Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2025)

Lets freakin go!! @DIM is back in the house and Im sharin a beer he enjoyed almost as much as I am. This is Ever Grain Brewing in Camp Hill , Pennsylvania and their Mistress of Evil, a 14.2% barrel aged barleywine. I purchased at the brewery. What a good way to pseudo start the weekend!!

onto my review:

Im sampling a cellar temp 12 oz can that I picked up at the brewery about two years ago. Pouring into my snifter this evening.
No date stamp on the can or label.
The beer pours a dark cola brown and rests even darker in my glass with no light passing through. A dense spongey beige head of 2 cm foams up but it rapidly fades to almost nothing and is only the thinnest of edgings about 3 minutes into the sampling.
Aroma on this one is complex and malt driven. I get toffee and brown sugar mixing with some bourbon and hints of dark fruit (raisins and prunes). I do get a little fusol alcohol note and no hop character. I believe I get a little cherry cordial note in the aroma too.
First sip reveals a light to medium body with fairly smooth texture. This one drinks easier than I thought it would, carbonation is fine and gentle and there isnt any real coating or stickiness on the beer.
Flavor is a little sweeter than expected up front with toffee and caramel and again some cherry cordial note. Boozy raisins come in the middle followed by bourbon and some fusol peppery heat. I am not sure you could convince me that ANY hops were used in this beer. I dont get any hop character.
Finish also reveals some warming in my belly, the 14% isnt hidden here.
This is a great boozy barleywine that drinks dangerously easy. WOOOOO!
4.44 in the BA DB

 

Glad to see you again on here! My can is 2 years old , so not sure any more coming out. But Ill stop at EverGrain over the holiidays for sure to check

 

Cross pOsted in the New Beer weekend thread. and keeping this barleywine thread bouncing along!
this is Smog City Brewing and their Brandy Barrel Aged O.E. The beer is brewed in Torrance , California and registers 12.6%. Sent to me in a trade from the illustrious @Resistance88 Thank you!!

onto my review:


Sampling a 16 oz can poured into a snifter. 2025 vintage, no date stamp on the can or label. Received in a recent trade.
The beer pours a rich chestnut color with 1 cm of khaki head foaming up. this foam fades slowly to a sturdy edge layer and some scattered islands on the surface. I get a little bit of scattered lacing on swirls and sips.
Aroma on this beer is malty and fruit forward with some light fusol booze too. I get toffee and caramel mixing with pears and sweet apple. sort of a candied apple note. No hop character on this aroma.
First sip reveals a medium body with smooth texture and basically non existent carbonation. Drinks very easy for a bigger barleywine.
Flavor is what the nose advertises, with caramel apple and toffee, there is a bit of buttery note, but toffee butter not diacetyl. Some peppery booze comes in on the finish and warming is on the finish. Again, no hop character on this beer.
Im enjoying this beer quite a bit, but do note that it drinks too easy and I am certainly feeling the booze towards the end of my glass.
Another winner from this brewery in Cali!
4.43 in the BA DB