Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2024)

Figured Id share this one with y'all. Cross posted with what New England Beer are you Drinking?

This is Barreled Souls and their Bombs Over Barley barleywine. Aged in Elijah Craig barrels for 12 months and 2 days and registering 16.1% ABV. Bottle 63/ 1080.

onto my review:

Sampling a cellar temp 500 ml bottle poured into my snifter. Picked up at the brewery as part of my bottle society stash last fall. This beer was bottled 12/20/2022. Its been in my cellar for the past 10 months.
The beer pours a rich mahogany color and no light passes through my glass. A few small pieces of dredge enter my glass towards the end of the pour.
A fizzy beige head foams up about 1 cm and fades to a thin edge layer soon after the pour. A large island is being re-fed by active streams of carbonation leading to surface activity. But no new foams sustains itself.
The aroma on this beer is on the sweeter side. I get some caramel and brown sugar mixing with vanilla and bourbon notes. Definitely some dates and raisins for a fruity side and no hop presence to speak of. there is a bit of fusol boozey note however, which isnt a surprise at 16.1%.
First sip reveals a medium body with smooth texture and very fine rolling carbonation that gently caresses by palate on each sip. Beer feels like a barleywine.
Flavor is similar to the nose but fruitier up front, raisins and dates again but then some charred wood and bourbon notes come through and the bourbon is less sweet than on the nose. A good bit of fusol alcohol kicks in with black peppery bite and warming on each swallow. Hops are not to be found in this beer.
This is a tasty beer, but is very robust and will be quite a sipper for me. Glad to have tried this one.
4.2 in the BA DB

 

Barreled Souls out of Saco , Maine and their Double Barrel Aged Wisdom tonight. This beer was in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels then Bardstown Bourbon Rum-Finished barrels. Collab beer with Horus.
18.2% ABV. My bottle is 1660/1800.

onto my review:

Sampling a cellar temp 375 ml bottle poured into my snifter. Beer was bottled just a little over 1 year ago on July 10, 2023.
The beer pours a rich dark mahogany color and rests in my glass with no light passing through. A dense , yet fizzy beige colored head of .5 cm foams up and fades to a thin edging soon after the pour. Not a lot of visible bubbles here. Some very scattered lattice if I swirl, more coating and "legs" like a dark wine than lattice.
Aroma is robust! Very fusol and boozy with raisins, rum notes and some brown sugar. I do get a little bourbon and some light pipe tobacco, but no hop presence to be found on the nose.
First sip reveals a medium body with sticky texture and a coating on my palate after each sip. Very spacious carbonation on this beer and a decent hit of warming on each swallow, so much so I feel it on my tongue after each sip.
Flavor is bourbon, rum, black pepper (boozy bite) , some raisin and brown sugar notes. Definitely no hop character on this brew. The ABV isnt hidden in my opinion, but doesnt warm my belly, only my palate.
A pretty robust sipping beer that is a winner from Barreled Souls. You only need one of these!

4.59 in the BA DB