3 Floyds Pillar of Beasts Salted Caramel Coconut 12mo BBA English Barleywine, 14.6% ABV. I rated this 4.46 back in March. Slow-cooker hamburger helper for supper, much better than the boxed stuff.
This is one of those beers that gets posted in both the IS & BW thread. A blend of barrel-aged imperial stouts and barrel-aged barleywines conditioned on vanilla beans. Damn good. Even better at room temp with some substantial time in the glass. Still have a sliver or so left. Cheers!!
I really enjoyed this BA Wee Heavy from Rev on this COLD evening in Northern Indiana. 4.6/5 rDev +7.7% look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5 Pours a dark mahogany brown that is clear and settles the same in the glass with ruby hues on the edges and a frothy tan head that lingers for minutes. Gorgeous BA Wee Heavy. The nose features booze and some oak from the barrel, followed immediately by vanilla and caramel aromas, and a smidge of roasty malt for good measure. Wow. The barrel asserts itself up front on the taste, then settles into the background as a warming at the back of the palate, leaving plenty of room for the rich vanilla and caramel flavors and the bit of roasty malt. The mouthfeel is full and creamy, perfect for this BA Wee Heavy that is yet another example of Rev’s barrel program being among the best on the planet.
I tried finding information about the Sierra Nevada society but all I could find was a note saying the Alpha Hop Society ended in 2024. I'm curious what the new Society is called? I'm guessing it doesn't exist on the west coast.
Sierra Nevada has a new beer club called Friends of the Family. Is that what you're referring to? From the Sierra Nevada website: In 2026, we’re launching a new, exclusive Sierra Nevada beer club that is crafted for people who want access to limited releases, barrel-aged rarities, and our best-kept secrets. If you’re looking for something beyond the standard beer experience, we’d love to give you a seat at our table. Welcome to Friends of the Family. You’ll receive six unique beers, bottled only for Friends of the Family, for your exclusive pickup at either our Chico, CA or Mills River breweries. These special offerings have been quietly under development by our brewing team and our owners. With each drop, you’ll take home three bottles—one to drink, one to share, and one to cellar for a special occasion to come.
I don't care about the label - this is a barleywine to me. 2017 bottle. It is so much more in line with a barleywine than an IPA. The taste offers notes of toffee, prunes, raisins, apricot, honey, vanilla, orange, grapefruit peel bitterness, pine needles. A bit of clove and mint come through as well. A bit of black pepper and leather show up as it warms even more. Absolutely fantastic.
Actually, it does Tim. It has been rebranded in 2026 to be "Friends of the Family" (after no club memberships in 2025). They have memberships for Chico and Mills River. Memberships are now closed unfortunately. Here is the link for FYI: Memberships | Sierra Nevada Friends of the Family Tom
Obviously i jumped responding to @Beersnake before scrolling all the way thru. I detailed some price per bottle in the Beer Haul thread earlier today. It is a very fair program, and we'll see how the new program products compares to the market. Alpha Hops was very good most often (4.25) with the rare 4.5 offering. YMMV! Cheers! Tom
Does a "Munichwine" count here? I thought this one was tasty: Wohlgemut | Happy Hollow Brewing Company | BeerAdvocate Cheers everyone!
