Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2025)

Brouwerij de Moersleutel (Netherlands) ‘Ancient Engineering: Flint Sickle’ Quadruple Mash Barley Wine

44 cl can poured at room temp.
A powerhouse of a barley wine, brewed with four mashes (yes, quadruple mash, BAM!). Rye malt and Chevallier malt make up 65% of the grain bill, giving it a thick body and a marmalade-like aftertaste. Touches of chocolate rye, amber malt, and a hint of caramel malt add depth. English yeast, actually the brewery’s IPA yeast,, got fermented cold to introduce interesting apricot esters. Hopped with Bramling Cross and Tango for red fruit and floral tea notes. Lots of caramel taste, big big malt, boozier than its 11% ABV.
Incredibly tasty. Boozy finish.
Ingredients: water, barley malt, rye, hops, yeast.
Overall, a big beautiful barley wine I’d buy again.

Solid 4.45/5 in the BA DB

 

Sharing that glass with a bunch beer advocates was a great idea. It's so nice to look at, and now more people can show it to me.

 

Yup! At Oktoberfest in Tokyo right now. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Fly home in about a week.

Haven't found any Barleywine, but Popeyes should fix that this evening.

 

Finally getting into Bourbon County Reserve 2-Year, bottled in July 2022 and courtesy of the Chief Barleywine Officer. Been patiently staying true to my FIFO approach to high-gravity brews.
Wow! This brew is as good as previous imbibers have reported out on; the malt base gives toasted caramel and light toffee that combines beautifully with figs and prunes. Barrel is still strong and brings leather and vanilla that beautifully enhances the malt base. Toasted wood and bourbon bring an additional flavor layer and balances the malt base nicely yet leaving a lovely EBW sweetness appropriate for the style. This brew warms the soul for sure!
Dan, thank you so much for sending this gem!
Cheers!
Tom

 

Great review Tom, glad to hear you enjoyed it!

 

In the barleywine/stout bif thread @Bishop posted some great notes about mixing Bigfoot and Straight Jacket and I need to try it. I hope he considers posting his notes here.

While he was very precise when measuring his ratios, I don't measure much when I cook so I'm just kind of winging it here. I have the most recent batches of both, they were packaged roughly 1.5 months apart in the last quarter of 2024.



My first pour and the one pictured, is roughly 2/1 BF to SJ. The pungent hop bite is still very prominent but rather than all pith, there seems to be some sweet orange juiciness to the citrus now. Plenty of caramel up front that I associate more with the Bigfoot, there may be just a trace of brown sugar or raisin as well but not much. Overall this is a mix worth revisiting, but it's hard to want to open to barleywines to do it.

For the next poor I used the same ratio in reverse.

I like the direction this is going, so I added a splash more SJ. The sweet elements of dates, creme brulee, bourbon, honey, and more that I love about SJ are complimented very nicely by just a bit of burned caramel. I'm not sure how or why but the BF addition somehow added a heavy, smokey leather note along with a low-key lingering bitterness after the boozy exhale. This is excellent, my preferred blend.Revolution needs to explore some hoppier barleywines.

Lastly I tried a 50/50 mix that I abandoned after 2 sips. It isn't horrible but it comes across as muddled.

I'm going finish these up this fun experiment with another SJ heavy blend before soloing the remaining Bigfoot. Thanks for the inspiration @Bishop !

 

Sure sounds like we came to the same conclusion!

 

Yessir!

 

Great review Dan!

 

Getting into my first bottle of Sierra Nevada's Alpha Hop Society 2024 Barrel-Aged River Spey Toffee Delight. This was my favorite at the December release party, and it delivers nicely via bottle as well. It is a toffee bomb and with the dates added they lend a lovely dark fruit vibe to go with the toffee. The Scotch barrel is not overt but provides a nice balancing element leaving an EBW appropriate level of sweetness. Tons of flavor going on in a 10.2 abv package.
Rated 4.3
Cheers!
Tom

 

Coming back with 2025 Bigfoot. This plays well off the flavors left behind by the Toffee Delight.
Cheers!
Tom

 

I was excited to open this one as I love Fremont’s barleywines. Then I saw that it was listed on here as an American barleywine and was slightly less excited. Then I tasted it and was excited again, as I think it was mis-classified (and just submitted an update request to BA). It’s not the best I’ve ever had but still solid. Preliminary review (still subject to revision) below. Cheers!
__________________
4.39/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
22oz bottle into a tulip. Pours a slightly murky (possibly chill hazed) honey amber with minimal head.

Aroma is fruity and sweet—candi sugar, honey, bready malt, vanilla, oak.

Taste is likewise mostly sweet with notes of honey, maple, and vanilla. Mellow and unassuming with a boozy warming effect.

Mouthfeel is medium heavy, slick, coating. Sweet aftertaste lingers.

Overall a balanced, well constructed barleywine. It’s listed here as American but I’m not getting a ton of hops—not sure how it was designated as American vs. English. Nothing on the Fremont site or Untappd provides info re: style. Based on other reviews below I might submit a request to change the style listing. In any case it’s quite tasty and enjoyable.

 

goose Island Bourbon county brand Caramella Ale

4.47/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Brewers notes: Caramella or ‘candy’ in Italian is a wheatwine aged in Larceny Wheated Bourbon barrels with apple, cinnamon, and natural caramel flavor added after aging. Just like last year, the sweet smoothness from the Larceny Wheated Bourbon barrels adds a lingering warmth that complements the added flavor nuance. It’s nostalgia-inducing flavors are reminiscent of a caramel apple. Our Lead Lab Analyst, Joey Tidei, created this variant as a tribute to his love of seasonal flavors. This luscious embodiment of caramel perfectly paired with a slightly-tart apple flavor will transport you to a crisp Autumn day.

Bottle received in BIF2 Stouts & barleywines from @Bishop

Russet brown clear liquid poured into a tulip glass with a.thin taupe foam that quickly dissipates

Aroma is caramel apples, a slight hint of a cinnamon

Taste is apples, cinnamon ,

Low sudsing , thick , rich , syrupy

Delicious beer

 

Tree of Life Double Barrel by Tree House


4.59/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Brewers notes: Double Barrel Tree of Light is a barrel-aged barleywine ale aged in select bourbon barrels. To capture the myriad of robust notes bourbon offers, after a year of rest this beer was re-racked onto a second round of freshly pulled barrels from some of our favorite makers. A product of time, patience, and carefully studied brewing acumen, this beer has over a decade of learned experience in the making. Pouring a dark hazel color into the glass, notes of sticky toffee pudding, southern baked pecan chewies, and creamy English caramels greet the palate. Following this introduction, bursting aromas of oaky spice and sweet vanilla take center stage. Double Barrel Tree of Light is a beer to be celebrated and enjoyed on a special occasion.

Waxed and capped, Chilled bottle poured into a treehouse sniffer, dark brown liquid, thin taupe layer that immediately fades to a ring

Aroma is bourbon, caramel, toffee, raisins

Taste is bourbon, caramel , toffee , dark fruits, figs, vanilla , umami, molasses

Thick , syrupy, rich, decadent mouthfeel ..is it a liquid? It us solid

Great beer

 

NBW cross-post. Cellarmaker Brewing Works and Days. A bourbon barrel-aged barleywine. It is a five-oak barrel blend consisting of 60% single oak-aged barleywine, 20% oak-aged barleywine, and 20% double oak-aged Munichwine. Courtesy of @Beersnake. This is probably now my favorite barleywine.