Olde School Barleywine - Dogfish Head Brewery

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I found it a cross between a traditional barleywine and an American Pale. It is an attempt to improve on the roughness of American barleywines, and I think by Joev they did it. The smell of barleywine, although surprisingly pale colour. Some hops and barleywine not over the top. Tasty if you care somewhat for the style. I do I do.
Had again 4 years later and found it rather ordinary barleywine, withd ecent mouthfeel and drinakbility.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2005 03:26:02 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This one was pulled out of my cellar this evening. A very nice 2006 vintage bottle, I had been saving this one. Served chilled and poured into a wine glass, this one was consumed on 12/18/2008.

The pour was very nice, rich dark amber in color with a light amount of haze to it. A smallish white head then rose up from the bottom and settled down nicely into a small broken crown that eventually faded to leave a bare top.

Rich flavor here, smooth, with a thick feel and a candy like syrup consistency. The aroma was sweet, with hints of caramel, toffee, and some old faded hops. More light malts in the flavor with again a very sweet flavor to it. Complex and mellow with most of the alcohol flavor now long gone, this was really quite drinkable.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. One of the better aged barleywines i have had recently and definitely worth the money. About as solid as they come.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2008 02:59:20 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

2.55/5  rDev -35.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

The pour is a slightly cloudy amber color with a finger of off-white head. Pretty brutal aroma. A bit of rubber cement and rubbing alcohol. There’s a little bit of candied citrus in there and some caramel. The flavor isn’t quite as brutal as the aroma...at first anyway. Lots of booze, some rubbing alcohol, and more booze. Caramel and citrus flavors are also present, but they give way to the less desirable ones as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 17:07:10 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Poured into a snifter. Bottle consumed with about a year of age on it. The poured is a moderate golden color with little head or lacing, though there are some legs on the side of the glass. The nose is quite sweet with some booze, but also brings a nice fruit presence. The taste is overly boozy and a bit too sweet at this point. Feel falls victim likewise. Drinks well enough now, though this definitely needs three years plus, I'd think.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 00:56:35 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.93/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Pours a clearish, dark amber body with a medium-sized, short-lived, ivory-colored head.

Smell: Dusty dry malts with some candy syrup hints and notes of dried apricots and figs. Waft of booze.

Taste: More of a sugary candy taste than maltiness. Stray pinch of cinnamon. The special conditioning does bring a juicy fruitiness. All that harsh alcohol looming over the flavor. Hot, sugary finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Slightly sticky mouthfeel.

Drinkability: No thanks. Perhaps this one does temper a bit after being BURIED ALIVE, but as it stands now I just didn't care for it.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2008 01:41:04 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a clear dark golden body with a fluffy white head that leaves a pastiche of lacing marks around the glass

Smell: Lots of rum-soaked fruit flavors - apricots, figs, oranges - all of which are subsumed by the alcohol smells

Taste: Remarkably smooth fruit and toffee start; orange tartness kicks in mid-palate along with a jarring amount of fusel alcohol flavors; a touch buttery on the finish

Mouthfeel: Fairly heavy body, somewhat syrupy; low carbonation

Drinkability: Taste when only three months old, this brew shows some very interesting character and unusual flavor; I'll look forward to seeing what this is like with some age on it

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2006 02:12:25 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.48/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled in 2010.

Pours an opaque dark amber color with a small 1/2 inch head that fades to an oily film on the top of the beer. Small bubble lacing on the drink down. Smells of candied fruit, apples, and alcohol. Taste is of tart apples, citrus zest, maybe some raisin/prune flavors. Very alcohol heavy on the finish. Burns the throat after each sip. Weird cooked vegetable taste too. Beer is kind of thick and sticky in the mouth. Drinkability is not at all that good. The off tastes I got along with the alcohol burn probably shut the door on this one for good. Probably would be better with some age on it.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 05:33:43 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a light brown color ale with a medium head with medium retention. Carbonation is above average for a barley wine and body is a bit thin for the style. Aroma consisted of dates and figs with strong malt. Taste is quite enjoyable with some sweetness (but not too much) balance well against the malt and hops. Finish is slightly dry with some subtle water, which did disappoint me. Alcohol is not really discernable. Overall, I guess this is a good barley wine but I had some better one.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2005 14:36:20 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Impressively smooth considering the alcohol content and the hop additions. It picks up on all the plumb-ey, prune-ey, dates, and figs that I expect in a BW. The hop flavors are pronounced, but not overly agressive like most. This makes for an impresively easy drinking beer. I get some molassas and honey flavors into the body and through the finish that I like. Although the flavors are better balanced, this is by no means a lighter BW. It still packs a punch in the flavor, alcohol, and body categories. it's just better balances and aged.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2005 15:26:32 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky orange/brown color with a nice sticky head,aroma is malty and buttery with light alcohol notes.Taste is malty and lightly sweet with some burnt fruit flavors ending with a nice buttery taste that lingers in the mouth.Dogfish Head is becoming my favorite east coast brewery (have yet to visit Victory) they pull no punches and make some really good,interesting brews.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2003 19:48:46 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

