Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2023)

That is quite the factory in Athens for sure!
Moving on to the current brew, J.W. Lees Calvados Casked ale from 2017.
Nose give notes of brown sugar, dark, and light fruits.
Taste is a large but not heavy malt base in which the cask lends an apple forward flavor along with a heavy oakiness that imparts a bitterness with a hint of almonds. Finishes with a brown sugar and fig flavor and a dose of oakiness that kind of makes it different in a detrimental way.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and very silky smooth.
Overall the cask oak was too strong in the finish of the beer. Otherwise, the beer itself was spot on the style. Rated 4.07.
Cheers!
Tom

 

Iron Hill UB40



Barleywine-adjacent old ale. Here's the blurb from their website-

Traditional English-style brown ale with a distinct malty sweetness and fruity aromas aged in Red Wine Barrels that add a distinct, deep, berry and cherry depth of flavors.

(So, it's distinct...)

7.2% abv, minimal carbonation. Not a particularly strong beer, but definitely a sipper. Really glad I tried this and might have to fill a crowler for the long weekend.

 

This one is at the Lionville location, near the intersection of 100 and 113. But it looks like Lancaster has a bourbon-barrel aged barleywine on tap right now. I'm going to be there Thursday so may have to get a sample.

 

You maniacs! A degradation of both barley wine and session beer in one blow!

But to be slightly serious for one sec (I know, I know.. forgive me), 8.5% is right in line with enough English barley wine. And marmalade with balance and "almost a bitter edge" sounds perfectly like lots of English brewing. The BA notes for the beer state: "Classic English Strong Ale. Maris otter pale malt, brewery-made invert sugar #3, East Kent Goldings hops (Charles Faram Farms, UK), Fuller’s yeast." If that isn't a serious American attempt to make a barley wine in the mold of the British then I don't know what is.

OK, to be fully serious, did either of you notice if the beer was bottle conditioned? Just curious.

 

My sister gave me a King of the Hill membership 2 years ago and I've enjoyed some of the perks.

Got to see Harper's 300th, lead-taking, home run a few minutes ago, then they coughed up that lead in the top of the 9th. Kinda sums up my 40-odd years of rooting for the Phillies.

 

Like a bell for Pavlov’s dog.

 

Barrel aged Nemesis. Cheers.

 

Revolution Life Jacket (BA English Barleywine with guava, mango, passionfruit, coconut, and natural flavors). My curiosity got the best of me with this purchase. I absolutely love Straight Jacket and feel it's one of the best BA English Barleywines made, so all of these adjuncts just seem dirty to me, but I'll try to keep an open mind.
At room temp, this one still adheres to it's roots, bringing caramel, some maple, fig, boxed raisin, molasses, Werther's Originals, some stonefruit, oak, vanillin, and bourbon spirit with a twist of tart passionfruit and a slight presence of guava and mango as it warms even more. The coconut stands out among the adjuncts though, as it makes sense given the base beer and complements everything well. Can't say the same for the fruits.
This is fun to drink, but I definitely prefer regular Straight Jacket. Where regular Straight Jacket is an auto 4.5+, this falls more in the 4.25 range. Still very respectable, especially if you let it warm. Barleywine is still indeed life!

 

Iron Hill The Old Fashioned



Got a taster, and really liking it. Bit of orange and cherry flavor, the barrel-aging is subtle, just enough to give it some extra bite. Trying to decide if I can manage a crowler over the holiday weekend.

 

2014 Stone Old Guardian

This beer is a companion to the 2015 Torpedo. It’s 9 years old, but its age feels more like a story of brewing trends than one of “cellaring.” This beer feels like it is from another time… a time in the rear view mirror. It’s a wonderful beer. Caramel and planty bitterness existing in an unusual marriage. In hindsight, the product of a special time for beer.

 

These 2018's have a little candi sugar sweetness with plenty of dark dried fruit and malt and a tiny bit of hops...which I don't remember fresh..which is odd but really outstanding and will travel fine for another 5 yrs + id bet