020
Photo of EMV
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

3.77/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip. 2015 vintage

L: Caramel colored pour... cloudy and viscous. 1.5 fingers of foamy white head. Great lacing.

S: Brown sugar and caramel. Toffee, sweets, and some spicy hops.

T.F: Thick and rich... sweet up front with toffee, molasses, and caramel. Toasted grains and some light spice. Modest hop presence for balance. Sticky on the tongue. Warming... ABV present but not obnoxious. The finish is more Belgian candy sugar and toffee.

O: A very solid English style Barleywine. 2 years in the cellar and it tastes great. True to style.
Jan 25, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by Gobzilla from California

Jul 27, 2018
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
22oz bottle into a tulip. bottled 10/15/15, so closing in on 2 1/4 years old.

pours a cloudy dark orange body with a small dense slightly off white head. This leaves very good lacing. Thought the look was odd for an English Barleywine, but this one is unfiltered. ah.

slightly funky even cheesy aroma. bit wary here.

Well, despite the look and the aroma, it does taste like a barleywine. The interesting thing is, and I don't know if this is an age related issue or not, but initially it's english, slightly sweet, alcohol forward, leaving a slight burn. Then towards the end of the mouthful, a fairly strong bitterness gives it more of an american barleywine taste.

mouth is closer to full than medium, finish is slightly bitter, with a alcohol burn deep in the back of the throat.

Overall, an interesting drink. Starts out English, Finishes American. On both styles, it's just okay.
Jan 07, 2018
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
$ 9.00 (Including Beer Club discount and tax)/750 mL ($ 0.354/oz) at State Line Liquors, Elkton, MD.
Bottled 10/5/15, served at 42 degrees into a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The beer was allowed to warm to 60 degrees before tasting.
Aroma – initially caramel malt, fades as the glass warms.
Head – large (Maximum 5.3 cm, aggressive pour), off white, low density froth, average retention fading to a two mm ring and thin partial layer.
Lacing – poor. Many irregular tiny islands.
Body – medium amber, initial chill haze clears somewhat to leave a slight haze.
Flavor – Initially sweet and caramel. A little bit of vinous oxidation is present at the end. No distinct flavor or aroma from hops. There is neither flavor nor gastric burn from the alcohol, rather surprising at 10.3% ABV.
Palate medium to full, sticky, very soft carbonation.

While I’m hardly a connoisseur of barley wines, I’ve had better and most definitely had worse. This is a cheap example of a decent English-style brew.

Appearance 3.75, Aroma 4, Flavor 4, Palate 4.25, Overall 4.
Mar 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.6 by sanitarium16 from New Jersey

Jun 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.67 by sahd-1 from Illinois

May 30, 2016
 
Rated: 3.38 by AD17 from New Jersey

Apr 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.25 by JamLand from District of Columbia

Apr 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.81 by DownyIsHungry from Minnesota

Mar 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.56 by WanderingFool from Massachusetts

Mar 06, 2016
Photo of Wiffler27
Reviewed by Wiffler27 from South Carolina

3.87/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
pours a hazy burnt orange with a solid head.

smell is plain, some muted sweetness and hops. nothing special with the aroma.

taste is very sweet, slight alcohol taste in the finish. nothing special here but it's not bad.
Mar 02, 2016
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.34/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
On tap at Yards brewery. Decent, fulfilling barleywine. Normal pour, malts dominate, as expected, not exceptional, but adequate. Quite a kick, however, as expected
Feb 28, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by waddellc2 from Pennsylvania

Feb 25, 2016
Photo of 57md
Reviewed by 57md from Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a copper color with very little head. The nose is mildly bready. The flavor profile is focused around the malty sweetness but the body is a touch thin for the style.
Feb 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.52 by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

Feb 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.62 by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

Feb 13, 2016
 
Rated: 3.69 by SonictheBeerhog from New York

Feb 02, 2016
Photo of TheBeerdedCharmer
Reviewed by TheBeerdedCharmer from Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
I am extremely disappointed with this. I love Yards. It is the first brewery I ever went to. Just visited again last month and the majority of the beers hold up. This was a new one for me but it is without a doubt sub-par. English Barleywines are my favorite style. This is not an English Barleywine. As soon as it was opened, it smelled like a macro adjunct lager. The taste is not much better.
Feb 02, 2016
Olde Bartholomew from Yards Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 132 ratings