Reflections of Reality
Forest & Main - The Brewery
- From:
- Forest & Main - The Brewery
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Style:
- English Barleywine
Ranked #115 - ABV:
- 12%
- Score:
- 92
Ranked #6,798 - Avg:
- 4.29 | pDev: 3.73%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 7
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 28, 2026
- Added:
- Nov 24, 2023
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
92
Outstanding
92
Outstanding
Reflections of reality was brewed with the finest Maris Otter and crystal malts, English and American hops and fermented with our favorite English yeast. It was then transferred to rest in selected Heaven Hill Barrels for eleven months before bottling.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A - Beautiful deep garnet colored pour with really dense, creamy lacing resting on top with steady, gentle carbonation.
S - Toasted sweet caramel, some brown sugar, raisons, and really light Bourbon notes.
T - Toasted caramel, Bourbon, brown sugar, raisons, and a little bit of dark fruit. Ends on the sweeter boozier side (as expected).
M - Viscous and silky while leaving a light sugary residue on the lips.
O - This is a fantastic 'Barley.
Nov 08, 2025S - Toasted sweet caramel, some brown sugar, raisons, and really light Bourbon notes.
T - Toasted caramel, Bourbon, brown sugar, raisons, and a little bit of dark fruit. Ends on the sweeter boozier side (as expected).
M - Viscous and silky while leaving a light sugary residue on the lips.
O - This is a fantastic 'Barley.
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Released December 2024; drank 4/21/25 @ the Yarchives.
Murky brown/orange rust appearance.
A rough pour yielded a small, noisy khaki head; minimal lacing remained.
Caramel, artisanal soap, mild booze heat & faint orange peel notes in the nose.
Medium thick, sticky mouthfeel.
Caramel & mild orange peel flavors up front; wood & faint artisanal soap notes on the finish. Booze heat emerged as this warmed.
Odd...but interesting & ultimately tasty. I'd have another!
Apr 22, 2025Murky brown/orange rust appearance.
A rough pour yielded a small, noisy khaki head; minimal lacing remained.
Caramel, artisanal soap, mild booze heat & faint orange peel notes in the nose.
Medium thick, sticky mouthfeel.
Caramel & mild orange peel flavors up front; wood & faint artisanal soap notes on the finish. Booze heat emerged as this warmed.
Odd...but interesting & ultimately tasty. I'd have another!
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Sampling a cellar temp waxed bottle poured into my snifter. The beer pours a rich chestnut color with bright copper highlights when I hold the glass to a light source.
A small dense khaki colored head foams up about 1.5 cm. This foam fades to a sturdy edging and surface covering that remains through the sampling.
Aroma on this beer is not surprisingly malt forward with toffee and a little butterscotch and some brown sugar. I also get a little light fruit (pears is what I get) and only faint whiffs of bourbon. No hop character on the nose and also not really boozy which is nice for a higher ABV brew.
First sip reveals a medium body and very fine carbonation that is fairly gentle on my palate. Not really sticky or coating and texture is pretty smooth and easy drinking for a big barleywine.
Flavor is some toffee and brown sugar with a little pear again and then bourbon rolls back in, but not boozy or fusol at all. No hops either on the flavor profile. Some lingering toffee sweetness long after the swallow.
This is an enjoyable barleywine that hides its booze, I would like a little more umph on the feel, but I am enjoying sipping this beer while watching the SB.
Feb 10, 2025A small dense khaki colored head foams up about 1.5 cm. This foam fades to a sturdy edging and surface covering that remains through the sampling.
Aroma on this beer is not surprisingly malt forward with toffee and a little butterscotch and some brown sugar. I also get a little light fruit (pears is what I get) and only faint whiffs of bourbon. No hop character on the nose and also not really boozy which is nice for a higher ABV brew.
First sip reveals a medium body and very fine carbonation that is fairly gentle on my palate. Not really sticky or coating and texture is pretty smooth and easy drinking for a big barleywine.
