Sweet Evil Barley Wine - Hoppin' Frog Brewery

ChadQuest

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Adding my first beer to the BA database, destiny would have it to be a barleywine. I put the availability as rotating only because BA naked evil has been released yearly twice now, i have no information on the future releases of this.

The color is a medium gold faded to amber, lighter then i expected for a barleywine, but then again this is not a big dense high alcohol beer at 8.8%.

Nose is sugary and fruity. The Belgian yeasts are really prominent right now fresh. Alcohol is mild but appreciated on the nose, one of the reasons i like these beers fresh is i hope for a warming touch. Dark fruits delivered from the various yeast strains.

Of everything i listed on the nose the sweetness really comes out fighting the strongest on the palate, fruits coated in sugar. strawberries dipped in sugar, raisins covered in sugar, et cetera. The alcohol is more subtle here mingled with a toffee side, and sweet fruits, not even that dark of fruits, just sweet fruits overall, play the biggest role. This one could be cloying for a lot of people, and it is borderline for me.

The mouthfeel is rather syrupy and sticky, lingers around a long time. It loves you long time.

I might grab a bottle or two to forget for a few years, but not any to drink in the next 2 years. In short it is simply too sweet right now.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 04:45:50 | More by ChadQuest

weonfire

Illinois

2.21/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.25

A - Amber, light head-dissipates quickly, opaque, carbonation bubbling, zero lacing

S - Dark fruit, real sweet sugary pineapple

T - Sugar, ripe pineapple, aged fruit-raison, plum, nectar

M - medium body, low froth, more of alcoholic juice, boozy finish

O - Hella sweet, gross sweet, sweet like you put sugar on overly ripe pineapple slices sweet- then add some booze flavor. I fully do not recommend this. I got through maybe 4oz of the bomber. Complete disappointment. 12 bucks. down the drain. literally.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 01:54:09 | More by weonfire

goblin7704

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev +2.8%

06-11-2013 16:55:12 | More by goblin7704

MarkIntihar

Michigan

4/5  rDev +26.6%

06-03-2013 14:52:05 | More by MarkIntihar

Davit

Illinois

3/5  rDev -5.1%

05-15-2013 03:46:00 | More by Davit

bradycd1

Illinois

2.25/5  rDev -28.8%

04-19-2013 23:21:44 | More by bradycd1

Duff27

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev +2.8%

04-15-2013 03:12:02 | More by Duff27

Zuidman

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +18.7%

04-15-2013 02:53:31 | More by Zuidman

egrace84

Illinois

3/5  rDev -5.1%

04-14-2013 02:08:35 | More by egrace84

laxer8811

New York

3/5  rDev -5.1%

04-14-2013 01:38:40 | More by laxer8811

ONUMello

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass
A: Transparent amber color with a one-finger head that slowly settles, light carbonation
S: Sweet, like everyone else has said. Fruit cocktail covered in caramel
T: Also cloyingly sweet - again I'm getting canned fruit cocktail with maple syrup and toffee
M: Somewhat thick, cloying. Think toasted simple syrup
O: This needs hops in a very bad way. And more fermentation time to lower the amount of sugar. I honestly could only finish half the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 03:52:00 | More by ONUMello

MaseFace

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +26.6%

03-29-2013 01:14:53 | More by MaseFace

bpfrush

Wisconsin

2.75/5  rDev -13%

03-23-2013 02:09:25 | More by bpfrush

LOCAL

New Hampshire

2.25/5  rDev -28.8%

03-19-2013 22:55:38 | More by LOCAL

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a 8 oz snifter.

A- pours copper color with a 1 finger tan head. Small bubbles of lacing on the glass.

S- sweet caramel, brown sugar and dark fruits

T- sweet toffee and caramel, brown sugar, dark fruits

M- medium body and carbonation. Thick, syrupy with a smooth finish

O- very sweet Barleywine. Almost no bitterness, and more doppelbock like.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:50:16 | More by kawilliams81

wolfetone

Massachusetts

1/5  rDev -68.4%

12-31-2012 18:31:49 | More by wolfetone

kevgod

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev +10.8%

12-09-2012 03:18:26 | More by kevgod

Gobzilla

California

3.6/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: poured dark brown in color with pale dark orangish highlights and almost no head that virtually left no lacing sticking to the glass.

