Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2023)

Slight derail perhaps, with a wee heavy. Spirit forward with an impression of sweetness that is quickly knocked down by drying oak on the taste. Definitely peaty, oaky, and surprisingly attenuated malt character. Striking color and clarity. I’ve had this before, but had forgotten how solid of a brew it is.

 

Wild mind ales- the great decay

An awful work day setting up an awfuller work day called for a fitting barleywine. Had this at the brewery at its release and it was fantastic. The first bottle I cracked after, barely into-pandemic, was a flat disappointment. My brother opened one at the same time elsewhere and was also flat. So my expectation was…



Yep. Completely flat. But tonight, a few years later, still entirely drinkable. Deep and dense bourbon and caramel aromas and flavors.

Work was going to be dumb tomorrow anyways.

 

2021 Sebago BA Barleywine: One of my favorite local barleywines. The complexity and balance has grown over the years. Dried orange peel, nougat, toffee, and cocoa powder. Creamy carb. Boozy warmth on the finish.

 

Triskaidekaphobia - Brewery of Broken Dreams

Been sitting on this for almost three years, because I wanted to open it on a specific date. Which is more difficult than it should have been.



Leaves a film on the glass, with no legs. A vigorous swirl produces a short lived head, otherwise the carbonation appears to have been frightened into submission.

Rich sweet malt with strong fig and dates. Sherry quickly gives way to floral notes that never fully develop. These mostly dissipate to earthy spice. Warmth brings out some mildly sweet caramelized sugar.

The flavor is shockingly mild, especially for the style. Bitterness is mild, sweetness is less evident. Fig and and charred sugar. Sweetness amplifies with warmth, as does the fig flavor. Otherwise this one is under performing. Finish is looooooooooooong and mild.

Alcohol is below expectations. A light body with gossamer smooth silky texture. Carbonation is here, light, yet much more present than the appearance would have one believe.

This Barlewine straddles the American and English guidelines. I love the concept, even if after nearly 3 years wait it falls short of the greatness potential. All said, there is potential here. Let’s see if future releases have learned from the past.

 

Bigfoot isn't my favorite, but I still make it a point to grab a fresh bottle every year when it's released. I did that for this year already, earlier this week. Now, I didn't take a picture because I was having it with dinner and was lazy, but it's crazy how murky my bottle was compared to yours. It didn't really taste any different but I figured this years batch just looked like that lol

 

Happy New Year Dan!
Do you have a true basement cellar and if so does the temperature stay pretty consistent? Since relocating to NC i no longer have a wine fridge and our house does not have a basement so i am pretty much out of the aging game.
Cheers!
Tom

 

This beer is unique. I really like it. The cherry scent is strong, but the cherry flavor blends in well.

 

Nahh the oldest I had was only a year old and it still tasted pretty much the same lol. It's not that I don't enjoy them but I tend to prefer the sweeter leaning English Barleywines vs the Americans. I wonder how close an aged Bigfoot comes to English

 

Oh man, how kind! Sending you a message rn

 

Side Project M.J.K.

cheers!!

 

Damn man, you didn't have to flex that hard!

 

Hey Dan,
I had Cellar Cuvee 1 a couple of days before you did but was on the fence about posting it but since you are the leader of the "barleywine hounds pack" i am now compelled to post a couple of hybrids! So, from my Cellar Cuvee review which i rated it a 4.45 Overall:

Nose is very nice with notes of leather, vanilla, and a touch of bourbon. If i closed my eyes i would say this was a Firestone Walker BA brew!
Taste is very nice as the blend lends a nice tame malt base not heavily roasted in which the barrels impart notes of bourbon, vanilla, and fig. Finishes nicely balanced from the barrel with no hint of overt sweetness.
Mouthfeel is medium to heavy bodied and very smooth.



Today, i am finally getting around to enjoying Casita's Something So Sincere. Wow, what an interesting brew. A bit on the sweet side but a lot of good stuff going on. From my notes which i rated this a 4.18 Overall:

Nose is sweet with large fruity malts dominating.
Taste is a huge malt base that gives you a light touch of roasted malts, dark fruits, some vanilla from the bourbon barrels and a slight sour tang from the port barrels. Finishes a scootch sweet but in the manner of an English Barleywine.
Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied and very smooth.
Overall a unique take on the barleywine and imperial stout styles, kind of in the style of Firestone Walker Anniversary series but with the additions for their own special touch. Check this out if you are up for a taste adventure!!

Cheers!
Tom

 

Yes. It is amazing.

 

it’s only a 2oz pour

 

2022 East End Brewing Gratitude, canned 1/24/22 so just about a year old. I've had it in the fridge since I picked up a 4 pack at the brewery back this summer, since I enjoyed the fresh hops on this. Still a nice combo of rich caramel malt flavors and dank hops

 

Drinking a 2014 Anniversary Alesmith Decadence. Smells terrific. Tastes better as it warms of cherry and tobacco. Perhaps a little too much age but still quite pleasant.

 

This says it's an American Barleywine, doesn't taste like one...tastes like a great old English barleywine, not to sweet, thick with a little bit of booze, fruit, dark chocolate. i might get a fire goin and like light my pipe

 

3.68/5 rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

2017 vintage - poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter.

Clear fulvous liquid with a fizzy whisper of foam that is quickly silenced. Nearly still, no lacing, though the tears leave a viscous even sheen along the sides.

Maple sugar, with a wave of stewed fruit and faint tobacco in the nose. Focused and potent yet fugitive/fleeting.

Unctuous, chewy, spirit-heavy, woody palate entry - burnt sugar, fudge, and peppercorn unfurl into the lumbering dry finish. Vanilla and maple are present, but there is a medicinal savory edge to everything with leather, dandelion greens, and brandy notes. Very distinctive and unusual.

Medium bodied, warming, a bit sticky.

Singular, befuddling, and lingering.

 

I love Barleywines and personally enjoy them any and all which ways - fresh, aged, English, American - except for ones that have flavor additives and barrel-aged ones as to me, they can detract from what I enjoy about all the subtleties the malt and hops bring to the style but YMMV.
I've currently been enjoying Breakside's Life series as each volume uses a different maltster and blend of malts and the two (1 & 2) I've had have been fantastic examples with the first bringing a lot of nice dried dark fruit notes, tobacco, and light fruitiness to the table where as the second is chock full of varying heated/carmelized sugar notes that span from toffee to molasses to piloncillo and even brought a little chocolate to the table as well.
I've been waiting with great anticipation for 2023 Bigfoot to drop around here and I always enjoy that beer fresh as I prefer it that way plus my ability to sit on beers and age them sucks quite frankly so the few aged ones I've had were purchased already with age on them. Cheers!