A Barley Wine for Every Day

Isn't it? I was the artist's model in a past life.

Here's where I found it:
http://www.diamondknot.com/2014/05/12/diamond-knot-barleywine-barley-wine-general-kicks/

 

This wasn't something I intent to repeat, but the group was all about context.

 

That's a tough one. I might have a totally different opinion if the drinking order was reversed, had them "blind," revisit any next season, had them simultaneously, etc.

J.W. Less Harvest (w/o any of the spirit barrel aging hubbub) was a really nice one. Price per ounce wasn't so hot.
Barrier Archibald was another great... and brewed a few miles from me.
Hair of the Dog Adam from the Stone was a great oddball.
George Gale's Prize Old Ale as the contemporary iconoclast choice.
Great Divide Hibernation for a repeat purchase six pack beer (although left of center).
Firestone Sucaba for a spirit barrel aged offering.
Duck-Rabbit Barleywine for an American hop spin.
Harpoon Arctic Ale for its tugging at history.

 

I started this thread 1 year ago and it was originally intended to last from my birthday to New Years. It ended up growing beyond that (much like my saison thread). After a break from barley wines, when my birthday happened this year, I decided to dig in once again. One brewery that I originally left out of this thread but wanted in it was Alesmith. I knew that I wanted to do Alesmith separately. So when my birthday hit, I started opening these guys.



Reactions to come.

@utopiajane

 

Alesmith Old Numbskull '15

The first beer opened was the fresher Numbskull. The date was primarily smudged but it appeared to be from 2015.

The hops hit you right away but this doesn't feel like an IPA, it feels like an "American" barley wine through and through. Hops are huge but they are in service to the malt (not vice versa). Carbonation is slight but fine for a beer like this. It's warming but not too hot. The color is mahogany. It's wonderfully rich and there's a sweetness but it's kept in check. It's fruity in the realm of dried apricots. There's no tartness. There's a lot of toffee here. It's an addictive sipper.

I've had this beer before, but having it now has reawakened my faith in Alesmith after having some lackluster experiences with them in the past few years.

 

I've never had any of the "reserves" or spirit barrel aged beers from North Coast.

 

Alesmith Old Numbskull '12?

I don't know who put those numbers on the foil or what they mean, but if it's a date then this beer is from 2012... which seems reasonable. It's certainly older than the beer in the previous post. If anybody knows the situation with those numbers please share.

Compared to the 2015 beer, the hop character in this beer has clearly faded. Notice the darker color in this beer that might be a result of aging. A dark fruit character has become more pronounced. It feels richer as a result. While this isn't terribly different from the 2015 beer, it's lacking the punchiness of that beer. This beer is terrific.

 

Alesmith Wee Heavy

There's no date on this one but it's a safe bet that it's pretty old. This beer is pretty close to black. It's slightly soured. Thinner than Old Numbskull. It's a little bitter and a little hot. There isn't nearly as much heavy malt impact as Old Numbskull. I would love to try this fresh - I bet it would be a real treat. As it is, I still think this beer is great.

 

Alesmith Decadence 2014 Wheat WIne

This beer is a brilliantly clear amber. It's sweet but lacking an appealing malt richness. It tastes of caramel, peaches, and alcohol soaked chestnuts. Forgive me because I've never had an alcohol soaked chestnut. This is an odd one. It's quite interesting at first but becomes more unappealing the further you go with it.

 

Alesmith Olde Ale 2014
&
Alesmith Private Stock Ale 2016

Olde Ale was originally brewed as Decadence 2005.
Private Stock Ale was originally brewed as Decadence 2005.
So, these are both the same beer except for the age.

These ones gave me mercurial reactions. At times, they were exactly what I wanted in a barley wine. Malt, malt, malt. Delicious and layered. Other times they came across as too sweet. Fantastic beers in the right context, but very context dependent. At their worst, they became like cough syrup. At their best, they had flavors of raisin, tobacco, and cherry... with some alcohol warmth. Two sides of the same coin. I guess you could say that my inconsistent reactions reflected the inconsistent names of this beer. This beer deserves it's resurrections, but also deserves a consistent image.

 

I think it's safe to assume that any bottles of that could be quite old.