Brewed Witch - Maumee Bay Brewing Company

Brenden

Ohio

4/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a growler review, yes, but I'm also using this review to dance around semantics given the difference between this year's and last year's. This can also be taken as an on-tap review of the 2011 vintage, as I thought it was necessary due to noticeable differences, though a growler was consumed very soon after leaving the brewpub for a more accurate review.

Essentially, this beer looks very similar if not a bit darker. The head isn't huge but has some staying power and showcases good structure. The main differences are in the aroma and flavor, where it almost seems the fig is dropped for an extremely strong raisin element. In some way it also loses a touch of its depth and certainly a bit of complexity, as things go more one-sided with dark fruits (again, heavy raisin) and overshadow some of the subtleties. This is a very good beer, but it doesn't have what it originally did to make it stellar.

Serving type: growler

12-30-2011 15:36:58 | More by Brenden

paultierney1

Ohio

4.78/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Wow. A delicious barleywine. They are out of it now in Toledo (July 2012), but they'll have the Amarillo Brillo (DIPA) back in a few days! That is the bomb -- as Parliament/Funkadelic would say. Maumee Bay: you are a Toledo Gem. Thanks! We're almost in Michigan, so just consider us part of the Bell's, Founders, Dark Horse, Short's, Kuhnnehn's, Maumee Bay Triangle. Come for a visit, y'all. PS Alebird knows what he's talkin bout.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2012 02:22:42 | More by paultierney1

EK33

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Serendipidty struck on this one. Burger Bar 419, highly recommended in Toledo, Oh, had this on tap as of 1-25-12 and lucky me came in to taste it.

A-Tawny Cloudy Perfection. Poured by a lovely barmaid to a two-finger head. Head dissapated to 1mm ring with perfect lacing throughout.

S-Sharp Dark Cherry sweetness with caramel notes. Only had faint hop notes.

T-Wow nice sweetness up front followed by hoppiness. Sweet notes of dark cherry, followed by caramel with slight bite of hops at end

M-Copy this one as it has perfect creaminess when swished

O-Other than being warmer would open up flavor, great example of style

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2012 18:06:58 | More by EK33

alebird

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Maumee Bay's Brewed Witch is a stellar barleywine! I consider Sierra's Bigfoot a benchmark for barleywines and this beer comes in close to it. it's a little sweeter than bigfoot and not quite as "full" but nonetheless this is a fantastic example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2012 17:55:17 | More by alebird