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

rlee1390

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Black two finger fluffy light tan head.

S-Roasted malt, coffee, alcohol is not really present.

T-Roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, caramel with mild bitterness.

M-Medium bodied, creamy and a little thick.

O-Nice barleywine. Age did it some good as fresh I remember it wasn't the greatest. Alcohol subdued a bit.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 23:50:01 | More by rlee1390

comfortablynumb1

California

3.93/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Popped on New Years while watching the Clipper game. Having a nice day with the family and the mighty Dolphins beat the Jests, so i'm having an awesome day. Life is good!

750ml into a Bruery snifter...

A - Pours a deep brown with a two finger kahki head. There is a good amount of head retention and sticky lacing to be had...

S - Dark fruits, chocolate, caramel, and a touch of alcohol...

T - Caramel, and chocolate up front followed by molasses and figs. Finishes with a mild hoppiness and some lingering chocolate malts. Abv is well hidden...

M - On the higher end of being medium bodied. Carbonation is on the lower end...

O - Nothing world class, but a solid brew by a solid brewery. With that being said, this is still really tasty, and definitely something I would be interested in trying again...

Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 03:55:46 | More by comfortablynumb1

musicforairports

New York

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

This one's pretty much black. Slight hues of light shine through when I hold it up to the light, but not many. Nice lacing.

Aroma is roasted chocolate, rather stout-like, but there are also some strong caramel, light alcohol and some fig-like notes.

Flavor is much like the nose. Bittersweet chocolate and caramel, some dark fruit. Roasty flavor. Alcohol is noticeable, but not overpowering at all.

Medium-heavy mouthfeel, which is appropriate.

This isn't a bad roasty take on a barleywine at all. Somewhere between a barleywine and an imperial stout, to my tastes. I can't help but wish they had thrown it in some barrels for a while to smooth out the taste a bit.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 03:22:53 | More by musicforairports

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into an oversized snifter.

A: Sits a very dark brown in the glass. Cream colored head billows up after a somewhat aggressive pour and holds fast at half an inch throughout the duration. Lacing is sparse and patchy.

S: Rich scents of caramel and toffee, bread and bread pudding, molasses, brown sugar. Piney hop undertones. Bakers chocolate and cocoa. Fruity notes of fig and date. Slight alcohol. A very rich, complex, and inviting nose.

T: Hop tastes on the attack. Flashes of pine, citrus, and oily pith. Decadent malty flavors dominate from there. Blackstrap molasses, toasted bread crust. Roasted malt tastes have a slight smokey/acrid edge. Bakers chocolate and bitter dark chocolate. Muted fruity tastes of fig and raisin. Finishes with crusty, smokey, and chocolatey tastes.

M: Medium bodied. Chewy and viscous with little to no carbonation. Alcohol is pleasant and warming.

O: This is a very well-made American barleywine. The roasted malts are incorporated well and add a layer of complexity and depth. A great sipper.

Notes: I drank this with a nice pork dinner on Christmas, and found it to be a worthy companion to the meal. Robust enough to stand up to a meaty, fatty dish. I will have to buy more, as this beer would be a stalwart in any cellar.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 18:37:21 | More by ryan1788a5

MaxSpang

Ohio

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

Enjoyed on Christmas day '11. Served in a Troegs Mad Elf Snifter.

APPEARANCE

This beer pours very dark and viscus. The head grew super slowly, and peaked at a big 3-4 fingers. The head was a khaki color, had tiny bubbles, disappeared quickly, and left a large amount of beautiful lacing. The color is super dark brown, and had almost no light coning through. It could easily be passed off as an Imperial Stout as far as appearance goes.

SMELL

There is a ton of dark chocolate in this. There's a big malty sweetness, dark fruits, and slight alcohol in the nose. There's a big amount of rum-soaked-raisins and plums. It's almost like a chocolate liqueur mixed with molasses and raisins. The aroma is very complex and very big.

