30th Anniversary - Jack & Ken's Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

RickS95

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's not quite pitch black, but it's very close. Looks more like a porter or a stout, but the head is a lighter, off-tan color. Regardless, the head is huge, craterous and looks great sitting atop the thick liquid.

Smells a lot like their Bigfoot barley wine. Roasted scents with some flowery hops.

A lot of flavors come through on the tongue. There's the roasted malts, the flowery, earthy hops, some smoke, a little licorice, and some spices, not to mention a bit of alcohol.

It's sweet, it's bitter, it's creamy, it's strong yet mild at the same time.

Another top notch beer by Sierra Nevada. It's a manly beer, but relatively mild for the style. A good beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 04:15:53 | More by RickS95

b-one

California

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

06-19-2013 02:05:11 | More by b-one

jak

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -4.1%

06-17-2013 03:19:58 | More by jak

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

06-14-2013 16:10:11 | More by stereosforgeeks

tadmuchowski

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -4.1%

06-09-2013 22:31:49 | More by tadmuchowski

DeutschesBier

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

06-07-2013 19:52:44 | More by DeutschesBier

BigJim5021

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-28-2013 19:14:25 | More by BigJim5021

megamass

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-18-2013 05:45:29 | More by megamass

jkane101

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-18-2013 00:42:38 | More by jkane101

beergoot

Colorado

4.64/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Deep brown body topped with a very thick, creamy, tan-colored head. Roasted grains and cocoa scented smells with hints of vanilla and raisins; a subdued alcohol presence in the background. Taste and feel is rich and warm, infused with dark chocolate and malt flavors; alcohol heat pops up and combines with an intense hop bitterness to create a very nice complement to the malt sweetness. Medium-heavy mouthfeel with a deep smoothness on the tongue.

A great beer that comes across better than the sum of its parts. A powerhouse beer across the board with the malt components taking center stage with outstanding dark malt characteristics and does an excellent job of keeping the high ABV tamed and very approachable. An outstanding offering that, with fingers-crossed, may see the light of day again...!!!

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 01:05:18 | More by beergoot

Compton25

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -22.1%

05-10-2013 03:31:53 | More by Compton25

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-09-2013 00:08:40 | More by cadaugherty

schaffer9252

New York

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-04-2013 17:31:28 | More by schaffer9252

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -4.1%

04-25-2013 01:50:06 | More by DrinkSlurm

chefduff2

New York

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

04-21-2013 16:28:23 | More by chefduff2

civicm87

New York

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

04-21-2013 02:35:32 | More by civicm87

jreindl

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

04-20-2013 05:35:30 | More by jreindl

Strix

Wisconsin

4.6/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured black with brown edges, frothy initial head that sticks around well.

Dark roasty malt, caramel, citrus hops in the nose.

Roasted malt, caramel, dark chocolate, toffee, melds into a medium-level cascade hop finish. Is this not a Black IPA? Black DIPA? It's got that flavor profile nailed and dialed. Super flavorful, complex, and delicious.

Smooth, fairly full mouthfeel.

Best beer I've had so far this year, hands down. Has aged wonderfully. This was fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 04:50:58 | More by Strix

blackie

Virginia

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

cellared bottle consumed awhile back

a: poured into a tulip glass, el barleywine negro is essentially black in color - some brown hues show in the edges, topped with a persistent, healthy ring of carbonation

s: the nose features deep roasted malts and dark pine needle hops at the forefront, digging a little deeper brings out burnt toffee, dark cocoa dusted espresso, charred earth and wood, and booze marinated tree fruits, like the nose here - assertive and highly aromatic, but the roast and pine are a little dominant for my preference - there's some real complexity in there, but it takes work to find

m: carbonation a lighter moderate, bubbly, with a medium-full body

t: deep flavors of dark roasted barley and strong pine hops with bittersweet chocolate and burnt toffee underneath, powerful pine needle hops with loads of acid pushing through after the swallow - the acid more than balancing - it's dominant, with a searing bitterness and deep charred flavors lingering long

o: an interesting take on the style that's not totally unlike all the black (d)ipa's out there these days, some features of the roast/hop combination I enjoy and some I don't, and it's so assertive as to be problematic to drinkability, but as an early winter slow-sipper, it does just fine

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 00:05:17 | More by blackie

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4.55/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours dark as night and thick, with only hints of light getting through the edges. Big, creamy, frothy head forms from the volatile pour out of the corked and caged bottle. Great retention and lacing period, let alone for a beer that's been in the bottle for almost three years.

S- Large booze and hop profile is dominant on the nose. Dark malts are next, with mostly burnt flavors coming through. Booze is strong and persistent throughout.

T- Almost exactly like the scent. Starts with a big bang of hops bitterness paired with burnt malt flavors. Combination gives a taste similar to a black IPA. The hops bitterness returns and dominates with the boozey burn throughout. Really complex with the intermingling of citrusy hops and bitter dark malts.

M- Smooth and creamy with low carbonation. Thick and boozey weight makes it a sipper. Really a warming beer with the alcohol level.

Overall, a very complex beer. Probably mellowed out with the time in the bottle. The alcohol heat is still fairly present, but blends with the other flavors better now. I think this one could be great another year or two in the bottle still.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 02:12:04 | More by boilermakerbrew

mrebeka

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

03-24-2013 15:37:16 | More by mrebeka

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

03-11-2013 21:00:35 | More by DaPan

Prost76

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

03-10-2013 00:07:04 | More by Prost76

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

03-02-2013 18:47:16 | More by AlexFields

leprakhan

California

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

02-27-2013 09:38:33 | More by leprakhan