Anniversary Barley Wine Ale - Uinta Brewing Company

ehammond1

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On Tap

Stone Brew Co.
Escondido, CA

Dark brown and auburn with a thin khaki head and sheets of lacing down the glass.

A surprisingly citrus aroma--lots of orange and grapefruit spring up from the glass, alone with some toffee and caramel sweetness, and dark rye bread aroma add a little spice. Terrific!

Sweet toffee and caramel, along with some roast and char in the flavor. The citrus hops take the backseat to the malt profile, and there's a certain alcohol sting throughout.

Medium bodied. Ample carbonation.

A good barleywine, though I wish the citrus hops I smelled in the aroma translated through to the flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2011 02:41:49 | More by ehammond1

alexhahn82

California

3/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap @ The Davis Beer Shoppe in Davis California.

Appearance: A rich dark brown, almost that of a molasses, in appearance not viscosity.

Smell: Very average in smell, a hint of tartness in aroma.

Taste: Taste is a hint of dark cherries and minor smell of metallic.

Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy in sweetness, light in thickness with a strong finish.

Overall:a Very nice, slightly above average darley wine with a balanced tone and a very unreadable ABV, does not taste "hot" or even imply the 10.4% that it is!

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2011 18:55:47 | More by alexhahn82

CHickman

New York

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours opaque brown with a 1 finger creamy tan head that leaves great rings of lacing down the glass. Looks like an IPA going down.

Smells of huge floral hops, caramel, citrus hops, grapefruit, lemon zest, orange peel, brown sugar and sweet cinnamon; really nice hoppy, malty aroma.

Tastes of huge floral hops, flowers, caramel, citrus hops, grapefruit, lemon zest, orange peel, brown sugar, wet bread or cereal, cinnamon, light yeast and some faint alcohol; really tasty barleywine.

Mouthfeel is creamy and silky smooth, with a medium body and a medium alcohol and caramel feel. Very high drinkability considering the strength and style, this is a one and done per night yet still a very good and very tasty beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2011 03:42:18 | More by CHickman

kaseydad

California

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copper colored ale with a slight cream colored foamy head and nice lacing on the glass. Syrupy aroma with some sugar cane whiffs and bourbon. The taste is very hoppy with the bourbon coming through on the swallow and a slight burn on the way down. No sweetness at all on this. I was waiting for a sweetness kick but it never came. Slight bitterness in the aftertaste. At 10.6% this went down very smoothly. I had no idea who this brewery was before I tried this at a BW festival, but after trying, I am a big fan. Great stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2010 03:39:00 | More by kaseydad

MikeGill

New York

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tasted on 2/11/10 at The Ginger Man in NYC.

Draught poured into a 12oz. snifter.

Cola colored with a thin pale head and spotty lacing. Chocolate cake batter on the nose with a hint of malt vinegar and herbal hops.

The taste was much more mellow then my nose lead me to assume. There is a cocoa malt sweetness upfront with roasted malt and a kind of pretzel like bready quality. A very noticable piney hops presence shows up toward the finish and remains. The alcohol is definitely there, trademark of the style but it is surprizing subtle. Overall, a delicious well balanced barley wine.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2010 17:14:09 | More by MikeGill

htomsirveaux

Texas

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tried on tap at Falling Rock, 7 Feb 2010.

Served in a 8oz glass. Clear deep auburn colored beer. Aroma nice, bit a touch soapy. Lots of rum and raisin and etoh, sweet caramel in smell. Sweet boozy beer. Dark fruits, dates, burnt sugars, etoh warm all way through. Carbonation minimal, medium body. Rum lingers in finish and aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2010 22:42:13 | More by htomsirveaux

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Deep brown copper with a thick, creamy, light tan head that left copious lace.

S-Wow--->ORANGE! Like a chocolate orange candy, well OK, like a caramel, chocolate orange.

