Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2023)

Ugh, the only time I ever saw/bought Sucaba was the last bottle of 2018 in a liquor store I found in 2019 or 2020. Was probably one of the last bottles in the state, because they stopped distributing here around then. Been hoping to get my hands on it again ever since. Do they even brew it anymore? I saw they did a 2019 vintage, but don't remember anything after.

 

it's out now , but only for Brewmasters Collective Members

 

oh snap

When i went to the Propagator i asked person at the To-Go bottleshop if i can buy a §ucaba and he said No without mentioning anything about this!

 

Nice! Bravo Extra seems interesting, too. Let's make a deal

 

Personally, I'd sooner think of it as a barley wine than an Adambier.

You devil (pun unintended). You knew I wouldn't be able to resist the bait. Curses.

I also think it makes sense to view them as the same style... as long as one is OK with really broad categories like Belgian strong pale beer. I like such things. This thinking is also a way of viewing Sucaba and Arrogant Bastard as the same style. I'm not trying to joke, I honestly think the approach has some merit.

If one prefers a stricter approach, Duvel would be seen as a Belgian golden ale or strong blond... and Stille Nacht as a high gravity Belgian Christmas beer. This would be more in line with how the brewers and importers categorize these beers. I feel like Stille Nacht would fall into the Belgian's amber beer category rather than the golden blond category of Duvel... but maybe I'm off.

For anybody who likes to define beers by using recipes rather than brewer marketing: Stille Nacht is a 22-27°P pale malt beer that's dry-hopped with newly harvested Belgian-grown "American strain" hops (and supposedly no hops on the hot side) with candi sugar (and maybe honey?)... while Duvel is a 16.9°P pilsner malt beer with continental hops in the boil and dextrose.

Oddly enough, Duvel and Stille Nacht each started out as dark beers... and fitting for the thread and the barley wine comparisons: Duvel started out as a take on the strong ales from the UK... and Stille Nacht started out as a take on the Christmas beers from the UK. It's funny how paths go.

 

oh, you done did it now.

 

We all have good time

 

I would be surprised if this was in barrels more than 3 months. Very classic American Barleywine. It’s about 10 months old and has softened the edges that I can tell were there fresh. It’s actually very good, but like a lot of ABW’s, it reminds me of a heavily hopped west coast triple IPA. If you were in the mood for a barleywine, this wouldn’t be the one, but again, it’s still a very good beer. Only grabbed the one can based on speculation, might grab the 4 pack and age. Aging cans seems wrong to me though, don’t know why.

 

Anchorage - Triple-Oaked Wendigo

very stout-like, tons of barrel. got better as it warmed. not gonna lie, i sipped this little bottle over a few hours. cheers!!

 

No cooking duties tonight - check
Beer at an optimal 60 degrees - check
Da Boss in a good mood to tolerate me later - check

Stumbled into this at the Mills River Gift Shop in late January while picking up the last of the 2022 Alpha Hop Society brews. I have had the 2019 750 ML edition of this which was awesome so here goes the review of this:

The 2015 Bigfoot was Aged for 12 months in Kentucky casks and squirreled away in the catacombs of the Mills River campus for 7 years after the March 2016 bottling: 11.6 ABV.
Nose is a very nice blend of high alpha hops and bourbon barrels.
Taste is the always enjoyable hoppy Bigfoot base beer which the malt base and yeast give plum and jam notes. Alpha hops are still alive and kicking as they provide a nice spice balancing to the base malt. Bourbon barrels lend a delicate touch of boozy sweetness, nothing overly nuanced but i am getting a trace of vanilla. Finishes with a nice hop and bourbon spiciness; 7/10 on my bitterness scale.
Mouthfeel is full-bodied and very smooth with each sip being very enjoyable.

Overall a really enjoyable beer - rated it 4.5. I struggled with the nose and taste scores as this is not super nuanced but in the end it comes down to the enjoyment factor! SNBC did a nice job squirreling this bottle away for proper aging!
Cheers!
Tom

 

I am interested in everyone's thoughts on this one. I know I am a little late to the party...and, while it was enjoyable and a treat to drink, I came away just a touch disappointed?

Judging by some of the BA reviews, it looks like it's just me! Ha! I guess I was expecting more...maybe in my own mind it was over-hyped? it seemed to lack depth and complexity compared to some of the other highly-rated barleywines I have had recently.

 

Dan and Tim,

Awesome reviews as always! My senses are just as not well exercised when it comes to this style as i cannot perceive quite the same qualities despite multiple aspirations while sipping this. Tim, your glass is somewhat similar to my generic glass, so it is funny how the pours worked out differently. This was fun, look forward to the next round!
Cheers!
Tom

 

Back on the Barleywine train today, this one is from Olde Hickory, a straight up American Barleywine weighing in at 10.7%. The brewing team did a nice job eliciting a very flavorful beer as the caramelized malt base emits huge notes of plum and fig. Hopping provides a large dose of alpha orange and grapefruit hops which leads to a full-flavored balanced sip. Full bodied, very smooth with each sip. I find this very similar to Bell's Third Coast. Rated 4.24.

This was brewed in January 2022 so i would hazard a guess Olde Hickory has the base beer resting in all sorts of barrels that we will see that product in the near future!
Cheers!
Tom