Shipfaced
Silver Harbor Brewing Company

Dark amber in color. There’s a fingernail of light brown around the rim and covering half of the top. The aroma is of sweet barley and grains of paradise. I’m tasting a wallop of sweet barley and a bit of spicy to earthy grains of paradise. The mouth is dry and boozy.

 

Pours a plum-hued brown color, with strong effervescence along the sides, and a centimeter-thick, creamy-looking, light-khaki head. Amazing retention and thick sheets lacing, especially for the ABV.

Lots of leather and some dark fruit, bubblegum, distant vanilla and red wine in the nose.

The first thing showing in the taste is some burnt bread crust — grainy, ashy and almost seed-like. There’s a little more bubblegum and some light molasses. That’s all rounded out by a moderately strong earthy bitterness and occasional flashes of soy.

Full bodied and slick, with tight, strong — but not over the top — carbonation.

The head retention here is remarkable. The flavor is a lot toastier than I expected. Otherwise, it has a classic, old-school barleywine character that I appreciate and definitely makes it a quality sipper.

Pours a dark brown that nears on black until held against a light. Head is a finger of creamy, dense khaki foam that retains well. Aroma is roasty, toasty, caramely, nutty, earthy malts with light rye spice quality behind it. Toffee, molasses and caramel drizzle a little additional sweetness over the top. Flavor profile is toffee, molasses, chocolate, coffee, caramel and brown sugar with toasty, caramely, nutty, earthy malts behind. It's rich and decadent while remaining smooth and well balanced. It hides its 12% ABV well. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a velvety, creaminess. Overall, rich and smooth with great sweet qualities. It retains a quality balance, while keeping each sip alive and flavorful.

Served in a 15.5oz Speigalau tulip from a 22oz bottle.

Look: a muddy copper brown color with a small tan head. Some lacing.
Aroma: caramel, sugar, toffee, plums.
Taste: moderate bitterness with the above notes. A nice fruitiness that left me thinking that this was more English BW than American but the bitterness was there. Silky smooth feel and clean finish. Outstanding.

L - 2-finger yellow head atop a dark purple body.

S - dark fruits, bubble gum, molasses, rum candies.

T - tons of dark fruit. Reminds me of a quality Christmas cake baked by someone who knows what they’re doing. Molasses, raisins, booze, anise, caramel. Low bitterness. Moderate sweetness. Moderate booziness.

F - medium-full body with medium carb.

O - smells and tastes great, but the body is the best thing about this. Velvet.