Old Timey
Masthead Brewing Co.

Poured cellar common a Glencairn. Color is clear, deep chestnut brown. Finger-high tight, very carbonated head fizzles down to a penumbra. Aroma is spicy, like a root beer barrel candy. Flavor avoids any stout earthy territory, more cola meets wet wood and caramel. Scant bitterness on the back. 13.9% ABV hides well. The Weller adds a subtle trait to this, complementary.

 

Having this beer on tap at the brewery at their annual anniversary party, this particular year is their ninth year anniversary. This particular batch is 13.9% AVB, and is aged in Weller wheated whiskey barrels. This beer draws a very dark Amber Brown color that’s not interested in letting in any light at all whatsoever. Aromas of roasted, caramel malts, toffee and certainly some bourbon and wood barrel notes. A very similar flavor profile, with the aforementioned mentioned roasted, caramel malt and toffee, sweetness that gives away to some bourbon oak flavors. Being that this is a BBA beer, a boozy note is also present of course, and it’s quite expected. Was also a bit of raisin/plum that reminds me of A1 steak sauce, and it works really well here. Certainly a sweet beer, but certainly not overly so. No discernible hop presence that my palate can detect, and that’s also OK with me. Has a fairly thick, slightly therapy, also smooth, just ever so slightly crisp, full-bodied mouth feel with minimal carbonation. An excellent beer here, especially on this very cold winter evening.

 

Dark pour, no head. Bourbon is forward and center. Sweet and nutty. A little much. But sure. I guess.

Murky brown body, brown head. Smells of bourbon soaked raisin, caramel, barley and cocoa dusting. Taste is more layered with bourbon and thin malt leading, caramel, barley, light oak support but it just never congeals all together. Thinner boozy body, malt more potent than barley, but booze, not barrel but booze, trumps all

Fully opaque melted dark chocolate brown with a relatively tall fan foam head that slowly settles to a denser blanket then fuzzy collar.

A nose of woody caramel and prune with a musky pine cologne translates solidly to a smoother than expected palate that adds touches of spiced date, gingersnap, molasses, black peppery whiskey char and even Biscoff before exhaling warm fumes.

An enjoyably, maturely aged quad-like.

Stewed dates and raisins drizzled with caramel and plenty of booze primarily. This is good overall, up front in particular, but the finish drops off a bit. Still plenty of booze but it dries out with light, odd notes of powdery fruit flavored candy and a hint of something almost vegetal.

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque in the glass with a half finger dark khaki head with good retention and nice lacing. Aroma of dry caramel malt, bourbon, dried plums, dates, toffee and oaky vanilla. Flavor follows, with dry caramel malt, bourbon, fresh and dried plums, raisins, toffee, oak and vanilla; bourbon finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. A solid BA barleywine clearly in the English tradition with lots of dried fruit and deep caramel malt. Quite bourbon forward with lots of woody barrel character. There is a little woody astringency in the finish, but the flavors are dense enough that there is plenty to enjoy in the aftertaste. Bourbon forward. Hits all the notes I hope for in the BA version of this style. Unusually dark malt.