Torbata
Almond '22

TorbataTorbata
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From:
Almond '22
 
Italy
Style:
English Barleywine
Ranked #186
ABV:
8.7%
Score:
77
Ranked #27,193
Avg:
3.18 | pDev: 28.93%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
28
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 01, 2023
Added:
Nov 08, 2007
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
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Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
really super weird beer, but what a treat to get to drink on a few from these guys! so rare to come around in my experience, wherever i look, less and less italian specialty stuff in the states these days it seems, a shame. this is way cool, a strange and one of a kind take on barleywine. its brewed with honey and orange zest, is low alcohol for the style i suppose, and is truly weird overall. i love the sexy little genie bottles they use, seems like about enough of this one, even shared two ways. a light brown color to this with plenty of light coming in, no real viscosity at all, a shorter head, and lots of bubbles. it smells really odd, definitely some smoked malt to me in it, almost a peated vibe, intense in that way, notes of almond, chestnut, and hazelnut, amaretto, iodine and medical funkiness, red wine and wine yeast more generally, sweet from the honey, toffee, long boiled i reckon, minerals too, leather and tobacco, this is complex but fully bizarre, i wonder if slightly infected. the flavor is all of this, but the peat and smoke and iodine intensity up front is striking, and this is a little astringent on the back end too, especially as it warms, bandaid burps. the orange adds unique bitterness but also a lightly oily zesty vibe, some life in an otherwise malt stew. the ferment is curious, not exactly english to me, or totally stressed now, but it makes this memorable. earthy and very nutty to me too, not as sweet as a lot of these, nor as heavy, hard to even really call it barleywine. the carbonation is real excited, and it makes this lighter still. being negative it has new pavement, burnt plastic, and chlorine aspects to it, but i like the strangeness, thats why i am always such an eager buyer of the italian stuff, and frankly if this was awesome normal barleywine it would be less cool than a not amazing strange ale. fun and different, this brewery is quite exciting to me, hope to see more coming into the states!
May 01, 2023
 
Rated: 2.87 by Latarnik from New Jersey

Apr 13, 2019
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.81/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
330 ml bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours fairly hazy dark ruby red color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky cream colored head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big wood/peat smoke, caramel, honey, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, raisin, plum, fig, orange zest, leather, tobacco, brine, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready/smoked malts, fruity yeast, honey, orange zest, and light earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big wood/peat smoke, caramel, honey, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, raisin, plum, fig, orange zest, leather, tobacco, brine, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Very mild herbal/grassy hop bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of wood/peat smoke, caramel, honey, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, raisin, plum, fig, orange zest, leather, tobacco, brine, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/smoked malts, fruity yeast, honey, orange zest, and light earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Minimal warming alcohol for 8%. Overall this is a very good English barleywine. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/smoked malts, fruity yeast, honey, orange zest, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mildly bitter/drying finish. This definitely caught me off guard, they could have at least mentioned it was smoked on the label! Tasted like a scotch barrel aged barleywine. Nicely balanced between all flavors, nothing too overwhelming. A very enjoyable and unique offering. I liked it more as I finished the glass.
Mar 31, 2018
 
Rated: 4.1 by briancathy from Virginia

Dec 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Dec 08, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by nicole309 from Alaska

Dec 08, 2014
Photo of AWSBeerDude
Reviewed by AWSBeerDude from Massachusetts

1.31/5  rDev -58.8%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.25
This is a truly terrible beer, and I think the other reviews here reflect this as well.

Murky brown in color, with notes of band-aid, smoke and plastic leaping from the bottle. Thin and watery on the palate with flavors of industrial solvent (or so a friend says), more plastic and assorted medicinal flavors. Finishes with a bit of a burn (8.7%) and the worst case of heartburn I've had in years.

My colleagues and I keep a bottle or 3 of this stuff around to use as a punishment.
Oct 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by DbbC from Illinois

May 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by PeteRiz from Connecticut

Dec 17, 2013
Photo of Knapp85
Reviewed by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
This poured out as a clear brown color with a thin white head on top. The retention is minimal and doesn't leave much lacing on the glass. The smell of the beer is smokey... Not really the best aroma in my opinion. It's smokey and kind of medicinal. The taste of the beer is also a bit smoked and only becomes more drinkable as it warms. There isn't much of a Barley Wine-like taste at all. The mouthfeel of the beer is thin, moderately carbonated but just too watery for me. Overall it was nice to try but I wouldn't pay for it again by any means.
Jan 22, 2013
 
Rated: 1.75 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Jan 09, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by donactive from Sweden

Aug 19, 2012
 
Rated: 2 by t0rin0 from California

Aug 18, 2012
Photo of rarbring
Reviewed by rarbring from Sweden

3.53/5  rDev +11%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Very clouded and murky, a brown brew with hint of orange, a warm off-white uneven head, good lacing and good curtains.

Smelling of egg yolk, sugar and nuts.

Starting sweet, brown bread, syrup, raisins, sherry, Marzipan and apple peel.

Medium carbonation, smooth and thick, a big body and a slightly dry finish.

A sweet barley wine, young, as most I get the feeling I should have waited a few years.
Jul 20, 2012
Photo of Hellrob
Reviewed by Hellrob from Italy

3.14/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
strange, too strange. peated malty, leather and wood...a bit drinkable.
strange, too strange. peated malty, leather and wood...a bit drinkable.
strange, too strange. peated malty, leather and wood...a bit drinkable.
strange, too strange. peated malty, leather and wood...a bit drinkable.
Feb 28, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by WreckDiver from Pennsylvania

Jan 25, 2012
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

1.94/5  rDev -39%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5
Thanks, Craig...

The beer pours amber in color with a white head. A weird smokey aroma to go with lightly tart citrus notes. A bit of plastic, some light honey notes, maybe a bit of sweetness, too. The flavor is intensely smokey. There is definitely some bleach, maybe some burnt plastic and peat. This is just not good.
Dec 29, 2011
 
Rated: 1.5 by largadeer from California

Dec 24, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by rdespain from Washington

Dec 10, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Nov 14, 2011
Torbata from Almond '22
Beer rating: 77 out of 100 with 28 ratings