Forever Heavy
Definitive Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Definitive Brewing Company
 
Maine, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
10%
Score:
+6 ratings needed
Avg:
4.17 | pDev: 9.11%
Ratings:
4 | reviews: 3
Status:
Inactive
Rated:
May 07, 2019
Added:
Dec 20, 2018
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
Forever Heavy is our Barleywine Style Ale. Brewed with a massive amount of grain and boiled for several hours, Forever Heavy was then laid to rest on a bed of toasted coconut and Tahitian vanilla. A truly decadent treat. Forever Heavy smells and tastes like caramel, macaroons, and freshly baked magic bars.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of BEERMILER12
Rated by BEERMILER12 from Maine

4.17/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On tap at Novare
May 07, 2019
Photo of SawDog505
Reviewed by SawDog505 from New Hampshire

4.78/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Pours a very attractive slightly cloudy orange with a 2 plus finger sticky off white head that leaves a thin wall of lace as it slowly settles, with exceptional retention. 4.75

Smell is really balanced and not over the top at all, brewed with toasted coconut and you get a little of that upfront, along with just a little vanilla, dates, apricot, and a little grapefruit rind, exceptional. 4.75

Taste follows coconut and vanilla are definetly the stand out but it so tame and not over the top, it doesn’t just slap you in the face like some other brewers may and I love that. Dark fruit, hard candy, apricot, and just a little hint of grapefruit in the excellent finish. 4.75

Mouthfeel is on the larger side, soft gentle carbonation, maybe a little dry and slightly sticky, and at 10% ABV extremely approachable. 5

Overall this is probably my favorite Maine brewery and I am absolutely floored with what they did here with this world class Barleywine, so tasty and unassuming that it is 10% ABV and I love how they brewed it with stuff but didn’t let those flavors totally dominate the beer. Awesome stuff! I have no idea what these other 2 reviewers were expecting or drinking. 4.75
Jan 13, 2019
Photo of Naughead
Reviewed by Naughead from Massachusetts

3.94/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I got very little coconut or vanilla as well. Like the last reviewer, I found the metallic taste distracting. Not bad, but not one of the better barleywines I've had. And Definitive does other styles much better IMHO.
Jan 01, 2019
Photo of SierraNevallagash
Reviewed by SierraNevallagash from Maine

3.78/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
Pint can - dated 11/30/18 - poured into a tulip at about 65F

Pours a hazy tarnished brass huez with a solid finger of sudsy tawny off-white head, that stays in place like seafoam. A little bit of cling.

Nose honestly just smells like a saison. Fruity and spicy. Phenolic and estery. Had a very Belgian nose. I can almost imagine a 0.001% hint of coconut of I strain, but there's absolutely no sign of vanilla. No real malt aroma. No hops. Just yeasty and slightly metallic.

Palate is better than the nose. It's malty, but it's the strangest malty I've ever tasted. Like scotch malty. It is rather sweet, but not overly so, and feels appropriate for a typical barleywine. That metallic note shows up quick, unfortunately. I do definitely get some of the coconut, and even some vanilla as well, but that metallic flavor detracts from it. Some grassy notes, and a firm bitterness creep in before the finish, and the bitterness lingers though. It's an oily, resinous bitterness that reminds you that this is truly an American take on a barleywine. Zero alcohol flavor detected.

Mouthfeel is silky smooth, and incredibly soft. It's not terribly thick or viscous, but it's just so soft and smooth that it gives the illusion of some serious thickness. Low carbonation, but surprisingly effervescent for the style and ABV. medium-high for a 10% barleywine.

Overall, I'm not too impressed with this one. Barleywines are difficult, and I love Definitive, so I'll go easy on them. I've had much worse barleywines than this, and I've had much better barleywines. This falls right in the middle. If you're in the mood for a barleywine, and there isn't any Solstice d'hiver on the shelf, this isn't nearly as good, but it will do. A fair attempt, but would fare better without the coconut vanilla label. Just drinks like a mediocre American barleywine ale.
Dec 20, 2018