Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2024)

MobCraft BA Barleywine, to be honest, I didn't find much to enjoy about this can of beer. Disappointed for sure. No canning date, the label
says "unpasteurized live product", could have gone bad. That being said, a one and done.

 

From the batch before the most recent release - a superlative sipper from SARA. Full review here and in NBW #195 (4.23/5) - cheers!

 

4th D English Toffee Old Ale - Kuhnhenn

Last bottle from Kuhnhenn and WOW: it is specTACULAR.

The aroma and flavors are all jumbled together with sweet, lightly charred malt, charred crème brûlée, toasted marshmallow, rum soaked figs, prunes, chocolate, cherries, intense plum pudding, light oak, cream sherry, and toffee through the roof.

I am reading and snacking on French Mimolette cheese, making for a very good afternoon.

 

I worked as a cheese monger for a long time and I could not help but hear some of the names as songs. Delice de Bourgonge to the tune of Feliz Navidad for instance. Mimolette became the backing vocals of "in the jungle the mighty jungle" Can you hear it? Mimolette aMimolette aMimolette...

I had a lot of a song written for Comte' to the tune of Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Comte'
Crazy motherf****r named cheese cube
From the band called mongers with attitude...

I miss working with cheese.

Sorry for the digression, back to beer!

 

Totally get it! I too find songs with a lot of things, and love word play. Mimolette is fun to say, hear, look at, and taste. The pairing was amazing it how they both complemented and contrasted simultaneously. Sooo good!

 

In the mood for a Bigfoot.

 

Dieu du Ciel! - Solstice d'Hiver "Winter Solstice"

11-23 bottling date - coming in at 10.2%ABV BA...

"This mahogany-colored winter beer offers complex aromas of fruit, alcohol and hops. On the palate, it is slightly sweet and syrupy, with a hint of burnt caramel. Very bitter, its aroma profile is reminiscent of red fruits. The hops are expressed abundantly on the finish."

This a pretty straightforward Barleywine in the same lane as many of the Old Ale offerings...somewhat boozy at the 10% mark here with pronounced toffee notes, red malts, and a finish of leafy hops. Not all that bitter really...I get a Belgian Candi sweetness dusted with a hint of cherry wood smoke too. All in all not my favorite in the style but a nicely complex offering to sip on all the same. Seems to me like this one would age gracefully.

 

from last night and didn’t get around to posting but man was this really good! equal parts malt backbone and bourbon barrel sting. toffee, damp cardboard, dark bread and dark fruits. really, really good. personally, chances are i enjoyed this as much as i did because it wasn’t overloaded with additives but it also just seemed to be a really well made and executed english-style barleywine. cheers!!

 

Found this recently
Really enjoying it
Cheers

 

Enjoying this sipper tonight
Cheers all

 

This must be batch 2? Batch 1 was only aged year in cognac barrels, a side by side would be fun.

 

The big daddy:

Aging gracefully. Hard to mask the 17% abv, but it’s fine. Wish they would do a yearly BW again!

 

Not really a Barleywine, but close enough, Orin from Half Acre.

 

I'll join @ZebulonXZogg with a not a barleywine but close enough brew, this being a 2018 vintage of Adam From The Wood (Adambier). Man, this is so flavorful with the classic dark fruits dominating. Big thanks to former BA @BMBCLT for the opportunity to try!
Cheers!
Tom

 

Central Waters Brewer’s Reserve Barleywine. Outstanding. Cheers.

 

Opened the 2016 Jewbilation. Did not age well. I have awful luck picking up these dusty shelf beers