TASTE

It follows the nose pretty closely. There's isn't as much chocolate on the tongue, but it's definitely present. There is a huge amount of raisins, plums, and other dark fruits. The molasses and rum flavors come out, and some slight alcohol follows. It's pretty sweet, but not cloying and is overall very balanced. It's a very stout-like brew, in both flavor and body. It has aged gracefully, and is wonderfully smooth.

MOUTHFEEL

This isn't as thick as expected, but it is still a big brew. Tons of body, and has a slight syrup quality but in a good way. The carbonation is minimal, and the bubbles are nice and foamy which adds to the perceived thickness. There's a nice warmth from the beer, and this beer has a wonderful mouthfeel overall.

OVERALL

This is a really nice beer. I stumbled upon two of these on the shelf a few months ago and I grabbed'em - I'm glad I did! I was saving it for a special occasion, so what better time than Christmas? The alcohol is hidden well, and the beer is a sipper which is exactly what I want to end Christmas night. You gotta hand it to Sierra Nevada, they do things right and they produce some incredible beers like this. I would definitely recommend drinking this soon, it's drinking fantastically.

Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 04:31:30 | More by MaxSpang

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a 10oz snifter for $5.75. Sampled 11/16/10.

A: Served with a finger and a half of light brown creamy head. Retention is excellent. The lacing from the head alone is impeccable. Lacing continues to impress showing the utmost stickiness throughout the entire beer. The body of the beer is middle-of-your-eye black and opaque as expected.

S: The nose favors resiny aromas mixed with light pine. Slightly more hoppy than malty but a pretty tame nose altogether. The roasted chocolatey malts make their way forward about halfway through the glass. A yeasty presence does too in the form of damp earth. The overall aroma is somewhat reminiscent of unsweetened iced tea. The lack of typical barleywine intensity brings the score of the nose down.

T: Despite the restrained aromas, the flavor is rich, very smooth, mellow and deep. Roasted chocolate malts, piney citrusy hop character, rendered caramel and perhaps a touch of smoke. Excellent balance of flavor.

M: More than medium-full body with a thick, chewy texture. Just the right amount of carbonation keeps the sweet malt base from lingering. Aptly bitter with a semi-dry finish.

D: [DRINKABILITY] Very nice to sip on. Excellent drinkability even with the high ABV in mind. What a great take on the style and a wonderful addition to the stellar 30th Anniversary lineup.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2011 00:08:04 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

leansean88

New York

3.93/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Beautiful, dark and a full sized head. Pretty much opaque, which is how I like it. Lacy head sticks pretty well

S - Rich, slightly fruity aroma. Certainly not very powerful.

T - Again, a rich, bold flavor. Aftertaste is similar to dark chocolate, if not slightly. I think it's been a while since I've had a beer this dark.

M - Overtakes the palette, in a good way. Smokey, smooth feeling on the tongue.

O - Very fine beer. I love Sierra Nevada, and this was a fine example of their brewing. I usually have mixed feelings about barleywine, but this was pleasant. I think I'd rather have the Imperial Stout.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 23:06:32 | More by leansean88

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

25oz into snifter.

Pours with about 1F of tan head over a deep brown body with maroon edges. Head sticks around as a ring, but no real lacing.

Aromas are strong. Roasty, uncooked charcoal soaked in lighter fluid, dark-to-bittersweet chocolate, and a strange chemical astringency from the alcohol.

Fairly creamy across the palate at first. Brings flavors of dark and milk chocolate, bitter hops, coffee grinds, and a touch of caramel.

Mouthfeel is pretty slick and oily, with just a bit of carbonation.