T-Spicy orange overlies a balancing roasted caramel malt base. This one seems rather simplistic at first but it is actually really nice and becomes more complex with warming.

M-Medium bodied with long lasting spicy bitterness. Rather dry and never becomes sticky.

D-For a 10% ABV brew the alcohol is very well concealed. Rather sharp and biting, certainly hop forward. A very tasty brew that is, without question, one of the best beers I have had from Utah and I have been there!

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2010 20:41:13 | More by Deuane

Pahn

New York

4.28/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Burp Castle, NYC. Poured into Delirium Tremens tulip.

Appearance: Opaque, dark reddish brown. Inch head dissipates quickly, leaving clumpy and spotty lacing.

Smell: Very eccentric; startlingly savory. It's a deep smell of chocolate, brown sugar, and molasses, with some leather hints. It smells like a mole or BBQ or Worcestershire sauce. The smell was taking me aback the entire time. It smells good, but not what you'd expect from a beer.

Taste: Huge, somewhat piney hops up front, on par with a really hopped up DIPA. Segues into a subdued caramel sweetness, with notes of dark chocolate and plum. Finish is bitter, with no alcohol warmth. The malt sweetness is a lot weaker than in other American barley wines, but still stands up to the big hops.

Mouthfeel: Juicy and frothy. It borders on sticky, but doesn't really get there (the smell and flavor seem to imply that this would be a sticky, syrupy brew, but it really isn't). Not bad.

Drinkability: Very good. I assumed from the style that the beer was at least 8% ABV, and sure enough it's 10+%. Drinks like 5%.

---

All told, a very good beer, though perhaps not what I'm asking for when I ask for a barley wine. It tastes more like a barley wine influenced, smokey DIPA--which sounds like a description of a good beer to me. The savoriness of the flavor was more of a novelty than a hindrance, as the smell is ultimately enticing (and the flavor is very good). I want to get a bottle of this and cook with it.

I don't know how this beer would age, but with its IBU and ABV, it seems like it would be worth trying.

I assume that it's because this brewery is located in Utah that I've never heard of it (I live in New England). This beer definitely makes me want to sample their other offerings, because it's very adventurous for its style.

Serving type: on-tap

12-26-2009 06:53:08 | More by Pahn

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Brass Rail Deli on 4/13/09.

A - Deep copper-colored body with reddish hues and two-finger dense, foamy beige head that settled into about a half inch of retention, retaining quite well and leaving sticky lace around the glass.

S - Pungent waft of piney and resiny hops up front backed by a burnt caramel malt character. While the hops were at the forefront initially, a warm alcohol presence soon dominates as the liquid warmed up a bit.

T - Quite hoppy overall with sticky pine and some resiny notes supported by a thick caramel malt backbone. Alcohol warmth is pretty substantial, especially in the middle and through the finish. There is also a mild dark fruit presence that adds a bit of sweetness to the mix.

M - Medium bodied with a chewy, syrupy texture and moderate carbonation. Mouthfeel is warm and tingly overall, with a pronounced alcohol sting in the finish. Hops have a lingering effect on the palate.

D - While this reminds me a bit of Troegs Flying Mouflan (especially the hop profile), it is a bit heavy-handed with the alcohol content. You can definitely detect the 10.4% ABV in this brew. Still, it is a quite tasty and drinkable barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2009 11:46:23 | More by ffejherb

charlzm

California

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Consumed 05/11/08 during Brewfest 08 at Barley's Casino & Brewing Co., Henderson, NV.

Almost mahogany brown with coppery highlights. No head on this one.

Aroma is grapefruit hops, dark fruits and caramel malt.

Thick mouthfeel, almost syrupy, but pleasing. Alcohol is present but muted. Substantial malt character and sweetness well-balanced against hops more traditionally associated with west coast APAs than barleywines.

