A Barley Wine for Every Day

Well, This other beer website has 'Brown Shugga' as a Barley Wine... So I guess that. : P

 

I just had this as well, and posted on New Beer Sunday:



Lawson's/Otter Creek Double or Nothing

Aroma starts with sweet brown sugar and caramel, raisins, a very slight floral/spicy hop quality, maybe some almond. Not too much in the maple department, but that's the way that ingredients like this (or honey) usually go once fermentation has had it's way. First sip brings on the brown sugar and nuts in a big way. Bitterness is present, but just enough to keep it honest. The finish settles on some surprising toastiness, and maybe, just maybe, I am starting to notice the maple flavor.

After a while that brown sugar quality begins to morph into a nice amber rum (the wood coming through, I suppose), and thankfully the bitterness starts to assert itself a bit. I'm enjoying it more as I get further into the glass and the beer gets warmer. Still, it is not as richly melanoidin-malty as I prefer, and it relies too heavily on caramel. And if you were expecting a beer reminiscent of maple nut butter you'd be coming to the wrong place. What it does seem to have going for it is a nice silkiness in texture, and good enough execution to avoid being a sugary mess. Initial impression seems to be in the B+ range (3.65)

 

old foghorn

 

@zid How is your liver doing?

 

About that... if I enjoyed Brown Shugga, would I be OK with Bigfoot? The only two self-professed barleywines I've seen in local stores until recently* are Bigfoot and Blithering Idiot. I enjoyed Blithering Idiot for what it was, although I realize that there are probably more complex brews out there, but I'm a bit scared of Bigfoot because it's supposed to be super-hoppy. Is it much more hoppy -- more importantly, much more bitter -- than Brown Shugga?

*Recently one store got mass quantities of Uinta Anniversary Barleywine for some reason -- the only other Uinta beers I ever see are Baba and occasionally Dubhe. Reviews tend to say it has lots of bitter hops, so I've avoided it so far.

 

I would just say you can pretty much drop the microphone on that lineup @zid. Nice and cheers!
Gotta love the barleywines.

 

Glad you liked it!

To answer your question, it just seemed like it would be more gimmicky than well thought out. I guess that part turned out to be true , but it was drinkable in the end.

 

Sorry, I can't really help you with your question, since I have not tried Bigfoot. You should try asking that question in this site, though. I'm sure someone will be able to help. Good luck, and Cheers!

 

I don't want to hijack your thread, but I believe this is semi-related/might give you an idea for some more beer to drink.

@jesskidden, @steveh

I tagged those guys as well because they had mentioned these recently.

Yesterday I went to a local liquor store and the owner was there and invited me to crack some cellared beer he had. We drank a 2003 Samiclaus which was outstanding, reminded me of an aged Bigfoot.

Speaking of Sierra Nevada, he was also selling 2008 Celebration, we didn't crack it at the store, but I picked one up. I had this one this afternoon and it was also very good. I had a fresh Celebration yesterday on tap as well. The 2008 was almost like a Bigfoot Light, still a fair hop presence which is impressive for 7 years old. The malt was quite sweet, but drinkable, not cloying.

He also cracked a 2007 Old Foghorn I believe, it was a 7 oz. bottle. This tasted a bit oxidized, no way near what the Samiclaus was.

Finally, I also picked up a 2007 Thomas Hardy's. The review on this one is to be determined...might go grab a few more Celebrations just to age, maybe another to drink ...although I do believe I have a bunch in my own personal cellar as well.

 

This is a great brew. I measure a brew on will I purchase this again or not. This one was on my purchase again realm. Plus I like the bottle. The booze was also well hidden on this offering...I wish I could get more of it.

 

BigFoot fresh is like a Caramel Rich DIPA (Caramel, Citrus and Pine Resin) and also is bitter as a Muv. When Sierra Nevada puts down an IBU #, it's no joke. So in answer, Yes.