Barleywine style tasting March 4th

So you mean to tell me this isn't WBAYDN?! Awkward.....I can't even delete the post!

I'll try and post a Barleywine on March 4th to make up for this!

 

Such an underrated beer IMO. We opened a '15 and a '16 last night back-to-back and both were fantastic, I really don't know if I prefer it fresh or aged... it's just great no matter what.

 

Yeah, that 98 rated, top 5 in style, "underrated" beer.

 

Funny how on Avery's webpage, the description now says "Imperial Red IPA" but the picture still shows the bottle label that says "Dry Hopped Barleywine-style Ale".
https://www.averybrewing.com/beers/hog-heaven

 

This is a style I would like to explore a little more but I typically don't have the patience/space for aging but I have seen some older versions of whatever (usually Bigfoot) at a few bottle shops so maybe I could go that route. Was also thinking about picking up a new sixer of Bigfoot and hiding a few bottles.

 

You can explore with fresh ones too.

 

I'm in! You guys are posting some beers that I would love to try, but I do have the choice between 6 years of Bigfoot's. See ya then!

 

Oh man, since old ales are in too I've got even more choices than I thought.
I've got a 750 bottle of 2010 Alesmith Decadence and a 2012 bottle of the calvados cask variant J.W. Lees Harvest Ale. But I think I'll probably take the Alesmith off the table because I'd like to try two beers for the tasting, and a big bottle of 11% ABV beer will make that...problematical.

EDIT: Arrrggggh! I've got a bottle of Ballantine Burton Ale too!

 

Old ale, barley wine, Burton ale, stock ale, strong ale, winter warmer, and Scotch ale are all related. Hard lines between them do not exist. Within this family, you'll often see a beer categorized under one name in one place, and a different name in another. Brewers will take one beer and call it by various names/styles over time. Brewers will put two style designations on one beer at one point in time. And so on. Regarding Curmudgeon and "old ales," it's hard to think of a "style" that has more of a spectrum than old ale.

 

Thanks for the explanation. You put it into perspective for me.

 

Sweet! I've needing an excuse to revisit AleSmith Old Numbskull!

 

If you like strongly hopped beers - the American versions can be great fresh. One of my highest rated beers was a bottle of Troegs Flying Mouflan that was less than a week old.

 

Thanks for organizing another one!

I'm in. I have a '16 BCBBW, a Alesmith Old Numbskull and I think one other one in the back of the cellar.

Got to figure out the photobucket thing now.

 

Now I have many to choose from.

Cheers!

 

Picked up two barleywines today:

- 2014 Old Guardian
- Against the Grain's London Balling

Perhaps if I recall, I can pick up a '15 Old Guardian for a one year vertical. My fridge is slowly filling with barleywines, so March 4th may be cleaning day.

Doing a brewery crawl tomorrow with some co-workers. Hitting up four stops. The second stop has a barleywine on tap, and I plan on enjoying it. I'll try and sneak some notes and practice for next weekend! Another brewery has their barleywine on tap, and I'm so tempted to go snag a glass as a warm-up to my warm-up.

EDIT: Damn. That barleywine isn't on tap anymore. Fortunately, they still have bottles. Maybe I'll save that for the tasting, assuming I get there in time to buy one.

 

Be careful with BWSA, they can creep up on ya. I also have a SOG 2014, a SOG Oak Smoked 2013, and some J.W. Lees stuff, and some others. I still might just go with the Victory Old Horizontal.

Cheers!

 

Barleywines are a sneaking trick. I had a bottle of '14 Mother of All Storms last weekend for my birthday. At 14%, it drank smooth, and after a glass I found myself loopier than a box of Fruit Loops on a roller coaster. Definitely a pace yourself beer style. I'll most likely just do two. If I pick out two lighter, or smaller format ones, I may do three. Obviously, only time will tell