Killer Penguin Barleywine - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

Jason

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -29.6%

01-12-2013 04:34:49 | More by Jason

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

1.98/5  rDev -44.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Review from Inaugural Issue of Beeradvocate Magazine.

Touted as Boulder's high-octane cold-weather release. Pours a tawny crimson color, and a lively carbonation keeps the eggshell-colored lace alive. Toasty grain and fresh caramel malt aroma, hints of herbal hop and a fruity, dark fig ester smell in the back. Creamy, smooth mouth feel, light body. Mineral notes. A bit juicy, but dry with a powdery malt character. Some dried fruits merge with a spike of alcoholic esters. Hoppy, but not overly expressive. The hops must have mellowed after the six months of conditioning at the brewery, as the bitterness is very tame. Some signs of oxidation? Leafy, herbal and oily hop flavor, middle to end, with a dried-out herbal and floral finish and an increase of alcohol presence as the beer warms.

This is a Barley Wine with the mute button pressed. Not nearly as much depth as we expected, and quite dull compared to the other American brewed Barley Wines out there. Killer Penguin? More like Dead Penguin.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2008 17:16:36 | More by BeerAdvocate

leftstagebrew

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%

05-16-2013 15:51:04 | More by leftstagebrew

MinorThreat

Colorado

3/5  rDev -15.5%

05-16-2013 00:34:17 | More by MinorThreat

ajtorres311

Florida

3/5  rDev -15.5%

05-15-2013 16:47:39 | More by ajtorres311

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +12.7%

05-12-2013 23:43:37 | More by RedneckBeerz

Phelps

Arizona

3.38/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed at the Boulder tap room at the Denver airport. Enjoyed in a small mug.

Colored like a year-old penny -- tarnished copper with just a bit of haze. One finger of silky tan film sticks around a long time and grips the walls in full blankets.

Big caramel, a touch of roast, orange, toffee, sherry. Hops are fairly mild, just a little orange peel.

Smooth and a little sweet. Lots of sugars -- caramel and alcohol. A bit of toasty bread rolls as well. Long-lingering notes of slightly overripe orange.

Small body for a barleywine, a medium light. Very fizzy, but mildly carbonated. Spike of alcohol at the swallow, big bitterness on the sides of the tongue.

Very middle of the road. Balanced and inoffensive.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2013 23:39:12 | More by Phelps

twenty5

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -22.5%

05-10-2013 15:29:35 | More by twenty5

SHODriver

California

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: pours a slightly hazed reddish brown with a half finger of off white head that fades to a collar around the snifter
S: smells smells of caramel, toffee, and herbal hops. very sweet with a bit of fruity alcohol on the nose
T: herbal and slightly piney hops with a syrupy caramel flavor. surprisingly sweet and not a lot of hops. a bit herbal toward the end and the swallow brings a lot of warming alcohol, some fig flavor and a bit more caramel and brown sugar
M: full bodied and slightly syrupy. carbonation is light but slightly prickly. dry finish
O: Not bad but not great. for a fresh american barleywine it's pretty light on hop flavor. the alcohol is there for sure and the malts are pretty solid. a bit more english than american in my opinion

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 04:31:21 | More by SHODriver

bulldogg915

Wyoming

4/5  rDev +12.7%

04-03-2013 14:57:39 | More by bulldogg915

alamode

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%

04-01-2013 11:20:01 | More by alamode

Durge

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%

03-30-2013 23:29:44 | More by Durge

bigbeers84

Minnesota

2/5  rDev -43.7%

03-27-2013 10:51:56 | More by bigbeers84

MadScientist

New York

3/5  rDev -15.5%

03-27-2013 03:04:59 | More by MadScientist

BeerDawgs

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A 22oz bomber with a vintage 2011 sticker glued into the wax covering of the bottle top.

A - A dirty cloudy red amber with a finger of head and lots of lace left on the glass. Plenty of sediment floating around in the glass. Impressive appearance

S - Big fruity dank hops with lots of caramel and burnt brown sugar. Great aroma!

T - Very sweet, with huge malt backbone. Grapefruit, sugar. Very good, but not quite as good as the aroma.

M - Well balanced, medium carbonation.

O - A good brew no doubt. Much better than the Bros rating would leave you to believe.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 01:24:50 | More by BeerDawgs

Supergenious

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%

03-19-2013 23:26:08 | More by Supergenious

browniewithnuts

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +12.7%

03-13-2013 19:28:36 | More by browniewithnuts

harpus

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%

03-13-2013 15:34:19 | More by harpus

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%

03-13-2013 06:09:39 | More by Zachtheporter

acurtis

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%

03-12-2013 02:46:50 | More by acurtis

spycow

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%

03-09-2013 21:50:30 | More by spycow

MeisterMayhem

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +19.7%

03-09-2013 17:43:14 | More by MeisterMayhem

Hoppedstupid

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +26.8%

03-09-2013 15:18:47 | More by Hoppedstupid

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.61/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours out a color that I will describe as copper, amber, mild red and brown. Beige head, not substantial, but what gets there does leave above average lacing and holds down its retention with the best of 'em.

Nose is fairly toffee-esque with plenty of earthy notes to it. Some old aged oak and vanilla going on. Mild citrus tinge.

Taste yields itself to a good amount of earthy and sweet malt, with a good amount of hopping to it. Alcohol was hid pretty well on this beer. The dark bread breadiness was a nice touch, caramel running throughout it. Nothing real exotic going on, this is a straight up middle of the road barleywine. The hops aren't massive, the body isn't massive, the flavor isn't massive. With all that said, I think its well done and above average for a barleywine. Right in the middle in terms of whether this could be classified as an American or English barleywine. Straddles that line quite nicely. Love the chewiness. Bitterness seemed just right, as was the carbonation.

Tend to enjoy this one more in the winter.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 21:53:12 | More by Beerandraiderfan

sendbeer

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -8.5%

03-08-2013 21:29:59 | More by sendbeer