Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2023)

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by DIM, Jan 1, 2023.

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  1. grantcty

    grantcty Savant (1,016) Feb 17, 2008 Minnesota
    Trader

    Glad someone else pointed this out. This was a great beer (as were the rest of the beers in their 30th Anniversary Series).

    I bought two, enjoyed the first in 2010, but then kinda forgot about the other bottle. I didn't open it until February of 2022. The only 'bad' thing I could say about it was that the flavors were muted. Surprisingly, I didn't detect much oxidation or other ill effects from letting it sit that long. Would be pretty cool if they re-brewed it.

    This is the12-year old bottle:

    [​IMG]
     
    #961 grantcty, Apr 22, 2023
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  2. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Light from Alesmith. A mead-inspired barleywine made with melato forest & aroeira blossom honey. Aged in port barrels. Notes over in the barleywine thread.

    Pours brown with almost no head. The nose is full of red wine, port, honey, a hint of maple, toffee, and a nice floral note.

    The taste is really interesting. Sweet for sure, but in a different way. It's definitely dominated by a honey sweetness, but with a nice floral hint to it. Perhaps slight medicinal, but not in a really bad way. Some port, raisins, wheat, and a hint of orange. Overall, a really fun barleywine.

    [​IMG]
     
    #962 Beersnake, Apr 22, 2023
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  3. lucius10

    lucius10 Pooh-Bah (2,556) Aug 1, 2017 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]

    For this to have been bottled in 2020, this held up extremely well...both barrels showed up in a mellowed and well-integrated way.
     
    #963 lucius10, Apr 22, 2023
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  4. sulldaddy

    sulldaddy Grand Pooh-Bah (5,786) Apr 6, 2003 Connecticut
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Im back with another barleywine to share with y'all.
    this is Stoneface Brewing in New Hampshire and their Maple Rye Whiskey Barleywine. An 11.9% treat from the brewery in Newington.

    onto my review.
    [​IMG]
    Sampling a 500 ml bottle at cellar temp and pouring into my trusty snifter. The bottle was purchased at the brewery in November of 2022. Vintage 2022.
    The beer pours a rich dark mahogany color with some black coffee depth to it. no light passing through my glass.
    A dense creamy beige head with some copperish highlights foams up 4 cm and almost overtops my glass. This foam slowly fades to a very sturdy surface covering. Sticks around the entire tasting.
    Aroma is malty with toffee, brown sugar, some butterscotch notes, hints of whiskey and a good dose of maple syrup carrying through. No hop character here at all. Only slightly boozy but not fusol or hot smells.
    First sip reveals a medium to thick body and fine and soft carbonation, a bit of a pillowy mouthfeel on this beer. Not sticky like I thought it might be.
    Flavor is sweet malts with toffee and brown sugar and then a bit of spicy bite, sort of a black pepper character. This rolls to some sweet maple flavor that actually is sort of toasted note. No hop character, as I believe the bite is from alcohol on this one and no heat anywhere, hiding the 11.9%.
    Quite a tasty malt forward barleywine that isnt cloying and does have a bit of balance bite on the finish.
    Im enjoying this beer and honestly wish I had bought a second bottle.
    4.53 in the BA DB
     
    #964 sulldaddy, Apr 22, 2023
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  5. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,132) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]
     
    #965 zid, Apr 22, 2023
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  6. CarolinaCardinals

    CarolinaCardinals Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,231) Jun 11, 2003 North Carolina
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Since i am in the middle of smoking a turkey breast that has been brining for a couple of days, thought i would crack a Jackie O's bottle.
    To say the least this is one of the better barleywines i have ever had! Onto the review:
    Nose is very nice, some dark fruit, bourbon, vanilla, and leather are very forthcoming.
    Taste is really good, the base barleywine reveals figs and brown sugar that are cut expertly by the barrel which gives notes of vanilla and a touch of bourbon. Finishes very balanced for an English barleywine.
    Mouthfeel is full bodied with each sip being full and smooth.
    Overall an excellent beer! Score = 4.56.
    Cheers!
    Tom

    [​IMG]
     
    #966 CarolinaCardinals, Apr 22, 2023
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  7. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yeah Tom, that is a great one for sure! I'm smoking poultry too, I have three chickens on the traeger. My wife just took the kids shoe shopping so I'll be joining you with something shortly.
     
    #967 DIM, Apr 22, 2023
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  8. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Sitting on the front porch watching a storm roll in with a great new beer from @FBarber thank you again for your extreme generosity!

