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Lower De Boom Barleywine
21st Amendment Brewery
- From:
- 21st Amendment Brewery
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 11.5%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.77 | pDev: 11.94%
- Reviews:
- 197
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 12, 2020
- Added:
- Sep 12, 2004
- Wants:
- 34
- Gots:
- 97
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by NeroFiddled:
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania
3.99/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
21st Amendment Brewery "Lower De Boom"
8.4 fl. oz. can, "Canned on: 12/17/15" and sampled on 10/10/16
"Lower De Boom" pours a clear deep copper (almost mahogany) body with orange highlights beneath a short head of white foam that drops readily to a creamy collar. Lacing is slightly better than average.
The aroma is floral and fruity (citrus, ripe red fruit, some dark skinned fruit) over a gently caramelish and bready malt base.
The flavor is wider than the nose suggests, adding notes of dark fruit, pine, subtle sweet red berries, and a little bit of toastiness to the malt. Of course there's alcohol as well, but it doesn't step too far forward; and along with solid bitterness (probably close to 90 IBUs) it helps to bring it to a dry finish.
In the mouth it's medium with a dextrinous edge that leans it towards medium-full but doesn't quite get there, and it's livened by a gently tingling, moderate carbonation.
Overall it's fairly impressive, and well balanced, but in the end the 11.5% ABV cuts into its drinkability just as it cuts through its maltiness. My sample is also almost a year old, so I'm guessing that the hops have diminished a bit, although I feel if they were a little bit brighter that would only help, and certainly not hinder. Worth trying.
Oct 10, 20168.4 fl. oz. can, "Canned on: 12/17/15" and sampled on 10/10/16
"Lower De Boom" pours a clear deep copper (almost mahogany) body with orange highlights beneath a short head of white foam that drops readily to a creamy collar. Lacing is slightly better than average.
The aroma is floral and fruity (citrus, ripe red fruit, some dark skinned fruit) over a gently caramelish and bready malt base.
The flavor is wider than the nose suggests, adding notes of dark fruit, pine, subtle sweet red berries, and a little bit of toastiness to the malt. Of course there's alcohol as well, but it doesn't step too far forward; and along with solid bitterness (probably close to 90 IBUs) it helps to bring it to a dry finish.
In the mouth it's medium with a dextrinous edge that leans it towards medium-full but doesn't quite get there, and it's livened by a gently tingling, moderate carbonation.
Overall it's fairly impressive, and well balanced, but in the end the 11.5% ABV cuts into its drinkability just as it cuts through its maltiness. My sample is also almost a year old, so I'm guessing that the hops have diminished a bit, although I feel if they were a little bit brighter that would only help, and certainly not hinder. Worth trying.
More User Ratings:
Rated by AndreRus from Pennsylvania
5/5 rDev +32.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +32.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Very nice barleywine for everyone who enjoy this style of beer
Jul 12, 2020Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida
3.57/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.57/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to eyebereej for sending this one! Reviewed from notes. Oddly small 8.4 oz. can - almost like a V8 container. 2013 vintage, stored appropriately, consumed on 11/28/19 to kick off Thanksgiving this year. Poured into a Firestone Walker tulip glass.
A: Hazy rich caramelly brown, with lots of visible carbonation – large active bubbles and clinging to sides of glass. But it only manages a short-lived thin white fizzy head.
S: Caramel and brown sugar and toasted malts. Faded grapefruit and citrus rind hops. Minimal oxidation, but really not a lot of aroma at all – not good or bad really. I will say there’s minimal alcohol on the nose for the 11.5% listed on the side of the can.
T: Caramel and boozy sweet malts, a thin toffee flavor and the toasted bready malts. Then booze soaked grapefruit pith and orange rind. Some mild cardboard oxidation but accentuated by the faded hops. Still the hop bitterness with some resinous notes with lingering sweet caramel after the swallow.
