Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2025)

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by Beersnake, Jan 1, 2025.

Tags:
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
Page 32 of 48
  1. Beersnake

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

    2018 Thomas Hardy's Ale. 13% ABV. Quite hop-forward - I would consider this more of an American barleywine. Pine needles, citrus peel, clove, bitter oak, honey, apricot, and a bit of caramel.

    [​IMG]
     
    #621 Beersnake, Jul 29, 2025
    ovaltine, sulldaddy, MadMadMike and 10 others like this.
  2. Beersnake

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

    I'll match my previous post with another classic English barleywine. This one is a 2010 bottle of J.W. Lees Harvest Ale. It has aged beautifully for the last 15 years. Still has that classic J.W. Lees taste. Yeast, caramel, sherry, ginger, apricots, and prunes. Nothing tastes like this beer. Cheers!

    [​IMG]
     
    #622 Beersnake, Jul 31, 2025
    ovaltine, sulldaddy, MadMadMike and 11 others like this.
  3. Beersnake

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

    Alright, this is getting odd. I'm really the only person to drink barleywines this week? I'm currently drinking Barleywine from Sebago in Maine. Aged in bourbon barrels. Comes in at 13.2% ABV. Tons of bourbon, toffee, and dark fruit. A bit sharp around the edges with the boozy notes, but very enjoyable. Cheers!

    [​IMG]
     
    #623 Beersnake, Aug 1, 2025
    ovaltine, sulldaddy, MadMadMike and 11 others like this.
  4. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]
    OK folks, here we have another very solid offering from Fremont on the occasion of their 15th anniversary. Excellent stuff here. Preliminary review below as I sip this slowly for the rest of the day. Cheers!
    _______________

    4.43/5 rDev -0.4%
    look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

    22oz bottle into a tulip. Pours a murky brownish mahogany with a half-finger head. Looks like raisin juice.

    Aroma is bursting with toffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, dark stone fruits, and booze.

    Taste is likewise sugary sweet with a gently bitter counterbalance. More of the aforementioned aromatic qualities on the palate, along with a nice warming effect from the alcohol. Bourbon-soaked figs/dates. Good complexity while also managing to be a pretty straightforward affair.

    Mouthfeel is sticky and medium-heavy, lingering finish.

    Overall another stellar anniversary barleywine from Fremont—happy 15th a year late!
     
    #624 Orca, Aug 1, 2025
    ovaltine, GreenBayBA, sulldaddy and 10 others like this.
  5. DIM

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

    Twist my arm, Tim...

    [​IMG]

    Amazing as always. Factoring price in, this is easily my favorite Barleywine.
     
    #625 DIM, Aug 2, 2025
    ovaltine, GreenBayBA, sulldaddy and 10 others like this.
  6. GreenBayBA

    GreenBayBA Grand Pooh-Bah (4,265) Aug 30, 2015 Wisconsin
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]
    NBW cross-post. I started the thread, so please check it out. Charleville Brewery BarleyWine 2014. Presumably from @cheeseheadinMinneapolis. The apricot flavor is delightful. It was worth waiting a decade to experience it.
     
    #626 GreenBayBA, Aug 2, 2025
    ovaltine, sulldaddy, MadMadMike and 9 others like this.
  7. cheeseheadinMinneapolis

    cheeseheadinMinneapolis Pooh-Bah (2,011) Sep 20, 2017 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    not from me. not sure who brought that one.
     
    #627 cheeseheadinMinneapolis, Aug 2, 2025
    GreenBayBA, Resistance88, Beersnake and 3 others like this.
  8. Blogjackets

    Blogjackets Grand Pooh-Bah (4,816) Nov 22, 2017 Ohio
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Not me either. Maybe Danny, Andy or Ian.
     
    #628 Blogjackets, Aug 2, 2025
    GreenBayBA, Resistance88, Beersnake and 3 others like this.
  9. Beersnake

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

    I don't mind twisting arms once in a while! That's a great one, Dan! Cheers!
     
    #629 Beersnake, Aug 2, 2025
    GreenBayBA, Blogjackets, Resistance88 and 2 others like this.
  10. Beersnake

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

    Circle of Wolves (Cognac version) from The Veil. An English barleywine aged in French cognac barrels for 32 months. 12.9% ABV.

