Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2025)

Definitely! Did you buy that recently?

 

Yes. Last Saturday.

 

Central Waters Brewing 4-Year-Aged Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Barleywine. This is excellent. The 4-year-aged edition of this annual series of barrel-aged barleywines has often been the sweet spot.

 

Revolution Lumber Struck (2025)

Thought I had a new-to-me Central Waters barleywine left, but alas, I’d reviewed it before. Feeling like taking some tasting notes, I opted for this one instead.

Lumber Struck pours a red-hued, near-black color with a thin finger of dark khaki head that has modest retention and leaves minimal lacing.

Popping the can, there’s a delicious aroma of Greek Easter Bread (mahleb and sweet dough) followed quickly by spicy, rye-esque cinnamon. A little cherry, oak and leather play behind.

The taste is more cherry and light molasses, with loads of that earthy, cinnamon-like amburana throughout. Quite a spicy finish as a result, combatting any residual sweetness. There definitely is some wood in the aftertaste, though. Maybe even a touch of sesame.

Medium bodied and moderately sticky feel with soft carbonation fizz.

Probably the best use of amburana I’ve encountered. Not a daily drinker, but a wonderful treat — just like tsoureki itself.

 

NBW cross-post. Three Floyds Brewing Pillar of Beasts. A barleywine brewed with coconut and salted caramel, and aged for 12 months in bourbon barrels. This is quite a unique barleywine experience. The caramel and coconut flavors battle for supremacy, which creates a memorable experience.

 

Central Waters Brewing 5-Year-Aged Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Barleywine. This is my favorite edition of this year's release.

 

Big Chuck Hunter from Varietal, a barleywine aged 13 months in Willett barrels. From barleywine etc. bif courtesy of @snaotheus



Big and sweet, but this still comes across as American-ish to me. Burned caramel and sweet, sweet bourbon dominate with praline, vanilla, brown sugar, and very faint raisin lending support. The mouthfeel is satisfyingly sticky and still. Not subtle in any way, this beast is a lot of fun. Thanks Ryan!

 

Bigfoot. Cheers.

 

Level Crossing VII XXV XVII BBA Wheatwine, 10.5% ABV. Pours deep brown with a one-finger beige head that left slight lacing. Aroma is toffee, vanilla, and orange. Taste follows, plus honey, slightly sweet, faintly bitter, no bourbon burn. Excellent mouthfeel, overall world-class.

4.65/5 rDev +13.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

I love me some wheatwine, and this is the best I've ever had, thanks to @NorsemanOne including this in my BIF care package! Could drink these all day.

 

The Mustache Awoke Before Dawn - Aurora Brewing

Ok, here is a case for, “If it ain’t broke.” Warming is definitely helping, but I still wish the Killer didn’t have a mustache in the first place. The orange peel, clove, and ginger are present, but sour apple, think rotting apple, is a bit much in the aroma. The bitterness is not too high but it still obscures the sweetness and other elements. My only regret is having bought a 4-pack. Still drinkable because, well, it’s still beer.

The Elk sausage and Raclette deserve better.

 

Beautiful! What kind of cheese are you enjoying?

 

Raclette. It is somewhere between Swiss and Gruyère, and is supposed to be roasted or grilled for best enjoyment. Wegman’s, up here, has been carrying it lately.

https://leelanaucheese.com/pages/raclette

 

Nice! Grilled Raclette is a beautiful thing, when I worked as a cheese monger we sold a ton for that purpose. Wonderful smelling cheese.

 

It wasn't a trade it was a DATE

Really glad you enjoyed it!

 

Courtesy of @Ozzylizard