Very tasty and easy to swallow quickly. Keep an eye on this one or you may wind up horizontal.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2008 00:58:50 | More by charlzm

donnebaby

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Mostly clear black brown body, with a light tan collar. Juicy robust malt barleywine flavor nose -- ripe prunes. Light and flavorful. Lots of sawdust and fermented booze and grapes. Lots and lots of malts. Wide mouth bitterness -- hop edges all over the body, sharp and bitter. Medium impact barleywine and port aspects. Balanced yummy barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2005 06:40:19 | More by donnebaby

Misanthropy_Sipping

Nebraska

4.24/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

One bottle, given to me from my good friend in Denver!

Pours a nice dirty brown/crimson. Quickly dissipating head, doesn't really seem oily or hugely viscous... but is noticeably fairly thick.

Smells strongly of piney hops. Earthy malts, a tad sweet and a tad boozey. Maybe a very small hint of burnt caramel undertone.

Taste rushes in with a lot of earthiness and booze. There is a pleasant sweetness that is just a bit sticky. Small amount of that burnt caramel taste. There is like a toasty, nuttiness to it... like strongly toasted almonds. The beer creeps away into the piney/herbal hops that have a nice subtle bitterness that lingers. It's noticeably hoppy, but doesn't cut your tongue out like Bigfoot from Sierra Nevada.

Mouthfeel, medium to heavy I would say. The grainy carbonation helps lighten it and is really well done. It remains drinkable, it has some dryness, it has a great carbonation for the style. Just all around perfected for this kind of beer. Slightly tacky/sticky. All is where it should be I feel on the mouthfeel.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I am not a big hop fan but this is definitely one of the better hoppy barley wines I have had. Bigfoot is almost too aggressive... Nogne #100 is is hopped to the point it doesn't even seem like a barley wine anymore. But this grapples it in and fits the American bill on the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 02:41:05 | More by Misanthropy_Sipping

JuliusCaesar

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Deep brown with shades of red. Good lacing

S: Sweet/toasty malt and light hops

T: Malt sweetness balanced by light hop bitterness. Finishes with toast and a hint of booze

M: Smooth

Overall: I like this beer. The rich malt and toasty aroma is my favorite aspect. It's pretty well balanced and the alcohol is hidden. This is my first beer from Uinta and I'm not disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 00:21:49 | More by JuliusCaesar

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.69/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours deep mahogany with no head, but a cream-colored ring of small bubbles. No lace.

Big citric hop nose, some caramel, some dark fruit and alcohol.

Big hoppy note up front. Bitter bread crust, toasted malt, creamy bits, some sugar in the background, but hidden behind the bitterness. Toffee and burnt sugars. Long bitter finish with an alcohol burn at the end.

Full bodied, some tingle.

Good bitter brew here. But much of the complexity I'm sure that went into this ends up hidden behind a massive bitter wall of hops. I wanted rich complexity and I got an overdone overhopped beer. I appreciate the effort, but I won't be having this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 23:38:27 | More by OtherShoe2

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 12/22/20111. Pours very hazy and cloudy; almost opaque dark brown color with a 1 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of caramel, toast, pine, raisin, toffee, brown sugar, brown bread, citrus zest, floral, and piney earthiness. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity; but are pretty weak for a barleywine. Taste of toffee, toast, caramel, raisin, brown sugar, pine, brown bread, floral, grapefruit, orange zest, light chocolate, and toasted earthiness. Light pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of toffee, caramel, toast, raisin, pine, brown sugar, brown bread, grapefruit, orange zest, light chocolate, and toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance of malt complexity; with a good amount of hop balance; and zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy, slick, and fairly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice barleywine style. Good balance and complexity of malt and hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 03:50:33 | More by superspak

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

4.46/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Ba Review #258
Served On: 2/25/2013
Glassware: Duvel Glass
Labeled ABV: 10.4%
Date/ Code: 11/27/12

This was a 12oz bottle from Ye Old Spirit Shop in Frederick.