15.5% ABV - touted as "The world's strongest naturally carbonated beer", partially made possible through fermention in the secondary, and priming with the yeast from the World Wide Stout (which contains Champagne yeast). A cloudy, peach colored body is topped by a thick and creamy off-white head. The aroma is quite fruity with notes of raisins and figs, but some higher alcohols are clearly present as well. The body is medium/full with a very fine carbonation that leaves it quite creamy in the mouth. The flavor is rich and sweet with loads of caramel, molasses and maple syrup as well as some fruitiness and a tingling in the mouth & warming in the throat from the alcohol. The sugary flavors linger in the long lasting finish. Very nicely done with interesting fruit characteristics and a nice sweetness, but the alcohol is a bit too "hot" to give it any real drinkability. Still, very unique and worth trying.

Serving type: cask

10-10-2002 17:15:32 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a flared pokal at Bliss.

The second surprise bottle cracked during the lastest Bliss tasting. Right on, Scott! It pours a mostly clear sunrise amber topped by a finger or so of dusty cream foam. The nose comprises buttery toffee, alcohol, figs, raisins, other dark fruits (it smells just as vague as that sounds), white bread, light menthol, and honey. The taste brings in more of the same, along with a touch of minty pine running down the back, possibly the result of the booze mixing with everything else on my tongue. The alcohol burn is a bit too present for my liking here. The body is a hefty-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a decently syrupy feel. Overall, a pretty okay beast of a b-wine, but the booze is too present, and the bold flavors never truly meld all that well together. Close, though...

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 03:16:33 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Clear, pale apricot color, slim-to-none head.

Aroma: fiery fruit, not terribly forward, either, just rather naked with the alcohol, accompanied by hints of peach, orange, cherry...and booze.

taste: boom! A blitz of boozalicious rough fruity flavor, ...very warming, and a bit punishing, as well...this is not a delicate affair, in the least. Over the top and out of the stratosphere. Not sure why it's called "Olde School", this a newfangled Sturm Und Drang. Stings quite a bit on the palate, too, with an unfavorable flavor.
Rather thin in body for all the boom-shak-a-lacka it brings in the mouth. Something this bold with the booze should really have a beefier body to match the lashing liquor. As it is, way too hot.

I'm going to chase this with a Bell's Third Coast Old Ale to reassociate my tongue with a real barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2005 10:03:51 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a cloudy dark gold color with a thin white lace head. The aroma is good. It has a sweet smell offset with a strong hop aroma. It has a bit of a grapefruit scent. The taste is good, considering that it has an abv of 15. It is very sweet and quite strong. It has a malty edge with an equally strong citrous component. The mouthfeel is good. It is a full bodied beer with light carbonation. It drinks slow, but well; a good barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2004 01:42:49 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.3/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer served in a DFH snifter. Beer is brown and clears up as it warms. Forms a thin head that leaves minimal lacing on the glass. Carbonation is low. Looks OK.

Port like / raisin aroma of strong malt character. Smells amazing.

I don't normally like barleywines. I wouldn't say I don't like them but this one is amazing. Very very good. 15%...really. It hides it well. Beer is full bodied and a little chewy. Strong malt / raisin content in the front and it finishes a little dry. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer. Its a reason to keep drinking "off style" makes me want to have a side by side with other barleywines. This is an amazing beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 03:52:16 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle. 2009 vintage.

The beer pours an orange-amber color with a white head. The aroma is extremely boozy. I get some dark fruit, brandy, caramel, raisins and bourbon notes.

The flavor is also very boozy. I get some bourbon, brandy, brown sugar, maple and vanilla. I know the beer is not barrel-aged, but it tastes a whole lot like whiskey.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 19:56:43 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a cloudy, reddish orange color with a small, thin, white head. It left soapy residue on the glass.

S - It smelled of sweet caramel, roasted malt, and dried fruits.

T - It tasted of raisin, sweet malts, candy sugar, and subtle bitter hops.

M - It was very smooth and soft with a chewy mouthfeel. A full-bodied beer.

D - This is a great tasting barley wine that is simply too strong to drink in large quantities.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2009 15:27:59 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear reddish amber in color and poured with a thin head that slowly faded away into lacy patterns of bubbles. A light amount of carbonation is visible.
S: There are fairly strong aromas of apples, cherries. grapes in the nose with notes of malty sweetness and hints of alcohol.
T: The taste is moderately sweet and shares a lot of similarities with the smell with flavors of apples and grapes. Some hints of alcohol are also noticeable.
M: It feels full-bodied, smooth and rather viscous on the palate with a light amount of carbonation. There are lots of warming sensations from the alcohol and some stickiness in the finish.
D: The beer tastes like it is very strong, but nowhere near 15% because a good portion of the alcohol is well masked, so it's a good sipper.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2010 07:00:52 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.7/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is a brilliantly clear full copper color that is topped by a frothy, pale tan colored head. The aroma is quite sweet smelling with soft notes of orange, hints of mint, some sort of a funky note reminiscent of tropical fruit, and a bright herbal note. The aroma is nice, but for some reason is not all that inviting.