    [​IMG]

    I was lucky enough to be able to reacquaint myself with regular Ryeway a few days ago to establish a baseline.

    The Boss spent time in third use barrels, rum, then rye whiskey, then Boss Ryeway. There is certainly some overlap between the two, plenty of sticky sweet caramel and toffee in each. The Boss though has a bit less brown liquor and some unique notes of orange marmalade and sweet cherries. The rye bite at the finish is more noticeable here as is the oak-y char.

    No wrong answer here as far as I'm concerned, both are outstanding. The Boss is a unique beast that I definitely liked more than @Beersnake1
     
    #968 DIM, Apr 22, 2023
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  9. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Nice! I have a few more so I will revisit this one in a month or so. Who knows, maybe I will love it next time!
     
    #969 Beersnake, Apr 22, 2023
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  10. GreenBayBA

    GreenBayBA Grand Pooh-Bah (4,265) Aug 30, 2015 Wisconsin
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

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    I love this thread. I need to contribute more. So here is what I agree with @thebeers is the best of the most recent BA barleywine release from Central Waters Brewing. Summer came and went last week in Wisconsin. Now that it is second winter, this beer is perfect to sip on.
     
    #970 GreenBayBA, Apr 22, 2023
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  11. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Hope so!
     
    #971 DIM, Apr 22, 2023
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  12. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Really looking forward to digging into these, might do them all blind like I did last year.
     
    #972 DIM, Apr 22, 2023
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  13. Uberdachen

    Uberdachen Devotee (355) Jun 21, 2019 Minnesota
    Trader

    [​IMG]

    Indeed - Milwaukee Honey barleywine ale

    Poured and drank it warmer than it deserved so I won’t fault it. Sweet and incredibly light, no malty business whatsoever.
     
    #973 Uberdachen, Apr 23, 2023
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  14. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thanks to Dan (@DIM ) for sending this one! Mighty from Tree House. An American barleywine coming in at 9.7% ABV.

    Poured at fridge temp. Pours a beautiful murky/opaque reddish brown. A very thin layer of off-white head.

    The nose is quite IPA like. Getting some nice citrus peel, pine needles, slight toffee, marmalade, rhubarb, and a hint of leather. Very nice.

    The taste is fantastic. American barleywine indeed! The hops are front and center right out of the gate. However, definitely balanced by the toffee and bready malts. Grapes, unripe plums, raspberries, pine, grapefruit peel, leather, and a slight note of honey. Wow - this really has an intense flavor. If you like American-style barleywines, this is for you!

    [​IMG]
     
    #974 Beersnake, Apr 23, 2023
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  15. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,132) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

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    I intentionally wanted some 2022 Bigfoot, so I went back to the store where I bought the 2022 edition when it was first released over a year ago. The store had maybe seven 2022 sixers still on the shelf (and no 2023 Bigfoot). I wouldn't be terribly surprised if I was their only customer for this beer since buying that initial sixer. I don't dislike aged Bigfoot, but I don't totally understand the love for it over un-aged Bigfoot. For me, aged Bigfoot tastes like damaged beer rather than clearly improved beer (albeit I'm talking about aging on a store shelf, so the grain of salt applies). I also think that Bigfoot ages really well though. The beer may be "damaged" but it still tastes darn good. Yesterday I had the Bigfoot in the quoted post from my tea mug. Pictured above is my third Bigfoot of today. Life is better with Bigfoot in it. One of my favorite American beers. Cheers.
     
    #975 zid, Apr 23, 2023
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  16. thebeers

    thebeers Grand Pooh-Bah (5,837) Sep 10, 2014 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Great beer — and pretty reasonably priced for what it is. Wish I’d bought more. :beers:
     
    #976 thebeers, Apr 23, 2023
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  17. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Damaged? Can you elaborate? Bigfoot makes life better, no doubt.
     
    #977 DIM, Apr 23, 2023
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  18. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Glad you liked it! I'm thinking no to aging this, what do you think?
     
    #978 DIM, Apr 23, 2023
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  19. GreenBayBA

    GreenBayBA Grand Pooh-Bah (4,265) Aug 30, 2015 Wisconsin
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I assumed it would be as simple as the older they are, the better they are, but that was not necessarily the case. Just make sure you are watching a Green Bay Packers game when you do it. As the brewery intends.
     
    #979 GreenBayBA, Apr 23, 2023
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  20. GreenBayBA

    GreenBayBA Grand Pooh-Bah (4,265) Aug 30, 2015 Wisconsin
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    ISO!
     
    #980 GreenBayBA, Apr 23, 2023
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