Artful Dodger Barley Wine
The Dodging Duck Brewhaus

Appearance - Deep amber in color, and clear. No head at all, and no visible carbonation.

Smell - Sweet malt dominates the smell of this beer. I can pick up little, if any, hops. It is appealing, and indicates that this should be a thick beer worth savoring.

Taste - There is mostly malty sweetness in this beer. Time has taken away a lot of the bitterness, except in the aftertaste. The taste is sort of plain for a barley wine. Flavor improves as the beer warms.

Mouthfeel - Flat. The body is okay, except for the utter lack of carbonation, which ruins the beer.

Drinkability - Not really that good. The beer seems lifeless, or maybe like some magical quality within it cannot burst forth. Either way, it is disappointing. I know barley wines are not supposed to be highly carbonated, but shouldn't they have some carbonation?

Comments - The substance of my conversation with the waitress: Me: "This beer is really flat." Waitress: "It's supposed to be." Me: "Completely flat?" Waitress: "Our brewer says it is supposed to be best at about 2 1/2 to 3 years. Do you want to talk to him?" Me: "No." This might fit as an English style barley wine, but not as American.

Artful Dodger arrived at our table with absolutely no head, nor could I make any head by stiring my glass. I think most barley wines are like that though. The color is reminiscent of cola with a ruby hue. Smell is lightly sweet and hard to perceive. The initial flavor is sweet, almost vanilla like, and complex. Alcohol taste is noted in the finish and especially at the bottom of my glass. True to it's name this beer has a wine-like quality, most notibly in the mouthfeel. Considering the high ABV this is very drinkable, but its probably something I'd want to reserve for the end of an evening.