Hardtack
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
- From:
- Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
- Delaware, United States
- Style:
- English Barleywine
- ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 91
- Avg:
- 4.27 | pDev: 6.79%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jul 22, 2014
- Added:
- Mar 14, 2011
- Wants:
- 4
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
91
Outstanding
91
Outstanding
Long before the English were making Barley Wines the Tibetans were making their version high in the Himalayan mountains. Our brew-pub exclusive version was brewed to 20 Plato with Maris Otter malt, Tibetan purple highlandprairie barley, and agave nectar. Hardtack was flavored with Rhodiola Rosea (a bitter citrusy tree root also from Tibet) and dried sour cherries in the kettle and hopped with Nelson Sauvin from New Zealand. Following fermentation a third of the beer was transferred to an oak barrel which was seasoned with Port. To that barrel we added 40 pounds of sour Morello cherries and aged it for two months. Following the aging period, we blended the wood aged beer with the other two thirds. Hardtack is complex, crisp, and strong with flavors of sour cherry and a floral aroma.
40 IBU
40 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada
4.42/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.42/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: hazy amber color with a nice 1" head that fell quickly.
Smell: malt sweetness, cherries, alcohol, and a nice floral aroma was very pleasant for the nose.
Taste: nice maltiness with some sour cherries, some sweeter fruits, and a very floral flavor. Bitterness is moderate, and the alcohol is warming. There is also a red wine-like finish here.
Mouthfeel: heavy in body. lightly crisp to start, smoother towards the finish. Long lasting aftertaste.
Overall: this beer was aged from 2011, and it was one of the better barleywines I have had in a long time. Slow sipping, but extremely enjoyable and complex.
Mar 17, 2012Smell: malt sweetness, cherries, alcohol, and a nice floral aroma was very pleasant for the nose.
Taste: nice maltiness with some sour cherries, some sweeter fruits, and a very floral flavor. Bitterness is moderate, and the alcohol is warming. There is also a red wine-like finish here.
Mouthfeel: heavy in body. lightly crisp to start, smoother towards the finish. Long lasting aftertaste.
Overall: this beer was aged from 2011, and it was one of the better barleywines I have had in a long time. Slow sipping, but extremely enjoyable and complex.
Reviewed by mdaschaf from Indiana
4.33/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.33/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Review from notes. Had on tap at the DFH brewpub in Rehoboth. Enjoyed with ShanePB!
A: Served in a goblet. The beer was slightly hazy ruby color with a small, off-white head. Decent head retention and moderate lacing.
S: A very deep fruit aroma of cherries and other red fruits. Some caramelized sugars, bruised apples, and slight hint of alcohol.
T: The cherry and raspberry come through nicely on the flavor profile. Quite sweet for an english barleywine. The backend is dominated by some caramelized sugar, molasses, and raisins. There is a slight tartness to it and no sign of booze at all.
M: Medium bodied with a nice level of carbonation. Extremely smooth drinking.
O: Really good. A barleywine that I would love to be able to get all the time. The cherries gave it a really nice flavor and this was dangerously drinkable.
May 04, 2011A: Served in a goblet. The beer was slightly hazy ruby color with a small, off-white head. Decent head retention and moderate lacing.
S: A very deep fruit aroma of cherries and other red fruits. Some caramelized sugars, bruised apples, and slight hint of alcohol.
T: The cherry and raspberry come through nicely on the flavor profile. Quite sweet for an english barleywine. The backend is dominated by some caramelized sugar, molasses, and raisins. There is a slight tartness to it and no sign of booze at all.
M: Medium bodied with a nice level of carbonation. Extremely smooth drinking.
O: Really good. A barleywine that I would love to be able to get all the time. The cherries gave it a really nice flavor and this was dangerously drinkable.
Reviewed by Cylinsier from Pennsylvania
4.09/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
tap at Rehoboth.
Pours a rosey hazy amber color with a thin white head with decent retention.
Smells of very mild hops and sweet apples.
Tastes of sweet apples and cherries with some hop bitterness and a bit of liquor like flavor, rum or bourbon.
Medium sticky mouth with fizzy carbonation.
Good tasty sweet barleywine, the cherries really come through and make it pleasant and easy to drink, but the hops are a welcome balance to the sweetness. All the flavors are appropriately moderate.
Mar 27, 2011Pours a rosey hazy amber color with a thin white head with decent retention.
Smells of very mild hops and sweet apples.
Tastes of sweet apples and cherries with some hop bitterness and a bit of liquor like flavor, rum or bourbon.
Medium sticky mouth with fizzy carbonation.
Good tasty sweet barleywine, the cherries really come through and make it pleasant and easy to drink, but the hops are a welcome balance to the sweetness. All the flavors are appropriately moderate.
Reviewed by ShanePB from Pennsylvania
4.13/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.13/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Served on-tap at the Rehoboth Beach Pub on 3/19/11 into a 10 ounce snifter.
A: Cloudy ruby red, thin beige head with quick dissipation while leaving a healthy cap sip through swallow.
S: Mellow berries - raspberry, cherry and some elderberry - with a sweet caramelized malt base. Some lactic infected wild notes and a hint of alcohol come through as it warms.
T: Overall muted but very enjoyable. Nothing bold jumps out, instead each of the flavors are blended very well. More fruity notes, namely raspberry and cherry come through, while any notion of alcohol is left out of the picture. A very minor funk is here, though nothing to qualify this as having a noticeable tart quality.
Considering the hefty 10% ABV tag, this feels nothing like it. I've had many Barleywines in the past that can't do anything to brush off the alcohol notes, but the Hardtack manages to do so. Seriously drinkable, even if you hate Barleywines. An outstanding spin on the Barleywine. Get this while you can.
Mar 21, 2011A: Cloudy ruby red, thin beige head with quick dissipation while leaving a healthy cap sip through swallow.
S: Mellow berries - raspberry, cherry and some elderberry - with a sweet caramelized malt base. Some lactic infected wild notes and a hint of alcohol come through as it warms.
T: Overall muted but very enjoyable. Nothing bold jumps out, instead each of the flavors are blended very well. More fruity notes, namely raspberry and cherry come through, while any notion of alcohol is left out of the picture. A very minor funk is here, though nothing to qualify this as having a noticeable tart quality.
Considering the hefty 10% ABV tag, this feels nothing like it. I've had many Barleywines in the past that can't do anything to brush off the alcohol notes, but the Hardtack manages to do so. Seriously drinkable, even if you hate Barleywines. An outstanding spin on the Barleywine. Get this while you can.
Reviewed by THECPJ from Delaware
4.45/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.45/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Reviewed on 3/14/2011 at the Brewpub in Rehoboth.
Appearance: Ruby Red with a 1 finger white head
smell: tart, cherries, booze
taste: tart, semi-sweet, cherries
mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body, creamy smooth texture
drinkability: a unique rendition of a barleywine. It's very smooth for its style but definitely a sipper at 10% ABV.
Cheers,
The CPJ
Mar 14, 2011Appearance: Ruby Red with a 1 finger white head
smell: tart, cherries, booze
taste: tart, semi-sweet, cherries
mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body, creamy smooth texture
drinkability: a unique rendition of a barleywine. It's very smooth for its style but definitely a sipper at 10% ABV.
Cheers,
The CPJ
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