    It's almost like I'm drinking cognac. Rarely does a barrel come through this much. Some toffee, vanilla, figs, prunes, raisins, and a hint of brown sugar. Don't get me wrong, this isn't overly sweet at all. Just very barrel forward. Great barleywine!

    [​IMG]
     
    #630 Beersnake, Aug 3, 2025
    ovaltine, GreenBayBA, sulldaddy and 10 others like this.
  11. Beersnake

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

    Double Barrel Syzygy from Temporal in Vancouver (Canada). A barleywine aged in a Heaven Hill bourbon barrel for 16 months. Then aged in a an Old Fitzgerald wheated bourbon barrel for an additional year. 450 bottles sold. 14.79% ABV.

    Phenomenal stuff. Creamy caramel, bourbon, figs, raisin, vanilla, and oak. It's tough to explain how this is so different from other BA barleywines, but all I can say is that it's super balanced and smooth. Like nothing comes across as strong and nothing impairs the main idea. Absolutely love it.

    [​IMG]
     
    #631 Beersnake, Aug 3, 2025
    ovaltine, GreenBayBA, sulldaddy and 9 others like this.
  12. Braunmeister_1943

    Braunmeister_1943 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,965) Nov 22, 2020 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG] Don’t get many Barleywines in these parts, and even fewer of this quality!
     
    #632 Braunmeister_1943, Aug 3, 2025
    ovaltine, GreenBayBA, sulldaddy and 10 others like this.
  13. Luscious_Malfoy

    Luscious_Malfoy Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,068) Oct 5, 2016 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]

    This was quite good! New Image + Bottle Logic port and sherry barrel-aged barleywine. Cheers!!
     
    #633 Luscious_Malfoy, Aug 3, 2025
    ovaltine, GreenBayBA, sulldaddy and 10 others like this.
  14. CarolinaCardinals

    CarolinaCardinals Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,231) Jun 11, 2003 North Carolina
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Sounds wonderful Tim. I regret not getting to the bottle shop in Vancouver to acquire some of their stuff but with three mostly teetotalers in the car it was hard to justify with all the moving parts for one day. I will live vicariously through you! Cheers!
     
    #634 CarolinaCardinals, Aug 3, 2025
    Resistance88, GreenBayBA, Beersnake and 3 others like this.
  15. CarolinaCardinals

    CarolinaCardinals Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,231) Jun 11, 2003 North Carolina
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Welcome back stranger? Hope all is well with you Dan!
     
    #635 CarolinaCardinals, Aug 3, 2025
    Resistance88, GreenBayBA, SLeffler27 and 4 others like this.
  16. DIM

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

    All is well Tom, just kind of back burnering the beer geekery. Cheers!
     
    #636 DIM, Aug 4, 2025
    Resistance88, GreenBayBA, CarolinaCardinals and 4 others like this.
  17. Beersnake

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

    When I go back next I’ll try to grab a few for you!
     
    #637 Beersnake, Aug 4, 2025
    DIM, Resistance88, GreenBayBA and 3 others like this.
  18. Beersnake

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

    2014 Bigfoot. Still has tons of hop bitterness, but it's more rounded by fruit, oak, and malts.

    [​IMG]
     
    #638 Beersnake, Aug 4, 2025
    ovaltine, DIM, Resistance88 and 10 others like this.
  19. MadMadMike

    MadMadMike Grand Pooh-Bah (3,555) Dec 11, 2020 France
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]

    Moersleutel Beer Engineers (Netherlands) ‘Pastry Factory’ Coconut Coffee Barley Wine

    Little disappointed in this one. Way too heavy, not a trace of coconut.
    Sugar bomb with a taste of coffee and caramel.
     
    #639 MadMadMike, Aug 4, 2025
    ovaltine, DIM, Resistance88 and 9 others like this.
  20. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,989) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Our Town Brewery (Lancaster, PA) - BA Blotto
    [​IMG]
     
    #640 jmdrpi, Aug 5, 2025
    ovaltine, DIM, Resistance88 and 8 others like this.
Page 32 of 48
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.