Blustery black cherry tang dominates thick-headed, though less filling, specialty ale. Musty wine sweetness, neat floral bouquet, and fruity adjuncts animate rich barleymalts for heady feast.

Pour slowly puffy beige-laced amber-toned bottle-conditioned barleywine or risk carbolic explosion. Perfumed herbal hop bittering buttresses candi-sugared orange-soured tartness and grapefruit-peeled nectarine-apricot-pineapple-mango fruiting. Heartwarming juniper-spiced alcohol finish relaxes nerves.

Serpentine-like turbid magenta barleywine changes course like vintage wine. Haughtily acrid molasses-draped charred wood, black tar, and tobacco chaw bittering, alongside hefty 9.5% alcohol burn, may disappoint softer palates, but escalating lactic robustness sweetens endless peculiarities efficiently. Chewy brown-sugared chocolate-vanilla upsurge informs pureed raisin creaminess, orange-bruised cherry puree compaction, and illustrious medicinal finish. Dry bourbon, burgundy, and brandy wining stumbles across hard-candied coriander-spiced anise stickiness. Not for the weak-hearted. Compares favorably to highly efficient double bocks.

Viscous coppery russet haze befits impressive full-bodied barleywine. Raisin-esque mouthfeel consumes sharp medicinal alcoholic blast, peppery hop dissonance and piney wood timbre to subdued earthen bottom. Red grape esters, cherry, pomegranate, and fig consume yeast-candied caramel-cocoa malting to maple syrup finish.

Behind sharp hop char lies creamy caramel malting fortifying mellow maple syrup sweetness. As subtle grain finish descends, unexpected sherry elixir dissolves into barleywine effervescence.

Most definitely a slow sipper as its chewy raisin insinuation and sinewy molasses thickness woo pungent 9% alcohol content. Pale malts and spiced hops strengthen mightily robust English-styled barleywine. A bit musty, a tad dry, and not nearly as sweet or wine-y as typical American-bred counterparts.

Heavy whiskey malt swagger intensifies candied butterscotch, caramel, and chocolate charm. In the deep recesses, sugared raisin, apple resin, and tangy pineapple offer solid support.

Well-balanced nickel-hued barleywine offers ripe prune opulence above floral-hopped red grape, green raisin, and bruised cherry illusions. Moreover, vanilla-chocolate covers mineral watered mandarin orange tease to earthen bottom.

Burnished copper Holiday seasonal placates strong sherry influence, hefty barley-oats surge, and sweet butterscotch tinge with ripe fruited malt nosing. Unsettling opulent malt liquor coarseness drastically usurps fig, tangerine, and dried cherry notes consuming austere finish, deterring dessert serving.

Frothily cloudy reddish beige-headed barleywine brings sour yeast assertion, malted grain sinew and fruited hop sharpness to sturdily creamy body. Flat finish lacks stylish intention, but retains thorough consistency as worthy second-tier contender. Brewery defunct: 2002.

Admirable ruby-coppered barleywine (with 10% alcohol luster) enhances immediate fruity ripeness with gummy malt-yeast vigor. On first sip, orange-bruised black cherry tang come to fruition, sharpening frisky hop roast. Then, healthy prune-plum overload picks up mellow banana, genial black currant and tart grapefruit-apricot sensation. Sticky caramel-toffee thicket encases cedar-aged rum-spiced red wine finish, leaving minor vinous acidity and tannic grape dryness in its wake.

Bold limited edition (bottle #164) penny-hued barleywine named after respected former Bowden Square Restaurant owner, Herb Mc Carthy, brings strong burgundy-bourbon wining to medicinal cherry coughdrop thrust, stewed prune spurt, and bruised orange swagger. Heavily alcoholic sugar malts invade soured plum-raisin-fig finish and astringent oxidation adds to incredible potency as murky clumped lace coats glass.