What I loved about this beer was the mellow feel for such a hearty barleywine. The bourbon notes were present throughout. The amount of time in the aging truly paid off in the finished product.
I am so sad there isn't more of this to buy on Halftime. If there is and I can't find it please send a link!
I totally agree. I hope this one isn’t a one and done brew for me. I would love to know how to get more. Halftime had some a week or two ago, but it’s all gone now.
I’ll I’m hearing are excuses. I’m sure we can get some similar stuff for the next box- Beer Advocate’s Kane Barrel Aged Barleywine Festival?
Wow! This is an absolute stunner. Easily one of the best BA Barleywines I’ve ever had. It is balanced, potent, and eminently drinkable. I’m shocked at how easily this goes down. Waves of flavor that I keep wanting to experience, it’s too easy to take a sip, then another, then another…
Best barleywine I've ever drank. Incredibly deep richness in color. The taste is smooth, complex & balanced with the double barrel aging. Aroma is full, warm, bourbon and dark fruity.
While I still wish I could have tasted Kane's planned contribution to this year's box, this fine substitute is an impeccably crafted, true barleywine. Nothing to question about its fidelity to style; and it's so chewy without slipping into cloying treacliness, from which my palate suffers with too many giant BBA brews. Is it in Hair of the Dog's class? Not quite; but who else is? Thanks for your transformative career, Alan Sprints! Enjoy your retirement, secure in the knowledge that you earned your place on the Mt Rushmore of American brewers.
Perhaps I should wait to comment until letting such a complex brew warm up. After 30 minutes it tastes basically the same, but more richly nuanced. A remarkable piece of art.
This was for sale on half time earlier today, looks like it's sold out now though. Still has a listing but the link doesn't go anywhere. Might still be worth checking out. $5.49 per can! Craziness, are you paying attention Anchorage??
That is crazy pricing. I would have gladly pledged my entire month’s beer budget towards one can of this.
Anyone think this was similar to the Funky Buddha beer? My guess is no based on the general rave reviews of this vs. the negative reviews of FB Imperial Cream Ale. The whole sweet tobacco aspect of the two just reminded me of each other. The Cream Ale had that candied orange taste that differentiated it but a lot of similarities I think. Call me crazy. Look: Dark, syrupy with minimal to no head. Got some nice mahogany when holding up to light source. Smell: Soy sauce. Boozy. Black licorice. Chewing tobacco (not dip…the good ol’ thick shredded chewing tobacco) Taste: Chewing tobacco. Also getting some soy sauce and Robitussin cough syrup. Sweet and sticky. The booze is warm and comforting. As I worked through it, it started tasting more like a Cognac or Scotch. Feel: Heavy body with medium low carbonation. Sticky. Overall: In Winter with a fire and maybe Lord of the Rings on, this would be perfect.
You're crazy. I LOVE this one. Just kidding. Most your descriptors ring true to me, not the Robitussin though. I love reading reviews to see differing opinions.
Looks like it's for sale again? Good luck. @Violentvixen https://halftimebeverage.com/double-double-cask-34832.html
Poured from a can at fridge temp. Pours super dark brown - almost black. Very little head. Nose is just insane. Very nice Armagnac notes come through immediately. Super intense dark fruit. Super rich truffles, thick dark caramel, molasses, bourbon. The taste is absolutely crazy. Very very intense. Follows the nose very nicely. Rich toffee, chocolate, bourbon, Armagnac, figs, maple syrup, blackberries, red grapes, port, and a very slight roasted malts note. There is a very faint hint of pipe tobacco, but it's literally 1% of the taste. The best way to describe this is rich and robust. Sweet, but not cloying. The barrel influence is crazy. Very boozy, but not in a bad way. Mouthfeel is thick, but not really creamy. Overall, one of my favorite barleywines, and favorite beers, of all time. look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
This was incredibly rich, complex, and fantastic. 2nd to last in the box. Wished I grabbed another(beer or box!) to see how it ages from here. The best barrel aged barleywine I have had in a long time. Close 2nd or maybe better than the 2014 Bourbon County Barleywine. This must have been aged quite a while in the barrel to be this smooth and be canned little over a month ago. All I can say is thanks for the opportunity to partake.
And there needs to be a study on this whole soy sauce thing. There must be some flavonoid chemical subconscious similarity connection. Similar to the cherry and Robitussin thing **cough** with cherry beers/stouts. I have shared bourbon barrel aged beers with some and have gotten the soy sauce reaction. I understand it, and can “almost” see it, though my palate doesn’t directly correlate to it as others do.
I suspect the soy sauce connection is just an umami flavor some people get and it would be like someone having a tart beer and regardless of the fruit flavor saying it tastes sour like a lemon.
