Elm
Humble Forager Brewery

Dark, opaque brown with at most three bubbles of carbonation. Aroma of dark chocolate, bourbon and oak barrel staves. Upfront taste is a slap of oak and port wine followed by bourbon and figs. Just the slightest hint of creamy vanilla. The mouthfeel is heavy. This would be a great beer to accompany a charcuterie tray heavy in olives and nutty cheese.

 

 

12 ounce can into a tulip snifter. A late 2024 release, had 1/16/25.

Pours a dark ruby amber, mostly opaque, with a brief head and no real lacing. Aromas of caramel, fig, malt, vanilla, some bourbon and oak, light brown sugar, a little char. The barrels take the lead in the flavor: bourbon, vanilla, caramel, malt, fig- but less than the nose, some brown sugar and raisin, some oak. Smooth, a very good medium body, appropriately carbonated.

A very solid effort. Tasty barrels that compliment a great base, delicious vanilla and a good fig presence.

 

The third of four from the mixed pack. Small can poured into the snulip. This one is a dark brown/cola black. It sported a very slight tan foam that disappeared immediately. I'm smelling fruit, but it is tempered by the vanilla. Quite pleasant. I think it's raisin, followed by... what? I guess that's figs, but I'm not super familiar with figs. Anyway, the taste is great as usual. The dark fruit flavor is strong in a good way. It is very much tempered a bit by the vanilla and an almost chocolatey bitterness that sort of lingers long after you expect it to. It all blends together quite well. It's reminiscent of toffee, treacle, or some similar dessert. Very much maple syrup in the long haul. The barrel aging is a great addition. The whiskey notes are obvious in the best way. There's a decently subtle bit of rye there. Thick, chewy, mid-full in body, but lower on carbonation.

Always sad to let one of these go, realizing more isn't an option.

Pours an effervescent cola/mahogany color with a pinky of fast-falling mocha colored head. Some head retention & lacing, plenty viscous

S: Hints of barrel, plenty of dark fruit, Whisky sweetness once warm

T: Loads of figs, vanilla, oakyness, treacle & maple syrup up front, leafy hops as well. Maple syrup & honey notes, figs, Whisky, Vanilla & Golden Raisins as this beer warms up. Finishes with oaky dryness, sweet whisky notes, some peppery Rye notes, Maple Syrup, dark fruit & vanilla

MF: Very chewy, low carbonation, pretty warming. Carbonation picks up a tad once warmed up

Decadent, flavorful & too easy to drink despite the Rocket Fuel ABV. Much to love here

12oz can sent my way by @Beersnake in the Barleywine/Stout BIF #2
Poured into a Baerlic Belgian-style tulip

P murky mahogany w/ no head- just a touch of spotty foam; some chunky lace toward the top; not particularly attractive, but what I would typically expect for the style and abv
N med-bold to bold; sweet dark sugars, toffee, plum, and brandy; inviting for sure
T big, bold, and sweet profile of toffee, brandy-like character, plum/fig, grapeskins, and smooth vanilla; booze is there, but not overbearing; lightly warming in the finish; hearty dark bready malt supports throughout; excellent
Mf med to med-full bodied w/ soft-med to med carb; viscous/sticky
O an outstanding English barleywine; thanks so much once again for the opportunity, 'Snake!

Review date: 04.19.25
Can date: not captured

2025-04-19
12oz can served in a tulip. Don't see a date on it. Got it from @bbtkd in Stout/Barleywine BIF #2.

Pours dark...almost stout dark. Small head. Looks thick, approaching syrupy. Smell is oak and sticky toffee pudding, molasses and nuts.

Taste is sweet, boozy, oaky, molasses offset by tannins, some cola and horehound. Maybe a tamarind note? Abundant but not dominant vanilla.

Mouthfeel is thick, silky, with just a bit of prickle. Very nice beer.

 

7/8/2025 update, added mini review:
Drank my last can. You can sure taste the vanilla beans. Other flavors are golden figs, oak, toffee and hints of rye, maple syrup and molasses. The barrel is there but is not strong. My previous score of 4.41/5 stands

Aroma is intense whiskey/bourbon and dark fruit/stone fruit. The flavor is big dark fruit/figs, malts, caramel and a strong whiskey/hint of vanilla/warming alcoholic finish.

Poured at fridge temp. Pours a very dark brown - almost black. Zero head. The nose is figs, sherry, vanilla, bourbon, toffee, and a bit of maple.

The taste has a lot of the same notes as the other two cans from this boxed set. It's a red wine/sherry note. Kind of dominates things again. I do get vanilla, bourbon, rye, figs, toffee, and molasses. Quite sweet.

Overall, this is really good. Probably my favorite of the 3 cans I have tried from the set. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a toffee and fig aftertaste.

Humble Forager/Forager Brewing collab Elm 33mo BBA English Barleywine, 14% ABV. Pours thick and black with a ring of brown bubbles. Aroma is bourbon, fig, and vanilla. Taste is bourbon, fig, vanilla, chocolate, and caramel, quite sweet, faintly bitter. Excellent mouthfeel, overall world class. Nicely complex, drink slowly, let it warm.