Barley Wine
Empire Brewing Company

 

Did not find this one very good. The alcohol was too prominent. The hops profile did not blend well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Arrives with a small cap atop the hazy amber liquid; leaves a few clumps of foam here and there

Smell: Caramel dominant with earthy hops underneath

Taste: After a sweet, caramel-oriented opening, the beer adds a bit of fruit and earthy hop character to the profile by mid-palate; the piney hops continue to linger into the finish, but the caramel malt dominates overall

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A nicely balanced barleywine but definitely on the sweeter side for the style; leans English

Empire Barleywine on tap at The Pony Bar in Manhattan, NYC, served in a 8-oz glass.

Appearance: Auburn color, like a dark Imperial IPA. Almost no head, barely any lacing.

Smell: Lots of bitter sweetness. Dark dried fruit, sugar. Some hops.

Taste: Malts all around, booze. Reminds me of Flying Dog Double Dog. Raisin-y sweetness, a little cloying. Grapes, prunes. A bit too much.

Mouthfeel: Full body, perfect carbonation, nice coating of the mouth.

Drinkability: High, particularly in an 8-oz "shot"! But be careful... hides the 12.5% really well.

The first time I had it this was a beautiful beer. This second time, not so much. Feels unbalanced, too hot, too sweet. Not unlike another crazy barleywine, Dogfish Olde School.

On-tap poured into 8oz glass.

A - Poured amber, slightly cloudy with significant head that dissipates quickly leaving slight lacing around glass.

S - Hops predominantly with hints of barley and fruits, possibly peaches.

T - Slightly sweet with hops and barley predominating all the way till the end. Slight citrus aftertaste.

M - Medium-bodied with medium carbonation.

D - Ok but due to high abv one glass is enough.

this beer pours a cloudy brown with orangish highlights, and a nice off white head that recedes to lacing that sticks around through the session. the aroma presents a nice roasted sweet malt smell, balanced by a bit of citrus hops in the back, the alcohol doesn't really come through there, but in the taste it gets you a little. the taste brings fruits esters to the party, as well as the sticky sweet malt flavor which is rounded out by a bit of the hop bitterness at the end. the full mouthfeel and adequate carbonation make this a very drinkable barleywine, and one of the better offerings I have had from empire.

The beer pours a cloudy dark brownish orange color with a thick and creamy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a warm, sweet malt scent that boasts of burnt toffee and lots of hops. It definately has a sweet, roasted character with a lion share of warmth. The taste is great! It has a really smooth, malty flavor that's heavy on burnt toffee character. Holy shit! The hops in this beer are outstanding. It has incredible balance and a nice warming finish. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a well brewed barleywine and probably the best beer Empire makes. It's too bad that it's a seasonal offering. Excellent work Tim.

On-tap at the brewpub and served in a large red wine glass. The beer appeared a hazy brown with a slight off-white head. Wow, this is 12.5%? This isn't my favorite barleywine, but it hides the strength (I assumed 9-10%). At first, this reminds me of a slightly dialed back Bigfoot BW. There's a big medicinal (not in a bad way) cherry malt flavor with big citrus rind kicking in around it. Big candy caramel and toffee also add to the flavor, but I feel like this could be a more complex barleywine. From time to time, it falls a little flat, but I only say that because this style can have such high standards.

Enjoyed at the brewpub with the brewer, Tim Butler. Aged 18 months, this was a balance of fruitiness, the hops and barley and pale English malts were well integrated. Hops lent grapefruit and overall citrus Peachy colour and lacey. Average mouthfeel.

On my 1st visit to this brewpub on the 7th of November 2007, the friendly bartender informe me that there was a barleywine on tap that was not listed on the blackboard. Apparently when they renovated and reopened the brewery they found several kegs of this stuffthat had been sitting there since 2003. Wel when heard this, I had to try it. Boy, was I glad I did. Obviously I am entering this review today from copious notes taken during consumption, but oh baby, I remeber it like it was yesterday.

This beauty was poured from the tap into a wide-mouth tapper 10 ounce goblet.It was an attractive cloudy brown color with a tinge of orange. The head was a nice tight, tan beauty. It fell fairly quickly but did leave some nice trraces down the glass and splotchy coat with a tall collar.

The aroma was of caramel, raisans, prunes, dried figs and touch of mollases. The hops hit in the middle both notes of greens and pine came through. The hop aroma was moreprononced than I would have expected givnet he age.

This tasted great right off the bat. Really malty but also balanced by the hops. The malts were sweet and fruity with dried fruits from the nose and caramel sweetness that i really enjoyed. Again hops were more pronounced than expected. Notes of bittr greens and pine came throgh here as well.

This beer has a ful body, creamy, with a mild carbonation. Coated the mouth fully and was somewhat oily after the swallow.

I could have drank this beer all night, the alcohol level, wahtever it was, was well hidden. But I could certainly feel it.

Sampled on tap 16 Dec, 2002 at Empire Brewing Co. - Rochester. Deep and richly amber colored brew. Served at the perfect temperature IMHO and in a brandy snifter, to allow optimal sensory satisfaction. The aroma is sweetly alcoholic with sort of a rum cake kind of quality combined with a blend of big ass grain bill malt and juicy, resiny hops. After assessing the aroma, the much anticipated flavor is delivered precisely as the aroma implies blending all with a soothing, smooth warming with each taste. The piney hop cuts to the core of the would be sweet, malty alcohol to skillfully balance the brew. The mouthfeel is big with a syrupy texture that's spot on for the style. Outstanding.