Brass Roots
Tribus Beer Co.

Pours clear, dark brown in color with one quarter inch head. Taste is amber ale, sandalwood and a touch of brown sugar. Medium body, dry, slightly bitter, low carbonation. This was so much better and sweeter on tap. Loved it on tap but did not review then.sweet brown sugar stood out..Bottled albeit 2 weeks later, all of the sweetness disappeared rendering a very below average, gross, dry, barleywine. Smokey sweet in a bad way. Hard pass. Gross.

I picked up this 500 ml bottle at the brewery today and the label says bottled in Dec 2022. SO this is a pretty fresh barleywine.
I am pouring into my snifter at slightly below cellar temperature. The bottle was refrigerated at the brewery upon purchase.
The beer pours into my glass a clear mahogany color, when I hold it to the light, it gets to be much more deep garnet red. A creamy beige head of 1.5 cm foams up and fades to a sturdy edge layer and one large island on the surface. Fairly tight lattice when I swirl the glass or take a sip.
Aroma is some brown sugar and toffee with hints of dry wooden notes and a bit of an earthy hop profile. No hint of the ABV on the aroma. Not as sweet of a nose as I anticipated based on the bourbon soaked chips and molasses used in the beer.
First sip reveals a medium body and slightly sticky texture with very fine and tingly carbonation. A little bit of a coating on my palate after each sip.
Flavor starts with some brown sugar and a bit of toffee, maybe even a hint of butterscotch. Again I get some dry wood, almost like a popsicle stick or toothpick. I do pick up a little bourbon here and again some earthy hops with maybe just a hint of boozy bite on the swallow. The flavors all work, I was hoping for a little more boldness on the flavor profile. What is there is good, just not as robust as I had hoped.
Still glad to have tried this one to support a local brewery making a barleywine. Would probably get it again, may get one and let it sit for a bit to see if any one flavor takes over more.