Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2022)

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by DIM, Jan 4, 2022.

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Which type of Barleywine do you prefer?

  1. American

    97 vote(s)
    17.0%

  2. English

    295 vote(s)
    51.8%

  3. That's like asking me to choose my favorite child, I love them all!

    162 vote(s)
    28.5%

  4. Neither, if Barleywine is life then life has no meaning.

    15 vote(s)
    2.6%
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  1. adrock314

    adrock314 Pooh-Bah (1,963) Apr 14, 2006 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    East End - Also, Thanks!
    [​IMG]
    Wheatwine released on Gratitude Day this year. Pretty tasty stuff. A nice change of pace with some brighter flavors compared to the Gratitude series. I would love to see this get a barrel treatment of some sort for next year.
    [​IMG]
    Cheers!
     
    #1041 adrock314, Aug 29, 2022
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  2. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Central Waters bourbon barrel barleywine. I LOVE this beer, it's big, brassy, and reasonably priced. Tonight I'm having the last bottle from a case I bought in 2018, haven't seen it around here since :cry:. This was aged in bourbon barrels for 1 year. I recently got 1 can each of 2 year, 3 year, and 4 year barrel aged barleywine from Central Waters. Over the next week or two I'll sample them blindly to compare with the bottle I'm having tonight. I won't reveal to myself which I've when tried until all 3 cans are empty. In the last year or so I've tried a few barleywines that have spent 3-4 years in barrels that I've thought highly of. I'm curious to see if I'll be able to parse which is which and if the 4 year will be my favorite, as I expect it to be.:thinking_face: I love science.

    [​IMG]

    It's hard to imagine those cans being better than this. There are hints of raisin and chocolate up front, but mid-palate they are swept aside by heavy booze, toffee and burned caramel. The finish adds strong bitterness, mostly oak with some orange peel and pithy grapefruit. This is neither shy nor subtle. Absolutely love it, hope to find more one day.

    @Beersnake1
     
    #1042 DIM, Aug 30, 2022
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  3. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    WOW - sounds incredible. Love the mystery aspect as well. Enjoy buddy!
     
    #1043 Beersnake, Aug 30, 2022
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  4. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Central Waters two, three, or four year? Barrel aged barleywine.

    Can #1 tonight, tasted blind. Won't know which is which until I've had all three.

    [​IMG]


    Poured with a massive head, clear ruby tinted mahogany color. Bright, sweet rather than charred caramel dominates. Nice chocolate and figs mid-palate. The oak is deep and rich, plenty of rich wood with hints of tobacco and earthy vanilla. The bourbon is moderately boozy with minimal sweetness. Not much bitterness at the end, unlike the 1 year bottle. This is much better! Still plenty of big brassy American barleywine here, but more balance and refinement for sure. Preliminary guess is that this can was aged 3 years in the barrel. 4.6 overall.

    One down, two to go!
     
    #1044 DIM, Aug 31, 2022
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  5. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    You are doing important work, good sir!
     
    #1045 Beersnake, Aug 31, 2022
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  6. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I had a can from 2020 a couple of days ago and it was outstanding. Definitely belongs here!

    [​IMG]
     
    #1046 Beersnake, Sep 1, 2022
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  7. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Same here!
     
    #1047 Beersnake, Sep 1, 2022
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  8. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Just grabbed a couple of these. I have been a big fan of Jackie O's for a long time, so I'm expecting good things from this one!
     
    #1048 Beersnake, Sep 1, 2022
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  9. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm glad they deliver here since oddly they don't distribute. Not many local barleywines to be had but plenty by mail order thankfully! Got some beauties from Kane not long ago.
     
    #1049 DIM, Sep 1, 2022
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  10. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I have been surprised by how many Jackie O's we get these days. Only started about a year ago. I have been visiting the brewery in Athens for over a decade. Love that place! I once bought a few beers at the brewery, brought them back to California and later found off flavors in one of the bottles. Reached out to them and they sent me a box of several beers (and swag) because of my experience. Great brewery.
     
    #1050 Beersnake, Sep 1, 2022
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  11. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Well, this is a top BA barleywine for me! Just incredible. Paragon (2019) from Lervig. A rare 5/5 for taste. This easily competes with the best BA barleywines in the world. Wow.

    Poured at fridge temp, but allowed to warm for a little while. Pours dark brown with almost no head. The nose is insane. Huge bursts of toffee, vanilla, chocolate, apple pie, prunes, dates, and a hint of raspberry. The bourbon is definitely there, but doesn't dominate. One of the best noses on a BA barleywine.

    The taste is superb. Super smooth. Perfectly balanced. Rich notes of toffee, chocolate, maple candy, vanilla, bourbon, raisins, plums, raspberries, and maybe a hint of walnuts. Fresh raisin bread. So good. It's a bit sweet, but not cloying in any way. This is incredibly nice, and the ABV is completely undetectable.

    4.7/5 rDev +2.6%
    look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

    [​IMG]
     
    #1051 Beersnake, Sep 1, 2022
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  12. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    This baby just arrived. Can't wait to try it!

    [​IMG]
     
    #1052 Beersnake, Sep 1, 2022
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  13. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    One day...
     
    #1053 DIM, Sep 1, 2022
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  14. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Man, I only had to give up a kidney for this one. As long as you still have one, right?
     
    #1054 Beersnake, Sep 1, 2022
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  15. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Kidney huh? I'll go as far as plasma but that's about it.:grin:
     
    #1055 DIM, Sep 1, 2022
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  16. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    1975 Thomas Hardy's Ale. The barleywine that started it all. At 47 years old, this is a beauty. Poured at cellar temp (around 52 degrees). No carbonation left, of course. The nose is rich toffee and dark fruits. Figs, old leather-bound books, old port, and wonderful malty notes. The taste follows the nose, but an intense black licorice note appears. Tons of port, toffee, dark fruit, and a hint of soy sauce. The flavor is so intense with the lack of carbonation. What an incredible beer. This is 100% drinkable at this age, with no off-putting flavors whatsoever. I'm in heaven.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    #1056 Beersnake, Sep 1, 2022
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  17. Uberdachen

    Uberdachen Devotee (355) Jun 21, 2019 Minnesota
    Trader

    Oh man. It makes me memory smell the oldest ones I have drank that wouldn’t even be a glimmer in that beer’s ballsack. If you pick up any green flavors, it’s my jealousy. Nice!
     
    #1057 Uberdachen, Sep 1, 2022
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  18. Hinda65

    Hinda65 Pooh-Bah (1,908) May 7, 2017 Utah
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Wow...That looks really nice. I have a couple of those in fridge...not quite that old. 2017 and 2018..I'm biding my time on when to crack one.
     
    #1058 Hinda65, Sep 1, 2022
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  19. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Haha! This was a great experience. Not many beers could ever handle this amount of age. Clearly, BIL
     
    #1059 Beersnake, Sep 1, 2022
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  20. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Those '17s and '18's are fantastic. I have a few of those as well. I bet they will age beautifully.
     
    #1060 Beersnake, Sep 1, 2022
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