Finishes a bit harsh, but you can tell this will be phenomenal in a few years.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 03:19:00 | More by BeerImmediately

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - pours a pitch black with well over half the glass full of tan foam that just seems to be sitting on top and going nowhere. There is some good lacing as I drink this.
S - big aroma of raisins and plums mixed in with some dark chocolate and caramel
T - nice smooth mix of dark fruit and bitter chocolate. There seems to be a bit of an astingency that knocks this one down a bit for me. Nice roasty flavor though. The alcohol warms you up nicely.
M - smooth and creamy, medium bodied with mellow carbonation.
D - the astrigency hurts this one a bit for me, but overall its good. Not sure I would buy again though.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 05:53:05 | More by mikereaser

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 mL corked and caged bottle.

almost black, some reddish highlights on the edge when held to the light. big fluffy khaki colored head. great retention, leaves clumps of lacing. sweet aroma of brown sugar, toasted malt and earthy hops.

taste is malty, a bit of cocoa and fruit. hoppy finish. nice balance. medium to thick body, mellow carbonation. drinks nice.

overall - a great unique beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 03:08:59 | More by jmdrpi

Bendurgin

Maine

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. This one pours almost black with a fluffy light khaki had. It settles to a thin cap to lave some soapy lace.

Raisins and dark fruit in the aroma with hints of cocoa and bits of caramel in the background. Dark raisins on the pallet up front with some caramel in the finish. Seems to have a little bit of a smokey character here in the finish.

Full robust body, very creamy and silky with soft carbonation. Overall very enjoyable. Well done here.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 04:18:50 | More by Bendurgin

andrewinski1

Maine

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

Poured into a tulip. The color is dark brown and appears black at first glance. There is a large 3 inch off-white head that leaves some lacing.

The aroma is full of sweet malt and caramel. There is some dark fruit aroma.

The taste has some nice malty, slightly roasty sweet flavor here. There is some coffee flavor here as well. There is just a touch of hoppy flavor somewhere in the finish that seems a bit minty.

The body is medium with some nice carbonation.

I like this one. Good flavors, nothing exceptional though.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 04:09:58 | More by andrewinski1

StoneTSR

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: Dark as night with no light penetrating this at all. The head swelled up immediately even with a gentle pour, but fell rather quickly. A small ring of lacing and a few wisps of foam remained on top a few minutes later.

SMELL: The aroma is medium to strong. It is pretty much all sweet and chocolate smelling, but a tiny touch of citrus and hops make their way into the nose.

TASTE: The chocolate from the nose begins the ride through each sip, but halfway through the hops take over and dominate in a big way. As the hops recede, the chocolate comes back, but it is a darker and more bitter chocolate than before the crest of hops in the middle. The finish is bitter and dry as well.

MOUTHFEEL: The mouthfeel is nice and oily, but it still has enough fizz to make it feel like a beer. This is close to being just the right feel for a Barleywine.

OVERALL: This is a great Barleywine to introduce your hop head friends to the style with. In some ways it seems more like a strong Black IPA than a Barleywine. The hops are very strong in this one even though it is over a year old. I am curious to taste this one again in a few more years.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 01:57:10 | More by StoneTSR

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a 16 oz. snifter.

A- Black, creamy tan head with lacing blotches that remain on the glass.

S- Roasted and chocolate malts, some vanilla, alcohol, and light pine hop aroma.

T- Roasted malts, lots of chocolate going on here! Some oak and vanilla with a large amount of pine hop bitterness at the finish. The alcohol is present but not overpowering.

M- Full body, very creamy and a little chewy. Alcohol remains after the finish.

O- Very good. Barleywine, not sure? This borderlines a imperial black ipa. Very hoppy right now, but bitterness may mellow with age and bring out more sweet malts.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 00:48:41 | More by kawilliams81

RBassSFHOPit2ME

California

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Arguable my favorite of the 30th Anniversary Series.

A - Black, but not opaque...the barleywine is there peeking through but the lacing and head retention here is second to NONE.

S - Muted some - Dark Fruits, musty chocolate powder and roast.

T - This beer is aged now for about a year and I feel it's just now starting to come into it's own or opening up. Whereas until now, stout characteristics and hops were as pronounced as the Barleywine...now the Barleywine is just now starting to make itself the more dominant with the dark fruits. One more year will do this beer VERY VERY good.

