Carpe Noctem - Laphroaig/Ardbeg
Brauhaus Nittenau

Pours a cloudy, reddish mahogany coloration with a small, fizzy head. Smells of caramel malt, toffee and dark/red fruit, with notes of plum and redcurrant, as well as hints of peat smoke and oak. Taste is a great balance of caramel malt, toffee, dark/red fruit, with notes of plum, fig, redcurrant and cherry as well as lighter chocolate and peat, with hints of brown sugar and oak coming through as well. Finishes with a medium sweetness, light bitterness and some toffee, chocolate, red fruit and peat smoke lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium/rich body and low/medium carbonation.

This makes for a nice Barleywine with a good overall balance of sweet, bitter, fruity and smoked notes. It's not quite as rich and full in body and mouthfeel as I had hoped, while feeling a little bit too boozy as well, however the Islay barrel-aging come through very nicely here, with a good peat presence that never becomes overbearing. The sweetness is balanced nicely by a good bitterness and there is a rich toffee and red/dark fruit presence here that makes this rather endearing, despite not being quite as refined as better examples of the style that I've had.