Bass Clef
Audio Graph Beer Co.

One of the few barleywines i chose over a BBA Imperial Stout on more than one occasion.
Worthy of all the rewards it got and needed way more hype .

Poured at just warmer than fridge temp. Pours a beautiful murky brown with a thin layer of tan head. The nose is exquisite. Massive rye and bourbon come through, along with plums, caramel, raisins, slight maple candy, and cinnamon cookies. Lovely.

The taste is insane. The 15.45% comes through here, but it doesn't taste too hot. Lovely. The rye is a bit more prevalent than the bourbon here, but both are strong. Vanilla, lemon cookies, cinnamon, toffee, molasses, maple, figs, prunes, slight hop bitterness (citrus peel flavor), and brown sugar. The sweetness/barrel dominate over the hops. A bit of anise comes through as it warms.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and the aftertaste is barrel and toffee. Lovely beer overall. Glad to have gotten the chance to try it.

 

Pours deep dark reddish with beautiful notes of barley and bourbon barrel and slight head on draught at brewery which was recent renamed to audio graph beer co. Packs a punch at 15.45%. Nice sweet barley malty notes.

Sampling a cellar temp waxed and capped bottle of this beer, 2023 vintage. Beer enters my snifter a rich chestnut to mahogany colored beer and holding to a light source reveals several streams of carbonation rising to the surface. A dense, creamy eggshell white head of 1.5 cm foams up. this foam is a sturdy edge layering soon after I finish pouring the beer. Several small active areas on the surface do not replenish the foam.
Aroma is molasses and plums and bourbon notes mixing together with some hints of tobacco and leather as well. No real fusol booziness and no real hop character either. Pretty complex and malt driven nose.
First sip reveals a medium body with smooth texture and a little stickiness on my lips. Very fine tingly carbonation. While I know I should sip this beer, the physical traits are not forcing me to do so. A little dangerous at 15.4%!
Flavor is similar to the nose advertisements with some fruitiness of plums and raisins mixing with tobacco and here I do get some light vanilla and toffee. the sweetness of toffee lingers after each sip. I never get any hops and the booziness isnt fusol, or black pepper nor any real warmth on the swallow. I will wisely sip from it, even if it isnt forcing me to do so. A fun barleywine for this evening's tasting.

chocolate, fudge, cinnamon, dang that’s a lot of alcohol, bourbon, a little caramel and a bit of rubbery harshness. do not come here without getting this beer. i may have to come back for it.