Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2024)

Still drinking down my box cellar. This one is 2021 and drinking well. Lots of sediment.


Enjoy

 

I truly look frwd to capturing a 6pk or two of this baby every year. It is wonderful and this year's batches are no exception. SN Bigfoot

 

Second of the night. Just such a good beer.

Enjoy

 

Straight up American barleywine courtesy of @Beersnake thanks yet again Tim. Rhythmic Chaos from Moonlight brewing company.



What a wonderfully balanced bruiser of an American barleywine. Earthy, pungent citrus plus candied oranges atop a caramel and shortbread cookie malt base. Just a little raisin and plum in the mix as well. Really good stuff, thanks Tim!

 

I’ve seen that one but haven’t bought one yet. How much hops are you tasting? Any bitterness or just earthy hop flavor?

 

It’s not every day that I get to try a new barleywine. Here we have Castaway from Old Stove Brewing here in Seattle—I know nothing about this brewery except I think they are in the Ballard neighborhood, and actually that’s not quite right, it appears they have at least three locations around town. Interesting. Picked this bottle up at a grocery store a few months ago. Preliminary review below. Cheers!

4.34/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
22oz bottle (2021 vintage) into a tulip. Pours a slightly murky reddish brown with a thin off-white head.

Aroma is a dense blend of rum-soaked figs and dates, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and vanilla. Some vaguely spicy notes.

Taste is on the syrupy side of sweet but not in a bad way. Similar to the aroma, lots of sugars and gently roasted/fruity flavors. Molasses and honey. Like what I imagine an imperial Old Stock would taste like, if such a beer exists.

Mouthfeel is slick and chewy—this is pretty heavy stuff. Warms my chest as it goes down.

Overall a good dessert sipper. I’ll be nursing this for the next few hours.

 

Received a traded bottle of an Eighth State & Weathered Souls collaboration last spring. This BA EBW has Skor Bars, Toffee, and Caramel added. The first sip is huge sweetness wise. The base beer gives you a glimmer of dark fruits and the barrel warms each sip, but this is like drinking a liquid candy bar. I am about 5-6 oz into a 12 oz bottle, but the rest is going down the drain which is a bummer as my trader i am sure paid major $ for this.

 

Alright, I haven’t been in this thread for a bit, but I’m coming to update that I found some ancient barleywines today. One is from 2016 and the other is from….. 2009!! I have very little hope for either of them, but the guy took 30% off both, so it won’t be too painful. The 2016 is 16.8%abv so it might be fine. The other is only 10% and the amount of muck at the bottom, and murk ring on the neck is a level I’ve never seen. Anyone ever heard of either?

 

I checked and I've had a jewbelation (not that one) and howling bastard both a looooong time ago and it looks like I thought both were ok. Looking forward to hearing what you think.

 

same for me. And very interested in what @VodkaPong87 experiences.

 

Not sure when I’ll open them… maybe one tomorrow

 

@sulldaddy and @DIM posted in the Imperial Stout thread so here i am retaliating
This tastes much better than last nights Corona
2017 Bigfoot
8am beer as soon as i land in the workshop.
Got Booked for last minute as i was leaving so fuck everyone I'm havin a good time with the boys

Proper glassware FTW

 

As I feared, this is a complete disaster. Totally sour. Oh well, 15 years in room temperature is probably not good