On tap at Coalhouse Pizza, soft-toned barleywine allows sweet bourbon influence to elegantly affect rum-spiced banana, fig and raisin illusions as well as syrupy peach, cherry and blood orange snips. Underneath honey-fruited surface, ascending hop astringency picks up lingered alcohol burn to contrast sweeter aspects.
On tap at Ambulance, evasive English-styled barleywine may have medicinal cherry-candied 9.5% ABV, but its muted bruised cherry influence needs deeper penetration over mild molasses-malted spine and dewy peat respite. Cherry soda-like flow adds carbolic luster. Wispy vanilla, toffee and raspberry truffle illusions linger softly.
On tap at Biggie’s, inventively nostalgic oak-barreled English-styled barleywine from ’30s Newark recipe proves definitive in 2015 (11.3% ABV) version. Sharp hop-oiled IPA-like fruiting rises above rum-spiced alcohol burn and lightly creamed caramel malting. Bruised orange, red cherry, yellow grapefruit, pineapple, peach, plum, grape, peach, mango and tangerine illusions sweetened further by toffee-butterscotch sugaring to contrast oaken vanilla alcohol burn. Gentle on the tongue but forceful at the alcohol-drenched finish.
Link below is mighty thoughtful and informative:
http://beersinthehenhouse.blogspot.com/2010/02/if-ever-there-was-beer-in-american.html
On tap at Ambulance, fiercely complex Imperial Stout-dominated hybrid (limited edition 2015) blends brewers’ bourbon-aged Undead Party Crasher’s chocolate-chipped cookie dough yeast with Scotch-barreled Blaecorn Unidragon’s vanilla-creamed mocha malting and Pierre Ferrand Billionaire’s cognac-aged barleywine for a completely over-the-top full-bodied monster. Rich caramel-burnt black chocolate creaming picks up luscious rum-spiced vanilla bourbon, sugared molasses, black cherry and burgundy sweetness to contrast less prominent black-tarred hop char (and whimsical black coffee bittering). Tertiary peat whiskey snip and latent fig-raisin quip slip inside mighty mocha marvel.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, French oak-barreled English-styled barleywine (with lightly vinous pinot noir wisp) secures ripened fruit tang and creamy caramel malting over moderate dry hop astringency. Candied cherry, bruised orange, honeyed peach and spiced rum sweetness as well as subtle raisin, prune and plum illusions enliven bold 9.6% ABV strong ale.
“Bonafide” English-styled barleywine (2014 limited edition with well-hidden 12.5% ABV) aged in bourbon barrels spews hefty cardamom spicing inside sweet-toothed dessert treat. Like a rum-spiced Christmas liqueur, its brown-sugared plum, raisin and candied yam illusions as well as gingerbread cookie sweetness, Scotch-dried sherry wining, swerved Drambuie wisp, light almondine snip and vanilla-creamed butternut, pecan and hazelnut conflux guard nutmeg-milked cardamom adjunct. Happy holidays!
Voluptuous barleywine aged in French oak Cabernet Sauvignon barrels gains rich chocolate-toffee sweetness to complement tangy dried fruiting and lively vanilla bourbon sugaring. Tannic red grape, black cherry, blackberry, green raisin, fig and plum illusions swirl around subtle Sauvignon blanc red wining as syrupy molasses sapping thickens beneath mocha fruiting.
On tap at Doherty’s, soft-toned raspberry tartness guides ruby-hazed summertime wheat wine (with disguised 9% ABV). Over time, syrupy raspberry sweetness fades above light citric hop spritz and candied cherry-apple-cranberry wisp. Light whiskey malting stays down under.
Satisfying English-styled barleywine lacks exquisite profile depth of richer competition, but its polite caramel malting, brown-sugared raisin sweetness and syrupy molasses sapping ultimately suffice. Light bourbon licks bring mild alcohol burn to dried fruited finish. Latent fig, date and apricot illusions as well as wavered vanilla pudding, butterscotch and gingerbread nuances fill the back end.
Outstanding 4th anniversary (2015) barleywine, aged in cognac, abounds with velvety brandy-wined candi sugar and rum-spiced mocha fruiting. Chocolate-covered cherry center sweetens creamy cognac essence as well as honeyed vanilla caking and maple-sapped molasses syruping. Subsidiary bruised cherry, syrupy peach, brown banana, nectarine and apricot illusions deepen its enduring complexities.
Despite being stylishly light, multifarious pleasantries sweep and glide across subtle Cabernet Franc-barreled zinfandel wining surprisingly integrating barley-roasted nut brown ale tendencies, molasses-sugared brown chocolate sweetness and dried fruited niceties. Dewy maca-rooted cola, hazelnut, chestnut and buttered pecan variance as well as toffee-candied raisin, plum and fig illusions upend passive Cabernet influence. Caramelized chocolate malting holds steady and the busy flavor profile ultimately holds up well.
On tap at Ambulance, desirous rye whiskey-barreled barleywine balances butterscotch-licked caramel malting, nut-backed dried fruiting, sweet vanilla creaming and brown-sugared rum spicing. Ultimately, dry rye spicing infiltrates ascending fig-raisin-plum conflux, docile praline-chestnut-almond triage and wispy bourbon-burgundy wining. A winning combination.
