World of Bog
Half Acre Beer Company

 

 

 

Thanks to 4DAloveofSTOUT for this 12 oz. can as an extra in a semi-recent trade.

Very dark beer with little to no head & a nose that brings molasses, brown sugar. No barrel.

World of Bog treads the boundary of a stout. Heavy. Sehr heavy, with a thick, limpid body. Boozy up front, treacle, treacly (hey, that’s a word!), with molasses, brown sugar, with a big base of malt that sinks into the gums. Bourbon checks in mid-palate as more of a sensation drifting around the nostrils & throat plus, no doubt, contributing to the alcoholic ass-kick. One can of this will be fine, thank you.

An odd swing at a barrel aged barleywine. This is heavier, boozier, darker, & less complex than the average barleywine you see at your local McDonald’s. Good beer.

 

 

12 ounce can into a snifter. Canned 11/22/22, had 5/28/23.

Pours a dark amber, fairly clear, with no real head and a couple of specks of cling. Aromas of whiskey, caramel, brown sugar, malt, figs, oak. Similar flavors- whiskey, caramel, malt, brown sugar, figs, light cherry and oak. Mostly smooth, a very good medium body, appropriately carbonated.

Great and prominent barrels, expressive aromas and flavors. Don’t remember them talking this up much, but it’s really good.

Had on tap. Very dark brown body with a light brown cap. Smell is made up of boozy caramel, barley, molasses, dark fruit, char, and sneaky big leather. Taste starts the same with all of the usual ba barleywine flavors in a rich sense, then a surprise punch to the face of booze, leaving giant raisin and other supporting general dark fruits behind, moving the caramel into toffee territory with leather and earth accenting the finish gently. A lot going on in each sip. What holds this one back is the booze heat, it simply adds up, reducing the time spent in each sip, body is heavy yet thinner for style, not smooth but by design I think. The wife liked it

This one pours a fairly dark black color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, light smoke, vanilla, and oak.

Even though this is scotch barrel aged, it doesn’t have most of the typical unpleasant scotch BA notes – there’s just a touch of warm smoke, but nothing else of that sort. It feels like a more typical bourbon barrel aged barleywine, really, with vanilla, caramel, and oak. There’s some chocolate and molasses too, with a nice deep barrel warmth.

This is creamy, rich, and not too boozy, with a nice drinkability.

Half Acre is one of the most underrated purveyors of barrel aged treats in the country – this is wonderful.

 

 

 

12oz can, dated 11.22.2022, poured into a stemless wine glass.

The beer pours a dark cola brown, garnet and burgundy hues, a fizzy bone colored head that recedes quickly leaving no lacing. The aroma is nice, lots of hearty grain, brown sugar, toffee, caramel, leather, musty oak, warm spirit, vanilla, mild char. The flavors are good, warm and hot spirit, dry and charred, chewy oak, brown sugar, big grain, toffee, caramel, stone fruits, leather, and bitter candied hop. The mouthfeel is good, coating medium body, slick, smooth with an assertive finish that is somewhat dry and warm.

Verdict: A nice barleywine from Half Acre. Definitely more aggressive on the barrel and hop qualities, which is expected with the American style. There's still a nice balance and depth that makes it really enjoyable albeit aggressive and assertive.

Canned 11/22/22; drank 12/14/22 @ the Yarchives.

Opaque dark brown appearance.

Oak, marshmallow, caramel, whiskey heat & mild leather notes in the nose. A lot going on here!

Thick, sticky mouthfeel.

Marshmallow & oak flavors up front; whiskey heat & rich caramel notes on the finish.

Big & bold; not perfect but a lot of fun. I'd have another!

rating # 4100

12oz can poured into Benthic Stemless Tulip.

Canned on date of 11/22/22.

Appearance: dark brown to light black bodied beer with a thick cap of 2 fingers tall khaki colored head. The head eventually drops down to no head at all. Big booze legs left behind with each sip.

Smell: caramel / brown sugar / dark fruits with port / sherry notes & oak barrel notes.

Taste: caramel / toffee and toasted marshmallows. Hints of chocolate. Figs and light notes of a fruity English Ale yeast. Dry & old earthy oak, leather, and bourbon. Rich caramel finish that's not too sweet. Might be some port/sherry notes hanging out in the background as well. This is complex and delicious.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low yet adequate carbonation. This drinks way easier than the listed 14% abv. Smooth drinking & is definitely lacking a boozy burn.

Overall: Another big time winner from the barrel program at Half Acre this year. This is really one glorious barrel aged barleywine.