Best beer in the box. It's an outstanding barleywine, but its world class score on BeerAdvocate really showcases the Extreme Beer Box bias and downside to BAs exclusivity. This beer is JW Less Harvest ale on steroids.
I had such high expectations going into this one, but it honestly wasn't anything amazing. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it just didn't do much that was unique. Lots of brown sugar, dark fruit, booze, toffee, etc. Maybe it was because this came at the end of sampling 4 beers from the box that night (and final overall) but it just didn't wow me like I thought it would. Oh well, still a fun beer 4.28/5 rDev -8.2% look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
That is probably it. You basically went to an orgy and wore yourself out before you hooked up with the hottest person there.
I hate when that happens. Ironically, I went back and looked at my ratings for all the beers in the box, and this was the second highest rated for me, behind Utopias WWS, which I technically reviewed before this box anyways
Well, let me say that this was truly an extreme beer and I love the creativity with the barrel choices here. Also, I am a big Barleywine fan and particularly enjoy English Barleywines where the hops are not quite so bold as in their American cousins. I can see why some love this beer but, for me, the combination of the Armagnac, Rye and Bourbon don't work very well together and the strong cherry flavors beg to be offset by a greater hop presence to cut through some of the sweetness.
I saved this one for last and it didn’t disappoint. It pours really dark for a Barleywine - amber-brown and opaque. Amazingly complex bourbon barrel nose (I’m not savvy enough to discern different barrels). You can smell the sweetness. Big boozy flavor that is just dripping with dates and honey. Seemed a bit two-dimensional at first, but I got notes of orange liqueur as it warmed. Someone else said pipe tobacco and I almost seconded that. But it’s really just subtle complexities to the flavor. Definitely feels like an English Barleywine (I don’t get much in the way of hop bitterness). Every bit as good as Vermilion or Cyclops. Bravo!
Having one now and I agree completely, among the best I've tried. So many layers of, as you say, subtle complexities at work.
My 7th beer from the box: 4.51/5 rDev -2.8% look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75 A: Pour an almost opaque yet still clear dark mahogany in color with light to moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and moderate chestnut brown + cola brown + garnet red + ruby red colored highlights. The beer has a two finger tall foamy tan head that slowly reduces to a small to medium sized patch of wispy very thin film covering approximately 25% of the surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edge of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed. S: Moderate to strong aromas of Armagnac/Brandy + Bourbon + Rye over the top of slightly stronger than moderate aromas of toasted + bready + caramel + toffee malts with a slightly stronger than moderate amounts of dark fruit (raisin + plum + cherry) + caramel + toffee sweetness. Light to moderate aromas of toasted oak + vanilla. T: Upfront there are slightly stronger than moderate flavors of toasted + bready + caramel + toffee malts with a slightly stronger than moderate amounts of dark fruit (raisin + plum + cherry) + caramel + toffee sweetness. That is followed by light to moderate flavors of toasted oak + vanilla. Finally there are moderate to strong flavors of Armagnac/Brandy + Bourbon + spicy Rye. No perceptible hop flavor is present and the booziness along with spiciness from the rye linger well through the finish. M: Full bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with slightly heavier than moderate amounts of alcohol warming in the finish. O: Drinks quite easily considering how big/strong ABV and intense this beer is and the alcohol is well hidden other than the warming feeling. Very enjoyable with lots of complexity to the flavors and aromas with tons of contribution from the different barrel treatments.