Flavor is some toffee and brown sugar with a little pear again and then bourbon rolls back in, but not boozy or fusol at all. No hops either on the flavor profile. Some lingering toffee sweetness long after the swallow.
This is an enjoyable barleywine that hides its booze, I would like a little more umph on the feel, but I am enjoying sipping this beer while watching the SB.
Reviewed by MacMalt from New Jersey
4.31/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottled on 11/9/2023. Poured into a Willi Becher glass at 58°. The color is cloudy, dark iced tea and it sports a modest, foamy, ecru-colored cap that fizzled away rapidly. It has a good Barleywine nose featuring caramel/toffee, raisin, brown sugar, cola, and roasted malt. The barrel influence on the smell is delicate. The taste follows although the effect of the Heaven Hill barrel aging is more noticeable. The base Barleywine is soft and fairly sweet with a strong caramel/brown sugar presence but it's balanced by notes of tobacco smoke and earthy, nutty char. The flavors are highly complimentary. The mouth feel is on the thin side with appropriate carbonation, and the 12% ABV gives it good substance without overpowering. Overall, Reflections of Reality is a very fine English Barleywine. The label art is a bit disturbing. It's well-worth seeking out.
Feb 04, 2024
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania
4.24/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
It isn't pretty with a muddy light brown body and amber at the edges. Nice lacing as the head recedes though.
There is a lot going on here, butterscotch and spiced fig cakes come to mind immediately. There is also some tobacco, sweet roasted nuts, toffee, sugary pears, and other fruits. The barrels add light oak, plenty of vanilla, and a wonderful bourbon blanket covering everything. The body is smooth and silky. Good stuff, this is disappearing quickly. Ditch the fancy wax bottles and I'd buy some packs for sure.
Jan 28, 2024There is a lot going on here, butterscotch and spiced fig cakes come to mind immediately. There is also some tobacco, sweet roasted nuts, toffee, sugary pears, and other fruits. The barrels add light oak, plenty of vanilla, and a wonderful bourbon blanket covering everything. The body is smooth and silky. Good stuff, this is disappearing quickly. Ditch the fancy wax bottles and I'd buy some packs for sure.
Reviewed by Beersnake from California
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured at fridge temp. Pours a dark brown with a bit of off-white head. The nose is amazing! Full of malts, bourbon-soaked toffee, figs, plums, vanilla, slight graham cracker.
The taste is outstanding. Loads of toffee right away! A touch of leather, oak, plum, pear, fig, bread, honey, and bourbon. This is not harsh at all, nor is it boozy. Mild sweetness. Just a perfect balance of flavors right here.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied with an aftertaste of bourbon and toffee. Overall a wonderful beer!
Jan 27, 2024The taste is outstanding. Loads of toffee right away! A touch of leather, oak, plum, pear, fig, bread, honey, and bourbon. This is not harsh at all, nor is it boozy. Mild sweetness. Just a perfect balance of flavors right here.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied with an aftertaste of bourbon and toffee. Overall a wonderful beer!
Reviewed by thebeers from Pennsylvania
4.27/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.27/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a murky orange-brown with a half finger of soupy, tan head. The head settles into a lasting wisp and soupy crown that leaves spotty lacing.
Strong bourbon character in the nose with a nice vanilla note. Also, leather, toffee, caramel and Earl Gray tea.
Super creamy tasting, with many of the same qualities as the aroma, including especially vanilla and Earl Gray.
Creamy feel with tight carbonation.
Superb BiL here. The barrel is amazing, loaded with vanilla, and nice bergamot and black tea underneath.
Dec 30, 2023Strong bourbon character in the nose with a nice vanilla note. Also, leather, toffee, caramel and Earl Gray tea.
Super creamy tasting, with many of the same qualities as the aroma, including especially vanilla and Earl Gray.
Creamy feel with tight carbonation.
Superb BiL here. The barrel is amazing, loaded with vanilla, and nice bergamot and black tea underneath.
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