Bill Brand Barleywine
Marin Brewing Company

Poured up at the 2010 Toronado Barleywine Festival with a nice murky muddy dark brown - amber body with copper hues and almost no sign of a head. The aroma is a touch sour barrel and sort of sweet and a bit spicy smelling a bit like Angel's Share. I get muted spices that bleed into smooth blended dark fruitiness. The taste has the same Lost Abbey Angel's Share sort of quality with bourbon and some malts sweetness sweetening up the bourbon and then moving toward a light level of oak notes followed by a bit of molasses and a slight tart to sour barrel sense here and there. It seems to try and taste smooth but some of the barrel notes are just a bit too bright and may be difficult to enjoy too much of it. It is still a rather tasty barrel aged barleywine.

On tap at Barclay's. Dark brown in the glass, not quite opaque, with no head and little visible carbonation. Smells of cola, licorice, Jagermeister. Noticeable but not overwhelming boozy bourbon, caramel. Weird aroma, very cola-like, spicy and fruity. Cola again on the palate, spicy with anise/licorice flavors, chocolate, bourbon, caramel, preserves-like dark fruit of some sort, blackberry perhaps. Odd stuff, a far cry from their excellent barrel-aged Old Dipsea.

On tap at Toronado for Barleywine Fest 2010.

Clear dark brown color with a small off-white head.

Aroma is caramel and mildly tart dark fruits, along with some wood and bourbon.

Flavor is very fruity and only mildly bourbony. A little vinegar tartness in there as well, which I'm not sure is intentional. Regardless, it still tastes great. Some woody notes too.

Medium body with fairly low carbonation.

Drinkability is good. This is a solid barleywine overall, maybe a little off in a way, but on in other ways.