Barleywine style tasting March 4th

We using this thread for reviews/notes?

Cheers!

 

I have some notes from an early morning bottle that was consumed around midnight last night...
2006 JW Lees Harvest ale aged in calvados barrels. Picked this shelf turd up quite accidentally at my local bottle shop. I overheard two employees commenting they had three bottles of this sitting on their shelves. After asking about it we all walked to the cooler and there they were. Somehow this unassuming bottle had escaped my thirst for barleywines. This was easily the oldest bottle I have ever sampled. Eleven years in the bottle is hard for me to wrap my head around. Popped the top and after decanting off the yeast and precipitate into my new belgium globe, the nose was pretty musty. It poured an amber tinged gold, no head to speak of. Once the beer opened up and off gassed the mustiness that initially worried me, the nose was all toffee and booze. First sip was muted malts, a bit of caramel, but as things opened up and came to life I was getting big toffee flavors, and green apple skin. The beer was amazingly like a boozy caramel apple. I expected some oxidation issues, and while it had some leather flavor, and the initial musty aroma and muted flavors, the rest of my experience was enjoyable. It was almost as if this beer was hibernating and I woke it up for spring. It's a helluva beer, and I implore all of you to seek out those beers you have overlooked for years, you may find something as rewarding as a JW Lees turding up the shelves.

 

Awesome brews. Had one last night 2001 Vintage.

Cheers!

 

Ahhh, it's the 4th already. I need to get something in the fridge!!! I'll be watching throughout the day and posting tonight.

Let's see some pictures!

 

Are we posting straight to this thread? I've got two in already haha.

 

Yes.

Cheers!

 

I guess I'll post now.
Flying Dog Horn Dog. 10.3% I believe.
It's very mellow, subtle flavors of prune, raisin, plum. Alcohol is kind of hot. As it warms I get some chocolate actually. Nothing huge here but a subtle barleywine that should definitely be drank at a warmer temperature, to open up the subtleties. My favorite brewery and this is not a disappointment because I do not like over sweet or over hopped barleywine. As picky as that seems I like the style to be semi sweet to bittersweet. And this nails it.

 

I am a little early, but.... I went with the Thirsty Dog Wulver. (technically a wee heavy ). It is my first time with this one, so i did submit a review, which I shall share with y'all below.


L. Murky dark burgundy-brown, small dense off-white head reduces to a film in a minute. Leaves a sticky lacing. 4.25/5

S. Sweet caramel, nutty, sweet vanilla (cream soda), cola, slightly woody. 4.00/5

T. Caramel, a bit of wood and smoke, dates, plums, figs, sugary vanilla, warming alcohol toward the finish with caramel and a Hershey bar with almonds. 4.50/5

F. Despite previous reviews of a thin body, I am definitely getting a fuller side of medium bodied beer, very smooth and somewhat dry yet sweet on the finish. 4.50/5

O. Satisfies my sweet tooth, pleasantly warming, an excellent sipper. Bourbon barrel does not dominate but compliments the full flavors the base wee heavy ale. 4.50/5

Total 4.37/5 rDev. +0.7

Cheers all you barleywiners!!!!

 

Bigfoot showed down! 2016 vs 2017!

Looks are pretty much the same, have to give 2016 for the denser head.

Nose are different, 2017 has lots of fresh bright hops along with pine, malts take more of a background role. 2016 has a lot more malts, caramel and toffee, along with great dark fruits, piney with hints of tobacco.

Taste, 2017 is very hoppy, I am getting some of the complexity of the malts, but it is overshadowed by the hops. 2016 still has some hops but nothing like the 2017, malts shine through just like they do in the nose, taste follows the nose.

Mouthfeel is the same.

Overall 2016 is better than 2017 as a barelywine since it is maltier, however I could see hopheads liking 2017 more. You can't go wrong either way, but I feel letting age is the way to go.

 

Back in 2012 I had 2000 vintage Harvest Ale...sublime. Presently have a 2012 Calvados cask variant, but think I'll save that for an "event" other than tonight's tasting.

 

Glad to have continued your journey of corruption with that one.

Cheers.

 

Will be gleefully reading, though unlikely to be participating due to feel like homemade shit after working outside today in stupid cold wind, took it all out of me. At least I still have power.

Even though a part of me feels like that sweet warmth of a barley wine might be perfect. Hmmm

 

Try at least a 12 oz. bottle.

Cheers!

 

You reminded me I have some 12 oz.ers! Cool, thanks for that suggestion

 

Lagunitas Brown Shugga'
Bottled October 29, 2015. That's 492 days in the bottle, according to the internet.

The molasses/brown sugar sweetness is happening. Then there is this heavy dose what reminds me of leather, perhaps the combination of remaining hoppy bitterness with molasses. That signature orange/tropical hop flavor that you get from Lagunitas beers tries to get noticed, and does so, but just barely. The aftertaste is pleasantly bitter.
I don't know if I can do another barleywine-esque beer tonight, but we shall see. It is Saturday night after all. Cheers!!

 

2016 Wiseacre Snowbeard pulled from the 51.4 F cellar. No bottled on or best before by date.

A very dark amber (but much lighter than I would have imagined) with red-orange highlights. The tight, near-nitro head hangs in there long enough to leave a little lacing. Very aromatic but no distinct notes. The taste is similar - muted, again with no real distinct high note.

Super smooth with an easy 9.3 abv and way more drinkable than it should be. Not sure they knew that it would reflect the mild Chicagoland winter, maybe fresh?

 

OK, starting out on the lighter side.
Anchor Old Foghorn, bottled 1/23/15, purchased late December 2016.

A one finger head that quickly settled to an enduring ring. A deep, caramel/amber hue, slightly hazy. Hits many of the obligatory English barleywine aroma and flavor notes...and does so in tune.
Sweet but not the least bit cloying, with a finish that's subtly drying, allowing a whisper of residual hop bitterness to bade a quick "hi and bye".