Ol' Lifewine (2020)
Matchless Brewing

 

 

2021-03-11
16oz can served in a snulip. Purchased as part of the take home Hard Liver Fest from Brouwers Cafe.

Black, very small head, persistent rich ring. Smell is rich, dark fruit, smooth sweet and pleasant.

Taste is a blast of booze, toffee, baker's chocolate. Syrupy vanilla and oak sweetness.

Mouthfeel is thick, rich, smooth. Overall, very nice.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a thin brown head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of dry caramel malt, toffee, dates, raisins, dried plums and light bourbon. Flavor is caramel malt, toffee, bourbon, raisins, dates and light dried plums and apricots; sweet. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess, silky mouth feel. A very rich, full flavored English barleywine. Definitely on the sweet side, but not cloying. The light bourbon in the aroma is full bodied and forward in the flavor. The first sip elicited a "wow" from me, there is a lot of flavor here. Although the bourbon barreling is not traditional, but base barleywine is solid, caramel malt based English style. The barreling is well done. This is big enough and just sweet enough to be a dessert style barleywine. Excellent; wish I'd picked up an extra for cellaring, this would be very interesting with a few years on it.