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.
Stylistically thin, despite “rich malty, berry, grape and graham” assertion. Yet its centrist appeal will not displease bolder thirsts. Molasses-sugared dried fruiting and sweet wheat-flaked caramel malting contrast Cascade-hopped citrus bittering in a creative manner. Zesty orange-peeled grapefruit, pineapple and tangerine tang outdoes black cherry, raisin and fig conflux, picking up candied apple glaze by the fruitful finish. Tertiary Grand Marnier, almondine, port and blackberry wine notes sit below the surface.
On tap at Ambulance, stylishly moderate ‘pale barleywine aged on oak chips’ contrasts honeyed yeast sweetness and sugared grapefruit-orange tang with soured fig tartness. Oaken vanilla buttering and crayon-like grouting drape the backend.
On tap at Poor Henry’s, excellent Devil’s Milk barleywine gets draped in Kentucky white oak bourbon barrels for an intensely complex summertime adventure. Luxurious bourbon sweetness gains light cognac lilt as zesty grapefruit peel bittering and sharp citric hop bite reveal sunny underside girded by pale, wheat and melanoiden malt dryness. On the sweet side, toasted coconut, almondine, maple molasses and toffee illusions gain attention alongside subtler plum-raisin conflux.
On tap at Ambulance, summery dry-hopped barleywine gathers zesty citric fruiting to create crystalline India Pale Ale splendor. Bright navel orange, yellow grapefruit and pineapple overtones gain strength above sugary caramel malting. Minor alcohol astringency found at citric-candied finish.
