Old Embalmer
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

Old EmbalmerOld Embalmer
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From:
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
10.2%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.83 | pDev: 11.49%
Reviews:
49
Ratings:
216
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 23, 2018
Added:
Aug 08, 2004
Wants:
  13
Gots:
  37
No description / notes.
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Ratings by valkyre65:
Photo of valkyre65
Rated by valkyre65 from Texas

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

Nov 05, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.06/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
6 year old forgotten, but properly cellared, bottle. Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a medium reddish orange with a half finger, light khaki head with good retention and solid lacing. Aroma of dry caramel and biscuit malt, figs, dates, a hint of plum. Flavor is dry caramel malt, figs, raisins, dates, hints of nuts and plums. Light grassy hops in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. A quit odd little barleywine here; the flavors are spot on and have aged beautifully with well integrated dark fruit and malt flavors, mellow and satisfying. But the flavor is surprisingly subdued. It doesn't taste weak or watered down, but is a much lower intensity of any barleywine I've tasted. Despite the low key flavor, the aged hops are not intrusive and add a nice, very light hop bitterness to the finish. I've stopped cellaring hopped barleywines now and actually had low expectations for this cellar find. I'm very pleasantly surprised. At this stage, it tastes much like a very mellow old ale with a little hop kick in the finish. This has aged remarkably well and is still enjoyable.
Aug 23, 2018
Photo of Ymer
Rated by Ymer from Norway

4.66/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Before there was spooky action at a distance
Nov 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.63 by devilmakesthree from Oregon

Oct 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by h4ger from Connecticut

Jul 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.45 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Jun 08, 2017
Photo of Pegasus
Reviewed by Pegasus from Texas

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Hazy copper color, with a small tan head, and thin, glass-coating lace.

Aroma: Dark caramel and toffee dominate the aroma, there are somewhat earthy hops as well and a subtle perfume aroma.

Taste: Caramel and sweet, vinous alcohol dominate the taste from start to finish. Midway through the taste, a flourish of earthy hops presents. Finishes with lingering sweet alcohol, caramel, and earthy hops.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, and very full, with sharp champagne-like carbonation, and an almost syrupy mouth feel.

Drinkability/notes: An interesting example, which can be said to expand the boundaries of the style. Well worth a try.

Presenation: Packaged in a standard twenty-two ounce brown glass "bomber" bottle, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.
Dec 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.83 by Phoodcritic from Michigan

Dec 13, 2016
 
Rated: 3.03 by TooGood from Minnesota

May 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.98 by manfromanotherplace from New York

May 10, 2016
Photo of Odysseyalien
Reviewed by Odysseyalien from New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Old Embalmer 2012, opened 4/25/2016. Much tastier than I expected it to be. A very nice take on the American Barleywine. Not too sweet at all, mouthfeel was medium. Even after sitting in the bottle for four years, it was still on the hoppy side. I would definitely have this again.
Apr 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama

Apr 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.3 by rderedin from Maine

Apr 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by Idrankthat from Canada (SK)

Feb 01, 2016
 
Rated: 4.04 by rydev24 from Pennsylvania

Jan 30, 2016
Photo of Whiteturtle
Reviewed by Whiteturtle from New York

2.28/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 2
Widmer Brothers Old Embalmer '13- featuring x-431 hops

*This is not barrel-aged, as there seems to be some confusion with previous reviews.

Eyes: Pours a burnt sienna colour, with a minimal head- about 1 fingers worth (but is one finger ever really worth it?). A pretty hue, and quite transparent. Low carbonation, but bubbles remain prevalent.

Nose: Butterscotch, carrot cake, and vanilla hit the nasal passages hard. Followed by pine, allspice, and toffee. Smells reminiscent of my old retired favourite- smuttynose barleywine.

Tongue: Caramel, cherry, sherry, and peppercorns. An extremely light, earthy, and unfortunately watery taste to this beer. Heavy spices, with not a lot of malt to back it up. The malt notes that are there are fruity, maybe pearish? Tastes like an vienna lager to me- woody, munichy, and lacking in depth.

Cheeks: Way too light. The 10% is masked nicely, but with flavour being the primary sacrifice. The mouthfeel during and after each taste reminds me more and more of a vienna lager. And as I mentioned earlier, an unfortunate H20 quality keeps peeking through.

Overall: Extremely disappointed. I love Widmer Brothers, and when I saw this bottle chilling in my local store I thought I came across a hidden gem (and I have quite the affinity for barleywines). I honestly don't know how this beer can be called a barleywine. Usually barleywines either veer towards the american way of hoppy bittery goodness, or the english malty syrupy (and better) route. This tastes like a watered down amber ale. I'm really hoping I got a bad bottle, and the actual beer that was meant to be tasted by the public is out there for others to enjoy.
Jan 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.88 by aphamer from Kansas

Dec 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.31 by Faxmesomehalibut from New Hampshire

Oct 06, 2015
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Pours hazy amber under a thin white film. S: the aromas are fruit, grain, malt, faint sherry T: A big malt palate with traces of vanilla, light caramel, fruit with a hint of cherry, and a grand dose of alcohol. F: It has a big body to balance big alcohol with below average carbonation. O: This is something you could drink after dinner instead of a bourbon.
Aug 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.92 by rack0flamb from California

Aug 07, 2015
Old Embalmer from Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 216 ratings