Appalachian Walker
Olde Hickory Brewery

Bottled on 3/1/2022. Poured into a pint glass. It pours a dark cola-iced tea color with a small, ecru-colored cap that dissipated rapidly leaving a thin film of foam and modest lacing. It has a really aromatic nose with lots of toffee, brown sugar, raisin, fig, roasted malt, leather, and a whiff of tobacco. As it warms I also smell the influence of the brandy barrels. The initial taste is more bitter than the smell would indicate with earthy char and bitter hop notes. The rest of the flavor, though, is spot-on with the sweetness of brown sugar and caramel/toffee and abundant raisin, fig, and sweet malts. As it warms and breathes I notice the brandy, which adds oakiness to the already complex taste profile. The mouth feel is thick and creamy with moderate carbonation. This batch carries a 12.04% ABV, which is warming but not overly distracting. Overall, Appalachian Walker is a stellar English Barleywine whose bitterness reminds me of the American variant. I agree with the World-Class score.

 

A: Pours a clear but almost opaque dark mahogany in color with moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and moderate ruby red + garnet red + chestnut + amber colored highlights. The beer has a two finger tall fizzy foamy tan head that slowly reduces to a medium to large sized patch of thin film covering approximately 35% of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of toasted + caramel + toffee + lightly roasted + chocolate malts with slightly heavier than moderate amounts of caramel + toffee + brown sugar + dark fruit (cherry + fig + plum) sweetness. Moderate aromas of leather + tobacco. Moderate aromas of red wine + vanilla + toasted oak. Hints of earthy hops and brandy booziness.

T: Upfront there are moderate to strong flavors of toasted + caramel + toffee + lightly roasted + chocolate malts with slightly heavier than moderate amounts of caramel + toffee + brown sugar + dark fruit (cherry + fig + plum) sweetness. That is followed by moderate flavors of tobacco + leather. Then there are slightly stronger than moderate flavors of red wine + vanilla + toasted oak. Finally there are hints of earthy hops. There is a light amount of roasty + hop bitterness that fades away leaving moderate brandy booziness lingering.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with a moderate amount of alcohol warming in the finish.

O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol and a very pleasant smooth mouthfeel. Very enjoyable with lots of malt complexity but the sweetness is well balanced out. Brandy barrel aging complemented the flavor and aroma quite well.

 

 

Picked up a single 12 oz bottle from the Appalachian Vintner in Asheville 7-8-22 for $6.87. Bottled 3-1-22; consumed 10-26-22.

Beer poured a clear reddish brown with an okay off-white head.

Nose is very nice, notes of dark fruits dominate along with a touch of red wine.

Taste is a large malt base with strong notes of figs and plums. Brandy barrel aging lends red wine and vanilla. Finishes adequately oaked and hopped which gives it a very nice balance. Outstanding!

Mouthfeel is medium to large bodied and very smooth.

Overall this is a really well balanced barleywine. Was scared it would be too sweet but the brewing team did a nice job preventing this.

 

 

22oz bottle poured into a tulip
Bottled 6/5/18

A- pours a dark brown in color with a one-finger foamy off-white head that reduces to a ring

S- bold brandy notes on the nose up front, with vinous red grape notes, followed by aromas of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, leather, pipe tobacco, rum soaked raisins, black cherry, chocolate and vanilla

T- bold brandy notes follow the nose; dark vinous grapey notes up front, followed by a big hit of caramel sweetness. Mid-palate gives notes of dates, figs, raisins, anise, black cherry and pipe tobacco. The finish gives more brandy, oak, vanilla and chocolate. Brandy and caramel on the linger

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a creamy mouthfeel that continues into a velvety smooth, slightly warming finish

O- a huge barrel influence works well with the base beer to create a new experience with an already solid English barleywine

 

Great beer. Almost like a smooth wine

 

04/30/20 bottle @ home

 

 

Appearance: poured a dark brown with no translucence. No head as well. One could say this looks like...prune juice.

Smell: wow. Instantly dark fruits soaked in brandy. Also notes of toffee and vanilla. Kinda smell like mincemeat pie.

Taste: sweet and boozy with notes of dark fruits and heavy flavors of brandy. Almost like a cocktail infused beer thanks to the brandy. Some vanilla and toffee enhancing the sweet burnt character. A touch of dark cherries.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Very little alcohol presence. A little sticky as it warms up.

Overall: very approachable Barleywine. The brandy is really the highlight, giving an almost cocktail-like quality.

Bottle @ Brouwerij de Molen (volunteers gathering), thanks for sharing John & Petra! Pours a dark brown colour, mostly clear, with a light brown head. Aroma's are sweetish, toffee/fudge and fruit. Flavour is moderate sweet and moderate bitter. Medium bodied. Long finish, quite bitter and somewhat woody. Not too much barrel, but also not too sweet. Quite nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Pours a burnt caramel color with a wispy head that fades in about 30 seconds; leggy, with dots of lace sticking

Smell: Caramel, fig, date, chocolate and Brandy

Taste: Caramel and oak forward, with dark dried fruit flavors of date and fig building; a hint of chocolate, in the middle, and then the Brandy takes over; moderately boozy, through the finish, with the Brandy blending with the other elements in the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation

Overall: Olde Hickory is a master of the barrel-aged Barleywine program and this is the top of the line; my only complaint is that they need to produce more examples of this style; as my grandmother used to say about her bridge game, "When a suit has begun, play it like a son of a gun."

Thanks, aleckpa, for the opportunity

 

I feel lucky to have picked up a bottle of this.