Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2024)

She sent me a BA munichwine from Private Press that was great, A Silent Pursuit. Thanks again! I also had a non BA munichwine from Barreled Souls that was good, Gimme the Munichwine.

I too am intrigued and look forward to further research.

 

Speaking of @Dimidiata she also sent me this gem that I've been reluctant to open because then it will be gone. Mostly kidding. Electric Roads batch 3 from Private Press, a blend of double barrel aged barleywine.



This is lovely, lots of warming layers at work here. Spiced fig cakes, baked apples, black strap molasses, vanilla, graham cracker, lightly charred caramel, plus more than I can describe. The barrels add plenty smooth bourbon, some prickly oak, and just a little something vinous. I suspect that some non brown liquor barrels are in the mix. The carbonation is very light but body has a nice, lightly sticky silkiness. Wonderful stuff, thank you Christine!

 

Damn I would have lost a lot of money betting that that was a stout based on the picture. Crazy!

 

I take crappy pictures The color is dark but not quite stout like.

 

Wasn’t sure about this one, but I saw a lonely 4-pack at the liquor store, so I decided to buy it. It’s good, but not necessary, if that makes sense. Luckily I think it’ll turn into a very good english barleywine in a couple years when the adjuncts age out. It definitely has a solid backbone and would love to try the base beer without the added stuff

 

I actually had a pour of Cellarmaker Hard Cuts today! It was a Private Press collab with Cellarmaker. Great beer. Since I'm a Private Press member, munichwine pops up pretty frequently.

 

Glad you enjoyed it! Its one of my favorites from Private Press. The blend has some Cognac and Port barrel aged beer in it. Here's the details:

 

Town Hall Brewery - double barrel Twisted Trace bourbon barrel aged barleywine (15.3%)

Oh man.

 

Trying out one of the new Gratitude releases. This is the Old Fashioned variant, aged in Bourbon barrels with orange and orange zest according to the website.

Citrus present on the nose along with dark fruit and sweet malt. Flavor is a brighter version of last year's Bourbon BA release. Orange zest comes through on the finish, which seems out of place in a BW but it really works here. This is an interesting take on Gratitude. It feels really quaffable for an 11.4% BA Barleywine. The citrus makes it feel like a summertime treat. It doesn't scream Old Fashioned to me, but all the components are there: bourbon, sweetness, cherry/dark fruit, and some orange peel. To me it drinks like a citrus forward barleywine, which is something I didn't know I wanted but I'm really enjoying it. I don't NEED more BW in the house but I'm gonna have to pick up more of this because one can won't be sufficient. Cheers.

 

I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't purchased any 2024 yet. At 5 years this is of course magnificent.

 

Well, I'm having my 3rd Bigfoot in a row ... 3 nights in a row that is. I started with a 2020, then a 2021, and this evening a 2023 (a 2/2/2023 bottling). Iwas surprised to find that i liked the 2023 most and the 2020 least, and that the 2020 seemed most hoppy of the 3. This is backwards from my expectations, but may show that none of these started off in the bottle tasting the same. Of course, all 3 have been excellent.

 

started this last night and finished it today. super good. long time want first time trying. not crazy bourbon forward but once it warmed those flavors came through more. very malt forward. lots of dark fruits and toffee. incredible barleywine.

 

I bought this under false pretenses. The listing on their website mentions wine puncheons and a ton of yellow peaches. I LOVE peach barleywine but apparently this an accidental duplicate listing from another beer.

The correct description, brewed in the early Winter of 2020. Cooled in the night air of our handmade copper koelschip, situated in a beautiful barn in Chester County. Fermented and matured in a first use egg shaped American oak foeder for 36 months. Bottled in late winter of 2022.

From Tired Hands, Songs From a Barn Barleywine #1.



Sour barleywine can be really good but this is just ok. There's a traditional barleywine style caramel hiding under all the funky apricots, tart, wet wood, pithy oranges, and sour candy powder. The overall affect is kind pf a heavy, bruising beer experience. Damn that peach beer sounds good...

 

Here we have a 2016 §ucaba, last bottle of this vintage in my beer fridge. Malty, hoppy, fruity, smoky. Vanilla, caramel, nice boozy heat on the finish. Cheers!

 

It's so cute when someone says that they quietly created a style of beer.

But is it what the brewer intended? Their description seems to point to "no." Some other reviewers (but not all) have had a similar taste experience as you.

 

I assume it's deliberate,

Cooled in the night air of our handmade copper koelschip, situated in a beautiful barn in Chester County.

That'll funk it up right?

 

Maybe, maybe not… but maybe not by design.

Edit: If a brewer is aiming for sourness in a barley wine, one would think that it would be smart to make this very clear in the description, and in this case the brewer isn’t doing so.