Best Barleywine for drinking immediately

Second Old Foghorn.

Uinta ain't bad either.

 

Bourbon County Barley Wine is amazing. One of the best barrel-aged beers I have had.

 

Drank a fresh Old Horizontal the other day. Haven't had one in years. I found it surprisingly drinkable.

 

I had a North Coast Old Stock Ale '13 last night and it was fantastic fresh. I bought a 4 pack so I'll probably sit on the rest though

 

Flying Mouflan is way up there for me, it's just got so much going on... Cocoa, dark fruits, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, and just the right amount of hop presence.

Insanity and BCBBW for barrel aged.

 

Old Backus Barleywine from Free State is amazing fresh...

2 Year old Backus was the most amazing caramelized fruit tasting beer I've ever had tho.

 

I don't mind Old Ho, but Oak Horizontal was insanely sweet to me, although I've only had it on tap once. Did I get an off batch or does Oak Ho usually drink cloyingly sweet?

Also forgot to mention Bigfoot as another favorite in my other post.

 

Barrel Aged Naked Evil
Mirror Mirror (if uninfected)
Our Finest Regards

 

Anyone who had Drakes Reunion on tap can verify that it was killer. Aged 2 years in Utopias barrels... I can't wait to open my bottles at 2 and 4 years.

 

Bigfoot. It's cheap (well, it's 7 bucks for a 4 pack here) and it's good.

 

Hog Heaven. Maybe the most underrated Barleywine

 

I tried Oak Horizontal on tap at Victory about 3 weeks ago. I thought it was pretty good. But yes, quite sweet.

The Old Ho I drank a few days ago was from the bottle. I enjoyed it more. Flavor was more mellow and more drinkable for me.

I feel like Old Ho used to be more hoppy in general years ago. But memory isn't always reliable.

 

GDBC old ruffian is much better fresh

 

North Coast, Rogue, Deschutes - Class of 88

 

I just...no.

IMHO of course, only American-style barleywines should be consumed fresh. Bigfoot fresh is my favorite way to enjoy said barleywine, but even Old Ruffian I like with a LITTLE time on it. As far as English-style barleywines go, though, (including Sucaba, King Henry, BCBW, Monster, Horn Dog, Double DBA, Schlafly, et al) I just don't get drinking them fresh, hot, and especially when they're barrel-aged, as the booze drowns out the massive array of delicate nuances that comes with time. *End rant*

 

CW BBBW

 

Bigfoot and Stone Old Guardian. I love the fresh hop bite combined with the high alcohol and huge malty-ness. Searing!

 

I've gotta agree about Horn Dog. It's really delicious and underrated when fresh, but i had some '07 and '08 recently and it hadn't held up very well. It had turned a bit thin and really herbal/spicy.

 

I like Backburner even better the past 2 years with the Oak aging addition. I was also lucky enough to get to try the BA version on-tap which I though was fantastic (even though others thought it was over the top). Cheers!

 

Flying Mouflan is on $6.99 a bomber for starters (great price). It's darker and thicker than many barleywines as well. Nice mix of chocolate, sweet malts, and hops. I've always wanted to age one for a few years, but I've never had one over a year old yet. Cheers man!