For Alex
Wax Wings Brewing Company

 

Dark brown pour with a deep ruby hue. There's some off-white head buildup that quickly settles into a thin ring around the body of the beer.

The nose is very malt-heavy; almost savory, with a spiced quality akin to rye. Woody notes follow closely, while subtle notes of fruit integrate onto the tail.

Again a malt-forward profile, really providing the backbone for the experience. The apple brandy really takes some time to come to the forefront, but after about 10 minutes in the glass we begin to note some notes of caramel apple and a touch of acidity. Mildly bitter esters follow, with hints of molasses and just a touch of a cashew-forward nuttiness.

Mouthfeel is solid; not overly heavy, but still coats the palate. Finishes with a touch of dryness, but alarmingly smooth and devoid of the warmth expected from a 15% ABV beer.

 

poured from a 500mL white-waxed bottle into a TG DBA tumbler. pours deep, dark brown with minimal dark mocha colored foam of less than a finger’s worth. aromas of strong bourbon and oak with dark fruits and toffee. taste mostly follows with a little more noticeable apple brandy barrel presence. i really don’t detect much apple brandy on the nose but it’s delicately there in the taste. rich toffee and caramel as well. it’s sweet but mainly due to the base barleywine and it’s kept in check by a strong spirit barrel presence. thick, syrupy mouthfeel with a lower level of carbonation. borderline drinks like a stout but definitely has all the aromatics and flavors of a barleywine. very malt forward with strong oak barrel. really tasty.