Thumbprint Barley Wine
New Glarus Brewing Company

Thumbprint Barley WineThumbprint Barley Wine
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From:
New Glarus Brewing Company
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
12%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.89 | pDev: 13.37%
Reviews:
121
Ratings:
354
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 04, 2021
Added:
Jan 13, 2012
Wants:
  53
Gots:
  66
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tectactoe:
Photo of tectactoe
Reviewed by tectactoe from Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Thanks to Mike for cracking this one; I always look forward to something I haven't had from New Glarus. This one has a shockingly light hue for a barley wine; deep golden yellow with a substantial haze throughout. The "head" fades insanely quick and settles as a stark-white ring around the top of the beer as it just sits, still and motionless.

The nose contains quite a bit of hops, especially considering the style. Florals, grassy hops, perfume, light citrus, tart lemon zest, and some herbs are spread out across a light blanket of some sticky caramel and toasted, bready malt.

The hop character seems to be a bit heavier than the malts, and the malts don't seem as dark or sweet as you think they'd be, considering the style. It almost reminds me of a super strong double IPA that's been sitting for a while and the hops have toned down to "not quite DIPA" levels.

Again, the first sip isn't screaming "barley wine", as the beer is actually quite hoppy. I've had hoppy barley wines, sure, but this one just doesn't seem to fit the style. Herbs, leaves, peppery, grassy, and full of underlying citrus; sweet and even mildly tart. Would be a pretty good hop bill for a D/IPA.

After a bit of some time, I finally start getting some barley wine essence; the malts open up and grow with warmth; sticky caramel, toffee, and quite a bit of sweet toast. There's also some apple-y sweetness in the finish that closes things out quite nicely, along with a subtle boozy warmth. The body is heavy and sticky like a barley wine should be, with minimal carbonation.

A little perplexing, that's for sure. Not quite the barley wine I was expecting, but it was still a pretty tasty brew. It took a while for me to come around to it, but in the end it was pretty good. Barley wine? Extra-malty DIPA? What's the difference, really? Far from New Glarus's best offering, but still worth a try.
Jun 28, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2012 bottle. White head. Clear copper color. Still hoppy af and has a deep resin and pine flavor. Perfume/floral notes as it warms. Sticky with an awesome bitter finish. Some grapefruit citrus. Not sure how or why, but getting some coconut to go with the caramel and bready malt profile. Raisins, apple skins, fig newtons.
Sep 04, 2021
 
Rated: 3.84 by CheapBeerBuzz from California

Jun 10, 2021
Photo of TheGent
Reviewed by TheGent from New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Look: The beer pours a medium to deep amber color with a murky and translucent appearance. A finger of tightly packed khaki colored head when I pour. It eventually settles down to thin a layer of bubbles across the top of the beer with some specs of foam on the side of the glass. No visible carbonation. The murky amber color is what I like to see in this style.

Smell: White raisins, prune, soft sherry, and some sweet holiday spice that reminds me of candied orange and nutmeg. Label says graham cracker. I get some of that too. Some rotting peach and lemon. Bready.

Taste: White raisins, white grapes and sweet fruit bread on the tip of tongue. Mid palate the bitter, resinous and lemon pithy hops show up. Earthy and citrusy tea. Lemon herbal tea. Caramel and toffee. Dried apricot.

Feel: Medium level of carbonation. Smooth. Warming on the palate and in the pipes. Exactly the feel good want in a 12% Barleywine.

Overall: This beer drinks like an American Barleywine that’s aged gracefully, taking on soft oxidation notes. I prefer English Barleywine over American. That said, I’ve come around over the past couple years, and I love an American Barleywine that gives way to the hops over time, coupled with some nice oxidation. I would’ve enjoyed the opportunity to try this beer fresh, but am basking in the glory it’s become over the past 7 years
Nov 18, 2019
Photo of userPOOK
Reviewed by userPOOK from Wisconsin

4.09/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Apperance: Hazy orange. Minimal head that disappears quickly.

Smell: Sweet caramel. Earthy, fruity, Apple cider, raisin, slightly citrusy. Oxidation prominent. Smells old.

Taste: Sweet malts on the front end. Old hops. Some citrus, dried fruit, wet earth. Warm alcohol. Slight acidity. Bitter on the back end.

Feel: Medium-thick. Syrupy. A bit sticky.

Overall: Not bad but not great either. At 7 years old oxidation has pretty much taken over. This beer does not quite have the malt backbone to stand up to it. This is very different than it was fresh. The bright piney hop flavors are long gone. There is some complexity left in it, but it isn't trending upward.
Jan 19, 2019
 
Rated: 3.69 by M1A2 from Ohio

Apr 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4.36 by Sweffin from Wisconsin

Feb 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by kvgomps from New Jersey

Jan 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.09 by jdhasse from Illinois

Oct 11, 2015
 
Rated: 4.06 by madtowndmb1 from Wisconsin

Aug 08, 2015
Photo of dutesanch
Rated by dutesanch from California

3.99/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Delicious balance of malt and hops. Not the best or worst of this style.
May 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by Bingja18 from Wisconsin

May 10, 2015
Photo of don1481
Reviewed by don1481 from Wisconsin

3.92/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12o bottle poured into glass.

Look: Pours a hazy orange-ish with a decent amount of bubbling on the inside. Off-white head that lingers and leaves a small amount of lacing on the glass.

Smell: Quite hoppy, even after 3 years. Not much else seems to get past that, maybe a little toffee.

Taste: More smooth than the overpowering hop smell would have indicated. A complex taste, some citrus notes, maybe a little sweetness to balance the hops. I like it better than Bigfoot, but not as much as barrel-aged barleywines such as CW.

Feel: Pretty clean, slight hoppy aftertaste and a slight stickiness.

Overall: Good. Would like to see a barrel-aged version of this appear. Could be intriguing.
Apr 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.85 by 22Blue from Kansas

Apr 18, 2015
Photo of Bosoxfan20
Rated by Bosoxfan20 from Missouri

3.03/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pretty average. Probably my least favorite from this brewery.
Apr 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.21 by JMScowcroft from Vermont

Apr 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by ovaltine from Indiana

Mar 13, 2015
Photo of wisrarebeer
Reviewed by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottled in 2012. Noticeable head, estery flavors, incredibly smooth mouthfeel, very drinkable with a just a touch of alcohol in taste. A well-made English style barleywine.
Mar 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.89 by herman77 from Minnesota

Feb 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by mrn1ceguy from Illinois

Jan 06, 2015
Thumbprint Barley Wine from New Glarus Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 354 ratings