BruRm Bunghammer Barleywine
The Brü Room at BAR

Swing-top bomber, brewed and bottled in late 2004, #10/100. I never thought I'd be reviewing a bottle from BAR; here goes nothing! Big thanks to Matt for sharing this true rarity.

A: Clear mahogany body under a finger of fine tan head. Ok retention, spotty lace. Very nice for how old it is.

S: Sweet + sour, with major sherry, raisins, pomegranate, toffee, and some weird vegetal funk. Smells old, strange, infected, and not too good - not terrible, though.

T: Soy sauce joins the array of flavors adumbrated by the aroma. Sour raisin, over-sweet toffee, and tons of sherry oxidation. Sickeningly cloying on the finish. Pretty bad.

M: Full body, plenty of soft carbonation. Pretty great.

O: This was quite the experience, but far from a thoroughly good one. It's a shame this got infected, as there was certainly potential for such a big, sweet Barleywine to age nicely - the oxidation was actually one of this beer's strong suits, and might have gone great without the funkiness.

Cheers!

 

 

The tempature read 18 degrees, the ground was covered with ice and snow and I needed something to warm me up as I entered the Bru Room. Much to my pleasure the Bunghammer was on tap and waiting. It did not disapoint.

The color was deep amber and a really nice head rendered from the pour. It was served in special glass that was mine to keep and perfect for this brew. The nose was great with sweet malt and floral notes. The flavors were great and followed suit with a nice sweet warming feeling that showed solid malt backbone and candied dried fruits and toasted malt flavors. It had a nice tart finish from the hopping that gave a nice cleansing and drying quality to a big and malty brew. Very Good stuff.

I also got to meet the brewer Jeff as well who was there giving some kind of tour to some Yale students.

I tried this brew at the opening tonite. Good to meet Jeff Browning and hang out with him while sampling this fine brew.
The beer comes in a special snifter that I get to keep. Yeah!
It is served cold and I recommend letting it warm up a little to experience the complexity of the brew.
The color is clear mahogany with some tints of red shining through. There is a very fine head on the brew that fades to a layer around the edge of the glass.
Aroma gives mostly maltiness, with faint hints of hop and mild fruitiness as well. Maybe plums or very ripe pears. Again this scent is faint and the malt character prevails. No hint of the 9% ABV on the nose which is nice.
The first sip reveals very fine and gentle carbonation and medium body. There is also a bit of a syrupy texture.
THe flavor changes from cold to room temp. At first the brew is malty and clean with a mild hop bite on the finish. As I enjoy my first glass, the middle becomes much more complex with some of the same fruit flavors that can be detected on the nose. The finish is crisp and hoppy but not overly bitter. This is a well balanced brew! Again there is no sign of alcohol warmth.
This is a very drinkable and tasty barleywine for being so young. If in New Haven make a stop in and try this one.