Malt Monsters: Barnaby Barley Wine Ale
The Fort Collins Brewery

Pours a dark amber that is nevertheless clear. Minimal head, a ring around the edge but that's never been any beer's selling point.

Aroma is sweet pineapple (yes, pineapple) and malts. Some yeast and toast. Flavor is -- wow, boozy cherries. Sweet dipped in honey, and some malty caramel comes in. Toffee notes later, yet it's got a body of something hoppy as well. Not too sticky (you'd think so). Aftertaste is a bit of raisin, barrel wood, peach.

The malt comes in as this warms, but the cherries are predominant. 9.4% but it is pretty well hidden. Overall a little sweet and fruity -- drinks closer to peach brandy than to brandywine!

 

 

Abv is 9.4% as per the website. Very fruity body full of dates and prunes. Very good mouth feel, Carmel color, goes down really smooth, almost like Young's Old Nick only a little sweeter.

 

On tap. Poured a clear, golden amber color with a small, tan head of foam. It smelled of toffee, roasted malt and booziness. Sweet maltiness with a sharp piney bitterness.

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 9/2014. Pours fairly crystal clear deep orange/copper color with a 2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toast, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toast, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Fair amount of herbal/grassy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of raisin, plum, cherry, fig, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toast, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Outstanding complexity, balance, and robustness of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy, and lightly slick mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a light warming present after the finish. Overall this is an awesome English barlewine style! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and earthy hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.

Enjoyed from the bomber, this most unique barley wine pours a luminous reddish amber with a very light tan head of fine beaded bubbles that dissipates to a nice ring and thin soapy foam layer with light lacing. Nose of caramel, toast with brown sugar, cherries, and booze. Flavors are brown sugar malts up front marrying with a light tart pie cherry taste to the sides. Fresh sweet bread and a light peach flavor comes through on the aftertaste blending nicely with a moderate floral hop flavor for some solid balance. Ale finishes wet a solid malt backbone that is lightly chewy with moderate carbonation and moderate strong booze aftertaste that raises this one into a highly quaffable ale category. Some qualities that remind me of a strong wee heavy.

Very nice interpretation of a great style!

Cheers!