Super Chicken Barley Wine
Grand Lake Brewing Company

Super Chicken Barley WineSuper Chicken Barley Wine
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From:
Grand Lake Brewing Company
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
11%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 11.08%
Reviews:
34
Ratings:
44
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 01, 2014
Added:
Feb 16, 2004
Wants:
  18
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by emmasdad:
Photo of emmasdad
Reviewed by emmasdad from Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a medium brown color, with reddish highlights and maybe a quarter inch of light brown foam. Reminiscent of an English Barleywine on both the nose and the palate, with toffee, caramel, dark fruits, raisins, cherries and of course, considering its ABV, alcohol. Glad I got a chance to try this one.
Aug 26, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Dec 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Sep 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by GClarkage from California

Jul 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by JMBSH from Colorado

Jan 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by jaydoc from Kansas

Nov 23, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by GRG1313 from California

May 23, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 07, 2012
 
Rated: 4.75 by ucsbmullet from Colorado

May 24, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by Marti403 from Michigan

Apr 28, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by claytong from Vermont

Jan 30, 2012
Photo of Beaver13
Reviewed by Beaver13 from Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle. Pours a brownish tea color with a small creamy white head that quickly goes to a thin film that leaves some lacing.

The aroma is nutty caramel malts and some cola and fruity hops with a little chocolate and alcohol.

The flavor is sweet nutty chocolate malts, molasses and a touch of fruits followed by a good sized bitterness in the finish that has some alcohol but doesn't feel like 11%. The mouthfeel is pretty full bodied with low but smooth carbonation.

Overall, a nice barley wine. It has a lot going on and has some nice aspects. It just doesn't stand out for me and it doesn't all seem to mesh well together.
Sep 22, 2010
Photo of bonsreeb85
Reviewed by bonsreeb85 from Colorado

3.07/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Pours a cola color with little to no head.

THe smell is of very boozey fruits, cherries, raisins, dates, english toffee, caramel, vanilla and judging by the nose, this will be a malt forward Amer. BW.

THe taste follows the nose, not very complex, but decent flavor.

THe feel is way too thin considering the style. Undercarbonated and slippery.

Overall this was a decent brew but is by no means a great example of the style.
Feb 18, 2010
Photo of brownbeer
Reviewed by brownbeer from Missouri

2.96/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Thanks to Nightbrew for yet another barleywine associated with poultry. Well done sir.

Looks nice, kind of an orangey-red color.

This beer packs a punch of alcohol all the way through with fruity hops, brown sugar sweetness that is unescapable, and is somewhat vegetal. It's mouthfeel is too watery for me and the heat is unwanted because of that. On it's behalf, it did mellow out some as it warmed.
Jan 23, 2010
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Got this bottle as an extra and decided to cap off my night with it. Served chilled and consumed on 11/16/2009.

The pour was typical or the syle, dzrk brown with a light tan head that faded quickly leaving behinf only a touch of lacing. Aroma of caramel and touches of buttery malts at first, Warming brings out toffee, butterscotch and vanilla aroams, just what I was hoping for. Nice to have a barleywine without the hops. Smooth even flavor here now, loaded with caramel and toffee flavors with smooth, even touches of vanilla mixed in throughout. Light hop touches come through in the finish with a light drying note and a touch of sweetness on the tongue as it finishes out nicely.

Overall a very solid barleywine here, nothing really spectacular but this is a very solid example of the style I would have no issue at all with having again.
Nov 17, 2009
Photo of BigMcLargeHuge
Reviewed by BigMcLargeHuge from Arizona

3.58/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Big thanks to jdubFL for bringing this puppy (chicken) to the tasting. Pours clear amber with thin tan head. The aroma has lots of prunes, raisins, musty oxidized overripe plums, overripe dates and a ribbon of black strap molasses. The taste has an initial boozy chemical note that quickly turns into dates, prunes, plums and raisins. It's a tad rough around the edges but this will age very well.
Nov 04, 2009
Photo of JohnGalt1
Reviewed by JohnGalt1 from Idaho

3.97/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz picked up at Lukas Liquors in South Denver... poured into my Delirium goblet... Not much of "pfffsst" when cracked.

Fairly aggressive pour only produced 1/2" of bubbly head.. a little lace atop a polished cherry wood brew.

Rich malts dominate the nose... caramel and toffee play well with abundant toast... citrus hops are there, but are not dominant.