M: A medium body for style. Carbonation sensation is on the low side despite appearance. The alcohol is obvious and warming, though I’m not sure I would have guessed a chunk over double digits.
O: This was a passable barleywine at best, I think. It’s not offensive, but the hop flavors present really don’t play well with all the sweet and caramel-forward malt bill flavors. 92 IBUs as listed on the can just seem unnecessary, and even extended aging hasn’t done much to tame them. It almost reminds me of a re-labeled DFH 120 Minute.
Apr 01, 2020A: Hazy rich caramelly brown, with lots of visible carbonation – large active bubbles and clinging to sides of glass. But it only manages a short-lived thin white fizzy head.
S: Caramel and brown sugar and toasted malts. Faded grapefruit and citrus rind hops. Minimal oxidation, but really not a lot of aroma at all – not good or bad really. I will say there’s minimal alcohol on the nose for the 11.5% listed on the side of the can.
T: Caramel and boozy sweet malts, a thin toffee flavor and the toasted bready malts. Then booze soaked grapefruit pith and orange rind. Some mild cardboard oxidation but accentuated by the faded hops. Still the hop bitterness with some resinous notes with lingering sweet caramel after the swallow.
M: A medium body for style. Carbonation sensation is on the low side despite appearance. The alcohol is obvious and warming, though I’m not sure I would have guessed a chunk over double digits.
O: This was a passable barleywine at best, I think. It’s not offensive, but the hop flavors present really don’t play well with all the sweet and caramel-forward malt bill flavors. 92 IBUs as listed on the can just seem unnecessary, and even extended aging hasn’t done much to tame them. It almost reminds me of a re-labeled DFH 120 Minute.
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
2/5 rDev -46.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
2/5 rDev -46.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Canned 12/17/15; drank 2/12/16 @ the Yarchives.
See-through purple/red appearance.
A violent pour yielded a nice, noisy khaki head which quickly dissipated; decent lace.
Grapefruit, sour hops, sweet caramel & booze heat notes in the nose.
Medium thick, sticky mouthfeel.
Tart grapefruit & cloying caramel flavors up front; faint trash water notes on the finish. Strong booze heat notes emerged as this warmed.
This plays strongly to everything I dislike about American barleywines; a clash of hops & malt that is inharmonious, plus abrasive booze heat. No bueno.
May 06, 2019See-through purple/red appearance.
A violent pour yielded a nice, noisy khaki head which quickly dissipated; decent lace.
Grapefruit, sour hops, sweet caramel & booze heat notes in the nose.
Medium thick, sticky mouthfeel.
Tart grapefruit & cloying caramel flavors up front; faint trash water notes on the finish. Strong booze heat notes emerged as this warmed.
This plays strongly to everything I dislike about American barleywines; a clash of hops & malt that is inharmonious, plus abrasive booze heat. No bueno.
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York
3.83/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.83/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
(SRM 17-18) Crystal clear, dark copper in an Offero oversized wine glass. A thin veil flashes over the top leaving tiny islands and a ring of fine lace. A thin film produces many legs after each sip.
This Barleywine opens with strong pine hops before yielding to similarly strong caramel. Warmth draws out vanilla and butterscotch. The background is filled with herbal white tea and honey.
The flavor is quite bitter and generally follows the nose. Sweetness plays tag with bitterness winning out by a long shot. The finish is long and sharply bitter.
The slick texture compliments a full, almost dense, body. Alcohol is sharp with a mild warmth. The carbonation is fine and prickly.
While the American Barleywine variant is supposed to be more bitter than the English Barleywine, this is much closer to the American IIPA. I found it to be an enjoyable beer, though outside the style. Those who favor sharply bitter beers will certainly enjoy this. My can was aged approximately 28 months from the canning date of 17.Dec.2015. This makes the alcohol presence all the more impressive.
Sep 30, 2018This Barleywine opens with strong pine hops before yielding to similarly strong caramel. Warmth draws out vanilla and butterscotch. The background is filled with herbal white tea and honey.
