Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2023)

The Edge of Time (batch 2) at Cellarmaker in Oakland.

From brewery:

The Edge of Time Batch 2 is a single oak aged Barleywine conditioned for 14 months in 3 Willett Bourbon barrels. Batch 2 continues to impress with classic Barleywine aromas of fig, Luxardo cherry, creme brûlée and hard crack toffee. A warming booze and silky oak is ever present but does not overwhelm the layered sherry-like profile.

I would agree! Tons of toffee, barrel, fig, brown sugar, and sherry. Some vanilla as well. This comes in at 14.8% so I guess higher ABV is in my range @DIM

 

I think we should all move to Athens in retirement and meet up at Jackie O's every day. They just keep putting out the great stuff.

 

Nice!! Everything I have had from them is great.

 

I'll join @DIM with this "barleywine" tonight! I'm at a hotel in Oregon, so why not! I agree with you Dan - just label it a barleywine and make it hard to get....I mean keep it an imperial brown ale!

Poured much warmer than fridge temp (a bit warmer than cellar temp) into a hotel plastic cup. The bottle says serve at 55 degrees, and I'm probably pretty close. Pours a light brown with a good 2 inches of head. The nose is full of lovely malts, bread, brown sugar, biscuits, and some dark fruit.

The taste is so smooth. Sponge toffee, brown sugar, maple, bourbon, and vanilla. Just lovely.

 

I normally bring one along, but completely forgot this time!

 

Sucaba 2023! Fantastic like previous releases. Almost picking up a touch of smoke on this one. Very nice!

 

Im actually in Pennsylvania while I review this New England beer. Definitely wanted to share a barleywine with this thread of big beer drinkers!
This is Barreled Souls Leather Bound Books and Rich Mahogany aged in Basil Hayden barrels. This beer registers 13.2% and has a ton of additives to the barrel, including orange zest, luxardo cherries and others. See label photo below.

onto my review:


I cant believe no one has reviewed this one yet. I am pouring a 500 ml bottle into my snifter at just above cellar temperature. The bottle was bottled on 9/12/2022 and I picked it up at the brewery in October 2022 and its been in my cellar since then.
The beer pours a dark rich mahogany color with a dense creamy khaki colored head of 1.5 cm. This foam fades to a sturdy surface covering and makes dense clingy lattice with each sip.
Aroma is complex!! Sweet toffee and bourbon mixes with some sweet orange notes and general fruitiness. I also get some pipe tobacco notes and brown sugar. Finally I am getting a sweet spicy note, that is sort of cinnamon like but more subtle (no cinnamon added to this beer). No hop presence anywhere, but there is just a bit of black peppery nose which I attribute to booze.
First sip reveals a medium to light body with smooth texture and fine slightly tingly carbonation. I find the beer drinks surprisingly easy on the physical traits for a big barleywine. Maybe a little thin on the mouthfeel.
Flavor is also complex like the nose. toffee and brown sugar with some bourbon. Again sweet orange, not the pithy bite of hops. I do get some cherry coridal chocolate candy in here too. Some dark fruit too and that sweet spiciness that is almost cinnamon is here again. Still no hop notes anywhere.
Booze gives a little warmth at the end of each swallow.
this is a complex interesting barleywine, I like it and im finding flavors that I dont often experience in beers. Glad to have tried this one from a great big beer brewing brewery.
4.49 in the BA DB

 

Love this review. Cheers!

 

5 years old and tasting great! I absolutely love this beer.