No carbonation at all... It isn't a capping issue.. the cap was perfect.... this is just a "still" beer. I'm not going to let that poison my notes though... it is a pretty nice tasting brew.. Good bitterness flows into a great malt backbone.. caramel and melanoidins .. raisins and some rummy fruitcake.. hops are citric yet pretty much present as a balance..

Body is medium/full.. but it's magnified a bit by the lack of carbonation.. I would appreciate a bit more ... some .. any.. carbonation.. It would add to the overall experience..

I'm glad I bought another bottle.. but it won't be opened until the next Boise BW tasting or perhaps the year after... Even though, I have my above reservations.. this was damn tasty.

3.5/4/4/4/4
Oct 02, 2009
Photo of Traquairlover
Reviewed by Traquairlover from Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Bitterbill for including this as an extra in a recent trade.

12-oz bottle poured into a tulip.

A = Pours a dark reddish amber, the color of red oak furniture, although some very slight head forms, it does not stay nor does it ever fully set up, quickly ends up a slight foam ring around the edge of the glass a light tracery of bubbles towards the middle of the surface. It actually looks like an aged Thomas Hardy or JW Lees Harvest.

S = While its appearance is similar to a couple of the standouts for English barleywines, the smell is all American style. Strong hops scents of pine needles mixed with light maple syrup and toasted, buttered English muffins, still the sweetness and heaviness of the malts is not enough to cast a shadow on the hops which also through off slight floral and earthy notes.

T = This is very well rounded beer. There is a strong bitterness from the hops and some definite flavors of pine and citrus rind, but the strong malt backbone brings a large measure of balance. There are tastes of buttered biscuits with marmalade, maple syrup, light hints of tar. Although I'd bet the IBUs on this bad boy are pretty high, it is a well integrated sweet-tart kind of experience not an in your face bitterness.

M = Medium bodied, good mouthcoating, perfect carbonation level with a creamy, luscious quality that hides any alcohol sting. I do wish it had been a little bit heavier/thicker, but not bad at all.

D = A great choice to come back to. One of the better ABW's out there.
May 03, 2009
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Glowing reddish orange, like a jack-o-latern ablaze on Halloween night. What an incredible hue. The khaki colored crown is on the small side, but remains at the creamy disk stage for quite awhile. Feathery lace clings to the upper portion of the snifter, cementing a good appearance score.

The aroma is more than solid as well. It's hard to tell whether SCBW will be malt-dominant or hop-dominant. Not that it matters since I'm a fan of both takes on the style, as long as they're well-crafted. Each sniff delivers loads of caramel malt and an appealing fruitiness that is reminiscent of sugared orange peel.

Mmmm... tastes like chicken. Actually, Super Chicken Barley Wine tastes like a pretty damn good American barleywine. This is only my third Grand Lake beer to date, but it's easily the best one so far. There's wonderful malt and hop flavor... and surprisingly little noticeable alcohol. Esophageal (and then belly) warming is a good thing.

The beer doesn't taste dark, exactly, but I'm guessing that a small percantage of dark crystal malt was used. Maybe even a little roasted. In any case, it gives this Chicken a flavor that is somewhere between pale (white meat) and cocoa-like (dark meat). Let's go with English toffee, an earthy nuttiness, sticky dates, and candied cherries and oranges. Christmas fruitcake in a glass.

I have no idea what year this brew was hatched. It tastes perfectly aged, though. There are no rough edges to be found, yet there's still quite a bit of vibrancy in terms of both hop flavor and bitterness. I could definitely go for a few more bottles.

The mouthfeel holds up its end of the bargain with no trouble at all. It's medium for the style, perhaps a bit bigger, and is smooth around the edges. Although it's a little more lively than I find ideal, the carbonation is pretty clost to spot-on.

Super Chicken BW is well-brewed beer that I have no trouble recommending to one and all. It has no real negatives and more than a few positives. Kudos to the folks at Grand Lake Brewing Company for this delicious, incredibly drinkable American barleywine.
Apr 30, 2009
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Like the bottle design.

Pours a dark, yet clear brown. Very thin tannish brown head. Nose is malty sweet. Flavor is too. Thick tones of it. Lots of malts here. Sweet tones like sherry. Woody edges. Alcohol tones are present and I think it's due to the beers age. Or lack of it. A bit too tangy too IMO, but it still works. Feel is quite slick on liquid. Carbonation is lower. This is a heavier barleywine that I think would improve with several years of age.
Apr 27, 2009
Super Chicken Barley Wine from Grand Lake Brewing Company
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 44 ratings