October 2014 Cellar Review

2013 Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot Barelywine- Major disappointment, thin, metallic, no alc heat anymore but lacking whatever flavor it once had. Was hoping for better.

 

Uintas XVI (16) Anniversary Barleywine, 2/17/10. 12oz, home-waxed cap

Pours murky amber with an off-white head that does not linger, leaving medium lacing. Smells of caramel apples, toffee, raisins, slight coconut. Taste is similar with a mild hop bitterness, light coffee on the back end, really pleasant. Mouthfeel is not too thick, not too thin, carbonation is medium and helps scrub the flavors to keep the palate fresh, semi-sweet flavors.

All around I'm glad I held onto these bottles for this long. I remember when it was released I wasn't too impressed with the muddled flavors but this has come into its own. Too bad I only stashed a 4pk, as I could easily kill 2-3 of these in a sitting. If you have any, they are drinking quite well right now!

 

2013 BCBCS

This is really hitting a nice spot. Its bourbon county plus a very nutty and slightly roasty expresso. Not booozey at all and low carbonation. Oily and slick. Great beer for a cold fall night. I wasn't a huge fan of 2013 BCBCS fresh, but it is quite nice now. I am also not a huge fan of aging BCBCS, but this vintage might be an exception.

 

I wonder if something was wrong with your bottle. I am drinking a 2009 Blithering Idiot and it is one of the smoother, more pleasing English-style barleywines I can imagine. It has definitely improved over the years getting much smoother, gaining a silky mouthfeel. I think it is drinking very well at 5 y/o and I expect it to do continue to do well for a few more years at this rate. I'm guessing it will top out at 10 years or so. At that point I think the thin, plasticene taste older barleywines can get will start to predominate whereas it can take much longer than that for some other specimens (with Thomas Hardy's Ale it is often around 25 or 30, for instance).