Not Really A Barleywine
Tombstone Brewing Company

Picked up a 16 oz can from the Craft Beer Quick Stop cooler 10-29-19 for $5.69. Canned around the end of March 2019, consumed 1-26-20.

Beer poured dark brown with an okay off white head that dissipated quickly.

Nose is primarily dark fruits, consistent with the style.

Taste has plums, prunes, brown sugar, toffee, and a touch of cinnamon over a large malt base. Finishes well balanced with ample hopping and leaves the palate dry with each sip.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth.

Overall a nice beer from Tombstone.

Received as an extra in a trade.

A - Poured into my Duvel tulip a nice clear chestnut hue with a fat two finger tan head that fades slowly to leave a nice thick, dense blanket. Minimal lacing but rather nice legs.

S - Aromas of sweet caramel, toffee, light fudge, big dark fruits like raisins and figs. The sweet malts play really nicely with the dark fruits; like caramel dipped raisins. There is also an almost brown bread and slightly earthy hops.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with big burnt caramel notes as well as earthy hops and burnt toffee. As it warms the sweetness comes out even more as do the dark fruits. Sticky raisins and figs, soaked with vanilla and sticky toffee pudding. There are flashes of fudge as well, however, there is pretty much no alcohol burn whatsoever. That's incredibly impressive.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, little creamy, body is light and thin sadly. The only reason why this isn't lower is how well the alcohol is hidden.

O - Overall this was a solid enough barleywine. The dark fruits and caramel/toffee are quite nice. What sets this apart though is how well the alcohol is hidden. That right there would make me have another pour of this.

Serving Type: Can

Got in a trade with AZBeerDude72. 16 ounce can into snifter, no can dating. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, smoke, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/roasted malts, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, smoke, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery, roasted bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruit, cherry, apricot, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, brown bread/crust, molasses, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, smoke, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/roasted malts, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 11%. Overall this is an awesome English barleywine. All around awesome dark/bready/roasted malts, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/drying finish; awesome soft feel for the style. Awesome balance of rich malts and fruity yeast; with solid earthy hops. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and impressively spot on style example. On the roasty side of the style as advertised, but it's not overwhelming.

 

A: Jet black/brown with minor head that fades very fast. Lacing is present and lingers.
N: Picking up notes of malt, caramel, molasses, dark chocolate, and toffee.
T: Big caramel/toffee hit, some burnt sugar notes, a little dark chocolate bite (Minor), and soft sweetness.
M: Clean and super easy to drink, zero ABV and for 11% that is just amazing.
O: I really enjoyed this Not Really beer, flavors were excellent and a great add into the mix of beer options.