On tap at Plank Pizza, easygoing Kentucky bourbon-barreled barleywine (8% ABV) needs ‘no overwhelming alcohol kick’ to stay pleasing. Gentle caramel-toasted Scotch malting and light oaken vanilla buttering sidle up against placid bourbon sweetness in mild manner.
On tap at Ambulance, straightforward tropical fruiting streamlines flaked rye malting of somewhat stylistically unassuming 10% ABV barleywine. Continual citrus-spiced spritz overrides dry rye spine (and resinous pine snip). Serve to IPA fans.
On tap at Ambulance, lovely bourbon-barreled barleywine fuses toasted coconut sweetness into enchanting dessert treat (with well-hidden 13% ABV). Brown-sugared molasses, spiced toffee, caramelized pecan, almondine, marshmallow and vanilla illusions receive plentiful bourbon-sweetened coconut glaze.
On tap at Blind Tiger, fine oak-aged 2017 blonde barleywine (with 11% ABV) retains lovely wildflower-honeyed vanilla spicing and coconut-toasted tropical fruiting. Tangy pineapple-peach-orange conflux, caramel-sweetened pale malts and boozy bourbon refrain douse vintage amber-hued dessert treat. Sugar cookie, banana liqueur, syrupy pear, butterscotch, toffee and marshmallow illusions add further luster.
On tap at Ambulance, less interesting Santa Vs. Unicorn variation utilizes dewy English yeast to affect molasses-sugared caramelized fruitiness, spicy bourbon tones, mild tobacco roast and subtle Nelson Sauvin-hopped white wining. Chocolate-covered raisin and cherry sweetness gains mildly vinous purple grape tartness at the finish.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, “hoppier Americanized barleywine” celebrates brewers’ one-year anniversary ale in mild style with tingly toned-down affectations. Soft whiskey tone slowly enveloped by moderate caramel-toasted toffee and coconut sweetness to contrast dry oaken vanilla snips. Just a shade thin.
On tap at Ambulance, provocative whiskey-barreled full body with dark brown-sugared chocolate spicing and bourbon vanilla dalliance boasts warming 10.8% ABV. Oaken wood-chipped whiskey influence enhances booze-soaked cherry, plum and fig subsidy to piquant chocolate truffle finish of richly silken dessert treat.
Understated English-style barleywine offers lovely toffee-spiced sweetness and butterscotch-candied sugaring to earthen hop astringency. But mildly boozy Scotch, brandy and sherry licks become slightly oxidized, causing lesser vanilla, praline and pecan niceties to falter.
On tap at Growler & Gill, complex booze-soaked barleywine offers heady oaken bourbon influence to caramel-burnt toffee, chocolate and maple molasses sweetness, contrasting light nut-charred hop bittering. Rum-spiced vanilla, cherry, marshmallow and toasted coconut illusions enjoin fruit-caked fig, apricot and plum undertones at the back end.
On tap at Growler & Gill, lovely cellar-aged Armageddon celebrator brings syrupy molasses fruiting and brown-sugared Graham Cracker sweetness to pungently bitter piney-hopped alcohol phenols. Honey-glazed peach, pear, grapefruit and orange tang usurps subsidiary cherry, raspberry, plum and raisin illusions to secure the juicy-fruited ambiance.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, ‘hoppier’ amber-hued Americanized barleywine allows sharp India Pale Ale fruiting to infiltrate barleywine-ish dewy malt sweetness and chewy caramel backbone while minor alcohol bite ascends at the dry-hopped grapefruit-peach-tangerine finish.
On tap at Amazing Grapes, rich wee heavy subtly aged in Scotch barrels (10% ABV) blends smoky brown chocolate malting with vanilla-spiced sweetness, subsidiary dried fruiting and dewy cellar-like mustiness.
