A Barley Wine for Every Day

This beer is almost the perfect middle of the road barley wine. When I think "barley wine," Old Horizontal fits. I mean that in a good way. It's not too this... not too that... except that I find it to be too harsh. It's not a smooth beer. It's chestnut in appearance and with a fantastic head. Being middle of the road can also mean lacking in personality, and I suppose this beer isn't strong in that department, but it's a beer that I hope continues to stick around.

 

Thanks Jess. I wonder why they didn't just go with the safer "old ale" considering the beer's name and that there probably wasn't an established consumer group for something specifically called "barley wine" (I'm guessing about the latter). I guess "barley wine" was evocative of what he was aiming for even if he couldn't exactly call it that.

 

Thanks for the memories, but that ending saddens me.

 

I was very much looking forward to this beer. Two Roads Brewmaster Phil Markowski used to work at Southampton, and a long-aged Southampton 10th Anniversary Old Ale was truly great. A heavy and complex beer. (Wish I had one this month) Add to this that the Two Roads beer claims to be "blonde"... I'm interested.

The beer does not live up to the 10th Anniversary experience, but it has lots of personality. This bottle is a year old. It's a lovely amber and possesses a clarity that is really striking for a barley wine. The carbonation is minimal. The sweetness is intense. It feels like a dessert beer. The beer tastes of sweet dates and is very smooth. It is both a disappointment and a standout. Lovely beer. It would be great in the right moment. There's not many like it on the shelf.

The beer gets its evocative name (20 Ton Ale) from the old 20 ton overhead crane and hook that existed in the factory that is now the Two Roads brewery. I think Two Roads had a great vision and business plan - I could see them sticking around for a long time.

 

BTW, yesterday, I was at a holiday party and ended up breaking my barley wine streak.

In place of a barley wine, I had: Full Sail Session Fest (new to me, loved it, @TongoRad , if you aren't familiar with this polotmavé, be sure to check out the commercial description), Long Trail Double Bag (enjoyed much much more than the last time I had it), Brooklyn Insulated (still disliked it), Sierra Nevada Torpedo (always liked this beer), and Lawson's Super Session #2 (delicious, wish I could buy a six pack)... and the Lawson's beer was a great segue to Two Roads 20 Ton Ale.

 

Awesome Jess. I didn't know they went from 6.3 to 7 oz. That explains the differences in sizes I've seen for the nips. Did you ever encounter these bottles? Do you know how they were sold?

 

Thanks for your post. Do you think that you might buy barley wines more frequently now? That bottle cap looks nice against the celery. I like to open one up when I cook too.

 

This beer was a pleasant surprise. Greenport is a brewery that I would consider "local" to me. Not too long ago, they expanded beyond what their original space could accommodate (a familiar story). They opened a second larger space and began bottling their beers and packaging them as six packs. I've had Anti-freeze in the past, and my recollection of it was much different. It was light and sweet. The beer in this bottle was dark and intriguing. It looked a bit like cherry juice and even tasted a bit like it too. Very nice subtle tartness. I'd try this one again.

 

This beer might be too far outside of the barley wine spectrum. Since Lagunitas actually makes a different beer that they brand as a barley wine (unlike this one), this wouldn't come as a surprise. There appears to be a duplicate (?) listing of this beer here that lists it as a barley wine. The ABV is certainly high enough, but this beer drinks really easily for the ABV - so easily that one wouldn't peg it as a barley wine if had blind. The feel is so "Lagunitas" that it's hard to think of anything other than America when drinking it. The sweetness is unavoidable. This might sound strange, but this beer reminds me of a Biere de Garde.

 

When I've had this beer in the past, I didn't care for it... and I still don't (I believe in second chances). This has been the least enjoyable beer so far this month. Too bad - these guys make an amazing stout. The description claims that there is peated malt here. I don't pick up on it at all. This beer drinks as if it had the ABV of a big barley wine, but none of the malt flavor to go along with it - a terrible combo. Where's the reward in that? Maybe the oak aging played a part in throwing the balance off. It got better as it warmed, but it was too little too late. Small head for an American beer.

 

I'll throw in my two cents when I'm through with this thread, but one problem is that barley wines just simply aren't as available as imperial stouts.

 

The first sips of this beer hit you with that bourbon character that people tend to love. There is plenty of coconut. It's a decadent and flavorful treat. Unfortunately, as is sometimes the case with beers that start strong out of the gate, the punch wears out its welcome midway through the bottle. I prefer their barrel aged Scotch ale.