The flavor is quite bitter and generally follows the nose. Sweetness plays tag with bitterness winning out by a long shot. The finish is long and sharply bitter.
The slick texture compliments a full, almost dense, body. Alcohol is sharp with a mild warmth. The carbonation is fine and prickly.
While the American Barleywine variant is supposed to be more bitter than the English Barleywine, this is much closer to the American IIPA. I found it to be an enjoyable beer, though outside the style. Those who favor sharply bitter beers will certainly enjoy this. My can was aged approximately 28 months from the canning date of 17.Dec.2015. This makes the alcohol presence all the more impressive.
Reviewed by Shade1951 from Pennsylvania
1.22/5 rDev -67.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1
1.22/5 rDev -67.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1
I like the high ABV.
That's about it for me. I poured this from a can into a glass. I know cans are supposed to protect against skunkiness, and that high ABV ales are often storable for several years. Nonetheless, there is an off-taste to this.
It smells skunky. It tastes skunky... and way too hoppy in addition. I don't like hoppy barleywines. I don't know why some brewers insist on adding loads of hops to everything they brew.
I've sipped about 2 oz. out of the tiny 8.4 oz. can. I just cannot finish it. And that sucks because I suspect that this one was among the more expensive beers I purchased earlier today.
Aug 31, 2018That's about it for me. I poured this from a can into a glass. I know cans are supposed to protect against skunkiness, and that high ABV ales are often storable for several years. Nonetheless, there is an off-taste to this.
It smells skunky. It tastes skunky... and way too hoppy in addition. I don't like hoppy barleywines. I don't know why some brewers insist on adding loads of hops to everything they brew.
I've sipped about 2 oz. out of the tiny 8.4 oz. can. I just cannot finish it. And that sucks because I suspect that this one was among the more expensive beers I purchased earlier today.
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina
3.75/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
8.4 oz skinny can with a 17 Dec. 2015 canning date.
Look- Copper colored clear body with a thin off-white head that soon fades to a durable partial coat and ring.
Aroma- dark fruits and sweet malts.
Flavor- malty with hints of figs, plums, fruitcake and piney hops.
Feel- low carbonation; full body; light warming but no heat in the mouth even with 11.5% ABV,
Overall- except for being more hoppy than average, this is a solid, mainstream barleywine.
Jul 06, 2018Look- Copper colored clear body with a thin off-white head that soon fades to a durable partial coat and ring.
Aroma- dark fruits and sweet malts.
Flavor- malty with hints of figs, plums, fruitcake and piney hops.
Feel- low carbonation; full body; light warming but no heat in the mouth even with 11.5% ABV,
Overall- except for being more hoppy than average, this is a solid, mainstream barleywine.
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
4.04/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
'15 vintage. What a cute little can.
This one pours a mostly clear light amber, with a small head, and not much lacing.
This smells like zesty citrusy hops, rye bread, caramel malt, and pine.
Even two years in, this is still quite hoppy. I can't imagine how hoppy this one is out of the gate. There's lots of citrusy hops- with the sweet malt it almost feels like orange marmalade on some sort of rich bread. There's a clean bitterness on the finish.
This is medium bodied, surprisingly crisp and clean, with a good level of carbonation.
This isn't my preferred style of barleywine, but it's still fairly tasty and clearly well done.
Nov 20, 2017This one pours a mostly clear light amber, with a small head, and not much lacing.
This smells like zesty citrusy hops, rye bread, caramel malt, and pine.
Even two years in, this is still quite hoppy. I can't imagine how hoppy this one is out of the gate. There's lots of citrusy hops- with the sweet malt it almost feels like orange marmalade on some sort of rich bread. There's a clean bitterness on the finish.
This is medium bodied, surprisingly crisp and clean, with a good level of carbonation.
This isn't my preferred style of barleywine, but it's still fairly tasty and clearly well done.
Lower De Boom Barleywine from 21st Amendment Brewery
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
834 ratings
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