M - Still a little boozy and hops still have a bit of a bite, but when at cellar temp it mellows and gets pretty damn soft on the pallet...very good but Let me tell you...in a year this beer will be sought after for the style.

O - right now very good but I look at it as having a TON of potential in years to come

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 01:35:06 | More by RBassSFHOPit2ME

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.3/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a tulip

A:Pours very dark and settles close to black, much like a stout. It lets just a hair of light through, but not much. Medium sized bubbles condense near the top to form an eggshell hued barrier, very nice.

S: Aroma is potent with licorice up front followed by some heavy, dark fruits: plum, raisin, even a touch of olive. There is a faint hint of something sweet left behind, not quite chocolate, but perhaps molasses.

T/M: Tastes very strong with alcohol up front, like a lightly carbonated and chilled wine, but gives way to more pleasurable features like cocoa nibs, fig, some plum and molasses. It's much thicker than the average beer and much stronger as well. At first it tastes overbearing, but it's really pleasant once you start to experience it. The complex profile adds bonus points.

I'd like it much more if the alcohol was toned down, but then again, it is a barleywine. A good beer, but licorice plus potent alcohol does not quote equal the best experience.

TheBeerAlmanac.com

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 01:17:37 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

jale

Michigan

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

Had on tap at Crunchy's in East Lansing.

A: Pours a deep dark brown with a finger of light brown head. Lacing lasts for a long time.

S: Bitter roasted malt aroma.

T: Sweet and bitter roasted malt upfront followed by a nice mild hop bitterness.

M: Lighter side of heavy with very good carbonation.

O: Would have another.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2011 18:28:25 | More by jale

ccm414

Massachusetts

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

(From notes)

Poured from the bottle to a 4oz tasting glass...

A- Looks like motor oil, black. Slight amber on the sides where the light can poke through. A nice one finger head with good retention.

S- Appears to be similar to their Big Foot, but much sweeter with heavy chocolate notes.

T- Similar to the smell. Late cocoa notes with a black coffee finish.

M- Medium to heavy body here. Great carbonation, not too much not too little. Nice and warm from the high ABV.

D- The first 'Black' Barleywine Ive ever had, but I would be all set after 1 with the ABV that's a bit high. I would revisit this beer, though.

Cheers!
ccm414

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 20:41:55 | More by ccm414

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This was probably my least favorite of the four, I'm not sure why but it's just a personal thing I guess. This brew poured out as a muddy looking brown color, the head was thin and white on top. The lacing was light and not really too impressive. The smell of the beer was hoppy and had a big malt sweetness in there too. The taste of the beer again had a big hop profile along with a hearty malt character. The mouthfeel of the beer was a little on the thicker side, good carbonation and pretty well balanced. Overall I liked the hops in this one a lot, they really knew how to tingle the taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 15:11:15 | More by Knapp85

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

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

A-black with a thick tan head

S-smells like aged whiskey. dark belgian sugars. good quality. some salted caramels.

T-comes in with a good taste of roasted dark belgian malts with some hints of mocha. lasts as a great after-taste along with some flavors of whiskey. this is a fantastic brew!

M-medium carbonation with a dry finish

O-this is a uniquely wonderful barley wine. the tastes are of quality and very well balanced and complex. every time you take a sip, something new comes up. this is great. not extremely drinkable though.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 01:38:20 | More by AdamBear

TheWhiskerReview

Tennessee

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tasted 09.11. I'm guessing this beer is around a year old then.

Pours black with a large and rocky 3.5 finger tan head. Reduces slowly and leaves a solid layer and loads of lace. Looks, naturally, like a SN brew. They seem to have their skills down to such a precise art that just the appearance of the beer would clue me into them if I was tasting this blind.

The 'blackness' of this equates to a bigger roasted character in both aroma and flavor. I imagine this would have been more Barleywine-like when fresh, and presumably sweeter, but the year of age seemed to mellow this to something more similar to an Imperial Stout. The nose is darkly complex with cocoa powder, coffee, roasted hazelnuts, dried figs, brown sugar, chocolate covered raisins, vanilla blossoms and bran malt.