The taste is quite sweet with lots of fruit notes reminiscent of green raisins, dessert wine grapes, and hints of sweet plums. There is a fair amount of hopping here, but it plays second fiddle to the sweet malt. There is a light (at least relative to the malt) bitterness in the finish, which is preceded by a soft herbal hop flavor that accentuates the sweet fruity notes.

This is definitely has the characteristic flavors of Dogfish Head's other higher alcohol beers; the intense sweet malt and fruit character. This is pretty good, but seems to be missing a lot of complexity that would make this more fittingly a contemplative sipping brew that the alcohol level demands.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2006 22:20:50 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap 1/13/2010 at Track 84 in Warwick, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright reddish brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a very thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of citrus, dark fruit, caramelized malts, a little alcohol and a good amount of hops.

T: The taste is very sweet with flavors of dark fruit, brown sugar and citrus up front. Then a mild alcohol bite comes in, but it's very tame for a beer that is this high in ABV. The hops presence is a bit subdued and the malt character is very hearty and there's a decent balance for a stronger beer. The after-taste is sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down dangerously easy, not too filling, very strong kick, good representation of style, this is a very nice high-powered beer to sip on (or possibly drink a little bit quicker) for as long as you can handle it, but it will catch up to you quickly.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2010 22:18:17 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Really need to revisit this one again one day, I had this a long time ago when I was first getting into beers. I doubt that I fully understood what I had in my glass at the time. I remember the beer being a brownish color with a yellowish white head that had a light sticky lacing. The sme of the beer was monstrous, lots of malts and hops mixed with booze and some sweet dark fruits. The taste of the beer was also way over the top for me at the time. It was malty and sweet upfront, as it settled into my tounge it left a tingling sensation with a bitter aftertaste. The mouthfeel had a really thick feeling body to it. Overall the beer was much bigger than I expected. It's been a while like I said and I really need to have this one again I think.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 23:59:31 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.38/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 2 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got this one from JasonA, cheers Jason!

Pours orange with a slight tan head. Not much head retention or lacing

S: Orchard fruit by the basket, brown sugar, leafy hops & honey

T: Pear brandy, brown sugar, breadyness & plums up front. Dryness & plums as this warms, along candi sugar & leafy hops. Finishes with a little boozeyness, super fruitty & with a bit of leafy hops

MF: Syrupy, warming, stick with near zero carbonation

Drinks easy, but the complexity & ABV will get to you. Damn fine barley wine!

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2008 04:17:00 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

2.83/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Sampled on tap in a mini-nonic pint, not something i'd seek out again.
Burnished orange color, bright golden clarity. Some white froth on the surface forming a thin layer of foam that leaves little lace, not that it's expected with the super high ABV.

Aromas of caramel, toffee sweetness, light fig, and some perceptible alcohol sharpness.

Thick and syrupy, lower carbonation. Palate-numbing booze that deadens the flavors a bit, though there are some muted dried fruit notes. Not picking up on much hop flavor, there's a tiny bit of earthy bitterness, but it's hard to discern up against the heavy alcohol astringency. This is just not that drinkable, the booze is a bit rough. Maybe the heat mellows over time, but based on this draft, it's not really worth the time & money to find out.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2011 02:47:25 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

4.3/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle, purchased at Lone Hill Liquors in Glendora, CA,

A: Pours a medium burnt orange, with a nice, but small white head, leaving sparse lacing, but nice swirls in the middle of the beer.

S: Very malty, molasses, powerfully alcoholic, the ethanol just jumps out at you, a little bit of raisin/dark fruit too.

T: This is a very malty barleywine, but it's refreshing since I'm kind of growing tired of the overall bitter take on American barleywine. This is a beer where the malt is king. Molasses and dark fruit abound, some butter rum and brandy are there too, very complex.

M: Smooth, silky, rich, viscous, though it has a lightness about it that I wouldn't expect in a 15% beer.

D: Another winner from Dogfish Head, this would make a great after dinner drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2008 05:12:34 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle about a year old from 2004. Pours a clear orange color with a spotty head. Low carbonation. The aroma is of super sweet caramel and alcohol. The flavors are of sweet malts, caramel, apples, green grapes, and alcohol.

Mouthfeel is smooth and syrupy. Heavier in body. The finish is syrupy with a long caramel alcohol finish. Drinkability is not bad, but one bottle was enough in one sitting. A sweeter barleywine than others, but worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2005 01:28:13 | More by Gavage