Eng-Yak
American Solera

 

 

 

 

 

 

375 ml bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours moderately hazy/cloudy dark brown color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big raisin, plum, fig, date, apricot, pear, apple, orange zest, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted oak, biscuit, and floral; with lighter notes of vanilla, chocolate, toffee, nuts, herbal, pepper, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, cognac barrel, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, fig, date, apricot, pear, apple, orange zest, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted oak, biscuit, and floral; with lighter notes of vanilla, chocolate, toffee, nuts, herbal, pepper, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/peppery hop bitterness and cognac/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of raisin, plum, fig, date, apricot, pear, apple, orange zest, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted oak, biscuit, floral, vanilla, chocolate, nuts, herbal, pepper, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, cognac barrel, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness and cognac/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from bitter/oak spiciness as well. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/sticky/tannic, and slightly slick/syrupy balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden; fairly warming, with minimal barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is a great English barleywine. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, cognac barrel, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV. Pretty much perfect balance between barrel, malt, and fruity yeast flavors. A bit more hoppy/drying than I’d prefer for the style; but this will definitely age really nicely. A very enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours an effervescent & somewhat hazed chestnut with 2 fingers of tan head. Viscious, Average head retention & lacing

S: Raisins & figs, a little barrel.

T: Follows the nose, a little barrrel boozeyness & dryness. `More raisin & fig, dryness & woodyness as this warms. Finishes dry, figgy, with a little vanilla & caramel, plus barrel booze/dryness

MF: Fairly thick, restrained carbonation

A super-solid English BW, this will probably age well for 4-5 years