The full-bodied palate is mildly creamy and moderately roasty with a big bitterness and a big booziness that's tucked nicely into the roasted character. Both the malt and hops are supremely earthy. The finish is where it seems the most Barleywine-like. Long and syrupy with that characteristic wave of barley flavors- bran malt, dark wildflower honey, raisin, coffee and a touch of leather.

Well, whether it's a Barleywine or something more like a Stout, it's still pretty freakin delicious. The 'blackness' simultaneously adds to and kills some of the barley-complexity- eliminating a lot of estery flavors but adding a coffee-like roastiness. Great now and it's still got a lot of years ahead of it.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 02:02:40 | More by TheWhiskerReview

ColdPoncho

Ohio

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

From notes, 9-6-2011

A - Dark brown body, big tan head

S - Dry smoky meats, dark malts, light spice and floral notes.

T - Smoked meats, dark malts, somewhat dry, light chocolate, quite nice.

M - Full and smooth, a bit dry. Nice stuff.

O - Nice beer, expect more development, hoping to grab some more.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 16:03:25 | More by ColdPoncho

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A huge, boozy barleywine. Glad I had the missus to split this one with! Totally opaque, black beer; a vigorous pour yields a small, quickly dissipating head with minimal lacing. Aroma is all malts and booze; taste is much the same. Moderate hop bitterness.
Booze is all over the place as expected for the style; hot. Experience is saved somewhat by the relatively short and dry finish. Good brew but after this 2nd bottle, unlikely to return in the future. Although, would be interested to see what this would be like with some age on it.

In the end, a bit too big and boozy for anything other than an infrequent, small and shared pour.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 17:54:35 | More by tobelerone

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750ml bottle poured into a Troegs Mad Elf chalice.

A - This beer definitely encapsulates the Black Barleywine appearance; perhaps a few bits of brown, but either way it's a lot darker than a typical barleywine. About 1.5-fingers of head arrive to blanket the beer against the rest of the air, with a tan look and decent retention. Lacing is pretty good as well!

S - A very interesting nose to say the least. This is my first foray into the 'black' barleywine character and I can't say it doesn't provide the roast. Even after just popping the cork, I could get a big waft of chocolate, which when smelling the glass, also brings a ton of roast and coffee. Just after this, the typical barleywine aromas come out, with an almost syrupy sweetness, toffee, and big notes of caramel.

T - The taste is an almost carbon-copy of the nose at first, starting at first with a rich, dark chocolate before giving way to absolute waves of coffee roast. Actually, I think the 'black' side of this beer is too overstated compared to the rest of the flavors. By the time the barleywine flavors come through, the roast is still extremely prevalent, so you just get a sweetness following by just a hint of caramel. The finish is incredibly roasty and bitter, making each sip full of that much more coffee than the previous. However, what surprised me was a decently big hop profile in the finish, giving it a nice grapefruit bitterness which complements and cuts the roasty bitterness.

M - Mouthfeel is heavy-bodied with low carbonation. A very full-bodied and at times chewy beer, it will not surprise you that this beer is a heavy hitter. Creamy throughout.

D/O - Drinkability is moderate. I am torn on this beer, as the aroma is awesome, but this taste has much too rosty bitterness for my taste. If this were scaled back a bit, it'd be a great beer, but as of now, it's a hassle to drink after your first few sips.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 04:47:54 | More by nhindian

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - a molasses red-brown, very tall tan head retained endlessly with all kinds of clingy lacing
S - strong dark fruits and molasses malt, hints of bitter chocolate and sweet alcohol
T - very strong flavours of molasses, milk coffee, some grapefruit hops, black licorice, and sticky sweet alcohol
M - syrupy thick, sticky and full through the finish with some bitterness
O - this is a big ass beer only for those with heart, stamina, and taste .... check, check, and check!

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 04:19:17 | More by joemcgrath27