Barreleye
De Kromme Haring

Got this from the Duvel Guy in Utrecht

From a bottle into a snifter
Yeast: US-05
Best Before May 2021
Aged six months on second use Auchentoshan barrels

APPEARANCE: Pours a 2+ finger, thicker, tight, creamy looking off-white head with excellent retention. Perfectly clear maroon red with higher levels of carbonation for the style. Head slowly recedes to a full, creamy cap and leaves sheets of lacing on the glass. Looks great.

SMELL: Lots of caramel, toffee, red berries, whisky aromas, wood notes and some spicy alcohol on the nose. Earthy hop notes and hints of bubble gum. Bold and plenty forthcoming.

TASTE: Caramel, toffee, red fruits and earthy hop notes up front, with some wood and alcohol at the swallow. Light whisky, vanilla and milk chocolate notes, moving into a bold finish of sweet caramel and toffee, red fruity sweetness, milk chocolate, vanilla, some woody and whisky flavors, as well as some spicy alcohol lingers on the palate. Plenty flavorful.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Plenty creamy on the palate, smooth as well, goes down fine and finishes a bit mouth-coating. A touch of heat lingers.

OVERALL: Solid stuff. This one has plenty of character and the barrel aging is subtle enough to allow plenty of the base barleywine to play an important role. Not quite up to the lofty standards of their Glen Moray Beluga, but certainly something that will satisfy any fan of barleywines. Would definitely drink again. Cheers!

Bottle @ home. Pours a deep amber/copper colour and a beige head with an orange hue and pretty good retention. Aroma's are sweet, caramel, wood, (red) fruit. Retronasal it sweetish, fruity, woody, bitterish. Flavour is moderate sweet and (above) moderate bitter. Alcohol is warming, feels quite strong. Medium bodied. Finishes quite bitter, chalky.