Best Barleywine for drinking immediately

I think Hog Heaven is a great drink now or hold beer. Same w/ Gatlin Damnosus from Anderson Valley!

 

Bigfoot is excellent fresh. Excellent. So is 'Our Finest Regards, Sebago BBABW, Monster, and many others. I think a ton of BW are good to go from the gate. There are a small, small fraction of beers that actually get better with time. The cellaring stuff is way over blown imo. I put a few things away but most beers are going to best as they are released.

 

I love fresh and aged Barleywines. Bigfoot is my favorite. Really good fresh and even better with some age on it.

 

In fairness, 114 of the 124 (now 125) posts on this thread occurred in May and BCBBW didn't hit until a month ago. But yes, it is outstanding fresh--in fact I came here to add it to the list if no one had done so yet.

 

BCBBW was good fresh but im excited to see what it taste like with a year+ on it.

 

Sucaba is phenominal fresh, though I do tend to age my barleywines. Hog Heaven is also a great kick in the teeth. While one year makes this beer absolutley to die for, Three Floyds Behemoth, is great the day it comes out.

 

I'm hoping the cloying sweetness subsides. I was disappointed out of the gate.

 

It was very sweet and sticky. Ive come to accept that from English style Barleywine though.

 

I haven't.

 

All barleywines should be consumed a fresh as possible and then with varying lengths of aging.

So the next barleywine you find yourself looking at that you haven't had before is the one worth drinking immediately.

Collect empirical data...while drinking.
Live the dream.

 

Fresh Behemoth is a thing of beauty.

 

Behemoth

 

Sage Wisdom fuji!!!

 

Bolt Cutter is damned good too.

 

2013 Bigfoot still on shelves if you can find it. About aged a year, and fantastic right now.

 

Smuttynose Barleywine and Troegs Flying Mouflan are two more that come to mind for me. Smutty is fantastic right now. Also been drinking a lot of Brown Shugga (strong ale but very barleywine-esque) like a less hoppy Bigfoot.

 

It was Monster Ale RIP

 

I saw someone in this thread say Bolt Cutter, and I'm sorry, but that is the wrong answer. I had it fresh and I wouldn't care to revisit it until at least 2 years, maybe 3 had passed. Super hot. Tasted all of its 15%.

 

Damn! Normally I take note of those things.