Look: super deep ruby red color with amazing clarity. The head was a thin coating of patchy tan foam. Carbonation level was low. Inconsistent lacing formed rings thought the session.

Smell: Pungent grapefruit with sweet syrupy malts. Also come caramelized brown sugar and dark fruit notes.

Taste: Up first was the super tart grapefruit with the sweet caramelized sugar kicking in towards the middles. A warming sensation was followed by a quick roasted quality. The finish was some nutty booze balanced with a lingering licorice sweetness.

This was a very well done Barley Wine. The complexity level was slightly higher than a SN Bigfoot, probably because the hop profile seemed dialed down a bit. Also do yourself a favor and let this one get some time on it before diving in.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 17:58:39 | More by CraftBeerTastic

harrymel

Washington

2.13/5  rDev -44.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Bottled 07JAN13

Dark brown with ruby hues, a thick quilt of light caramel. Smells uber-fruity: plums, raisin, some spiced persimmon. Then there's a hit of brewer's licorice, vanilla, and burnt sugar mixed with vinyl. Taste is booze, then some bitterness, then some sweet malts, then some more booze. Really can taste the ethanol here - in a bad way. Medium body with moderate, tickle carb and a semi dry finish. I'm uncertain I'm gonna finish this. Waaaay too boozy.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 08:59:29 | More by harrymel

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into an Elysian snifter. Pours a dark mahogany brown with a fine one finger light tan head with good retention and lacing. Classic barleywine aroma of dark and dried fruit, caramel malt, light pine and citrus hops. Flavor follows aroma with caramel malt, dark dried fruit, citrus. Finishes semi-dry with grassy and pine hop bitterness. Alcohol warming, but well covered. Medium to heavy bodied with some creaminess. Flavor is somewhat subdued, but well integrated and with a nice flavor progression. The flavor drops off a bit in the finish to reveal the hops, which are nicely presented. Well made and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 03:09:44 | More by LiquidAmber

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.89/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle served in a tulip. Bottled on 9/20/2012 on the label. Pours a chestnut brown with red highlights when backlit. Clarity is semi-hazy and head is a quarter-inch, cream-colored and frothy. Head eventually disperses into a tight band around the shoulders with an oily slick across the surface. Sheets and clusters of lacing exhibit excellent retention during the tasting and are refreshed with each tilt of the glass. Nose expresses some malty sweetness, candied prunes and piney hops. Taste follows nose; however, the piney hops are quite forward and suppress the malty sweetness. There's also a touch of chocolate in the flavor profile. Mouthfeel is medium-light with a lively carbonation and a slightly oily texture. Overall, a pretty good small format, easily accessible American Barleywine. Alcohol is really quite well-hidden. It might be worth putting a couple of these in the cellar to see what happens as the hops character dissipates over time.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 02:34:23 | More by Jwale73

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottled on 10/12/12. Poured into a snifter.

Dark brown pour with a buttermilk head. Elevated-height pour yielded a 3/4" head that has nearly stuck. It's still here after 90 seconds or so. I like the dark look.

Dark fruits and some hops. Grapefruit, raisin, toffee, citrus rind, booze, minor caramel notes, and some very light pith. Straightforward and good.

Tastes sweeter than the nose hinted at. The hops are still very fresh and oily, but there's a good heap of malt sugar trapped within. Notes of bright roastiness, dry date flavors, booze, crisp toffee, and pine/citrus hops. Definitely, picking up some grapefruit rind amidst the malt smack. Beer turns out to be more balanced than I'd suspect. Clearly an American representation. Hints of tea-like tannin, noteworthy when speaking of the finish. Relative freshness speaks of the hops that punch.

Drinks with some swooshy heft. The body is plus-plus. Carbonation is no stranger, either. Got some scruffiness.