S: like the label reads there was definitely lots of sweetness in the aroma consisting with a little caramel, dark fruits such as prunes and raisins. Burnt sugar an top of cane sugar, mabybe a little toffee coming through and signs of booze.

T: plenty of burnt sugar caramel sweetness was leading this sweet bomb alongside prune plum raisin dark fruits, a littel toffee undertones, a touch of cane sugar, mild booze and muted brown sugar as well.

M: the body was medium to full in body with a low amount of carbonation which had sugary, mild dark fruity, slightly boozy and very sweet finish.

O: just a decent barelywine to me and was just too sweet for my liking. It was still worth trying, not bad by any means.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 20:14:12 | More by Gobzilla

sitarist

Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -20.9%

11-21-2012 02:38:04 | More by sitarist

SeriousALEment

Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -20.9%

11-20-2012 00:17:44 | More by SeriousALEment

cfh64

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +10.8%

11-04-2012 15:54:27 | More by cfh64

Treebs

Illinois

2.28/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

22 oz. bottle served in a New Belgium globe.

A: Pours dark amber color with a thin light tan head forming on the pour. It recedes quickly to a thin ring. No lace is left behind.

S: Very sweet. Sugar glazed prunes are right up front. Caramel with a burnt sugar bitterness. A little booze with a sweet, fruity yeast component as well.

T: Wow, this is like drinking sugar dipped sugar, which is glazed in sugar. It's got an intense saccharine flavor with dark fruity flavor. Sweet roll malts with a odd fruity juice flavor as well.

M: Syrupy body with a medium low carbonation level. Very hard to get down.

O: Hard to put down and immensely sweet. I'm definitely not a fan at this time.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 01:21:05 | More by Treebs

maximum12

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks again to Torgo for opening yet another Hoppin' Frog bottle I probably wouldn't have been able to try otherwise. 22 oz. bottle.

Pour is flatflatflat, orange; no carbonation is evident. Smells - holy crap, like you stuck your head into a Krispy Kreme donut. For an hour. Sweetsweetsweet.

Sweet Evil can't be accused of trying to pull the wool over a buyer's eyes, since it's right there in the title. Saccharine welded onto apple juice, then given a cane sugar booster shot, then with more sugar added. Maybe caramel? No, that's just more sugar. Flatness means it's almost wine-like. A few ounces is more than enough.

Did I mention this was sweet? Overwhelming. Decent enough, but for someone without a sweet tooth (& I have the cavities to prove it), this would be torture.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 01:49:24 | More by maximum12

kaelingirl

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -5.1%

10-15-2012 23:36:10 | More by kaelingirl

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Clear amber. Some nice deep gold hues. No head. Tiny white collar. Minimal carbonation. Still. Looks on point.

Smell: Incredibly sweet. Toasted edge mingles with caramel, toffee, vanilla, and some touches of something that reminds me of oak. So very sweet. Caramel malts. Almost white wine level of sweetness. Some deep fruitiness. Apples, grapes, and even some mealy pear. Butterscotch. Some underlying spiciness from the Belgian yeast. Touches of bubblegum.

Taste: Incredibly sweet. Loads of butterscotch, caramel and English toffee. Vanilla and touches of oak. Caramelized biscuity malts. Caramel malts. Caramel candy. Cooked malts. Bananas, pears, apples. Crazy malt aggression. No hops to speak of. Dessert. Crazy levels of vanilla and butterscotch. Almost like a brûlée. Bubblegum and ripe banana.

Mouthfeel: Slick and pushes full for the body. Almost no carbonation. Smooth.

Overall: Big Evil does not approve of Sweet Evil.

The Undertaker does not approve of the Evil moniker. Super sweet. Incredibly sweet. Nice depth, but so sweet it's distracting.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 22:38:28 | More by Goblinmunkey7