A nice little barleywine. Maybe it's lacking defining character, but it tastes carefully crafted. Wouldn't choose it above others that are easily-attainable, but I woudn't knock it either.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 05:47:50 | More by thecheapies

HardTarget

Texas

3.7/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Murky amber glass glows translucently and manages to hold a thin cover of light tan foam. Full halo leaves sticky lace.

Smell: Big nose, full of malty sweetness with a light black bread topped with jammy fruits. Rum raisin, plum, and dates make up the fruit elements. Little toffee and alcohol round out the picture.

Taste: The promise of the nose is slightly compromised by the heavy alcohol which thins everything out just a bit. Sugary base reminds me of a Sugar Daddy candy. Hops don't show up on the radar, the balance is heavy toward sweet, almost cloying.

Mouthfeel: Heavy body is slick and slow to fade. Carbonation is low, alcohol is numbing.

Overall: A big bold barley wine, a good celebration. Could use some cellaring to cool the alcohol a bit, but a nice slow sipper for a gloomy day.

Big Thanks to Illudium for the sample!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 22:51:03 | More by HardTarget

CHADMC3

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep chestnut body with ruby hues and is surprisingly transparent. The generous head is a dense, dark tan and extremely slow to dissolve leaving a scattered ring of lacing clinging to the glass.

Abundant floral hops leap from the glass as well as pine and grass notes with sweet malt and vinous notes to follow. This is certainly an American style.

The flavor is superb combining the traditional rich vinous notes of the English style with the floral and grass hop notes of the American. The resiny hop notes really coat the tongue with the pungent floral flavors that do not overwhelm and fade as the sweet malt and vinous characteristics aid the finish.

This brew is a bit chewy with medium carbonation and a puckering, pungent coating of hops on the tongue and a vinous finish.

This is a great Barleywine, absolutely delicious. One of the best I’ve had. An unbelievable malt/hop balance and so much to appreciate.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 01:25:41 | More by CHADMC3

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown with some ruby mixed in and a finger of frothy tan-khaki colored head. Fades normal.

S - Sweet caramel malts, caramelized and brown sugars, grapefruit, citrus, and some pine hops, a hint of dark fruit, and a bit of booze.

T - Sweet caramel malts, grapefruit, tropical, citrus, and pine hops, some good bitterness, brown sugar, caramelized malts, a touch of dark fruit, and some booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a warming, sweet, and lightly bitter finish.

D - Nice hoppy barleywine. Great overall balance and smoothness.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:18:35 | More by ngeunit1

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a snifter, Sixteenth Anniversary Ale, bottled on 9/10/09

A: Pours a very dark amber color with two fingers of beige colored head. Retention is very good, lacing is excellent.

S: Not a very strong aroma, I get prunes and some faded piney hops. I also get some bready malts and toffee, but they are in the background of an already weak aroma. The aroma opens up as the beer warms

T: Much better than the aroma, I get strong bready malts upfront with some toffee and a bit of prunes. Hop bitterness is moderate. This beer remains quite dry for the style.

M: Medium mouthfeel with creamy carbonation.

O: This beer is very dry for the style, but quite nice. It's over 3 years old, but I get very little oxidation flavor. I enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 21:37:17 | More by coreyfmcdonald

cocojoe

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle into a snifter

Bottled on 03/07/12

A: Dark amber brown color, finger of tan head

S: Very sweet, a lot of floral hop aroma, dark red wine soaked raisins, crisp and zesty. Mild perception of alcohol.

T: Toasty, some metallic qualities (I thought I noticed this at first, but don't taste any notes of it as it goes on), smoothe, floral, dark fruits and caramel. The high alcohol is well covered but does leave a nice warmth. Leaves smoothe and fairly well balanced.

M: Full but not syrupy. Nice balance.

O: I tend to prefer english style barleywines that don't have as strong of hop character, but especially for the price, this one is definitely worth it. Has all that nice barleywine malt character, with a hop quality that balances everything out nicely. Drinks very smoothe and easy.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 04:21:56 | More by cocojoe