Dock Street Barley Wine
Dock Street South

Dock Street Barley WineDock Street Barley Wine
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From:
Dock Street South
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
10.5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.67 | pDev: 18.26%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
21
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 03, 2015
Added:
Jan 14, 2010
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 2 by PorterThwarter from Maryland

Nov 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by grimey68 from Pennsylvania

Mar 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by kscaldef from Oregon

Jun 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by kbuzz from North Carolina

Nov 16, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by cliftonsbiehl from Pennsylvania

Mar 18, 2013
Photo of vfgccp
Reviewed by vfgccp from New York

2.66/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
A - Tar black body with just the faintest of edge of cola highlights. Light dusting of mocha head.

S - Thick blackstrap molasses. Edges of chocolate and reduced balsamic vinegar.

T - A lot of the nose comes through in the flavor profile. Black molasses, dark chocolate, tart prune, bitter greens, touch of vinegar. Surprisingly little booze.

M - Medium-light body, low carb, syrupy finish.

O - The vinegar and somewhat off-balance bitterness really hurt this brew.
Dec 27, 2012
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Looking at the prior reviews, all of them are from a bottle and the most current review is from 2 years ago. I guess it is safe to assume this is a new batch.

Draft offering at the source, the brew appears a burnt copper to mahogany color with a thin white head. Some spotty lace clings to the glass as the cap fades. Some lighter yellow is seen around the edges.

The aroma contains notes of toffee, caramel and vanilla with some dark fruits almost like raisins and plenty of burnt sugars. The alcohol is evident but not distracting by any means. Pretty solid smelling without fault.

The taste is big with vanilla and toffee with dark fruity character before the onset of solvent alcohol and herbal hops. It is toasty and biscuit-like with grain into the finish contrasted with an earthy element and clingy hops mixing with solvent alcohol.

This is a medium to fuller bodied brew with a light level of carbonation. It is quite boozy and could use some time to mellow. I am surprised by how much the alcohol dominates the flavor as it warms up despite having plenty of malt character to integrate with.
Dec 10, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by Beeradelphia from Pennsylvania

Dec 04, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by nosavingsaccount from Pennsylvania

Nov 07, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by t0rin0 from California

Sep 20, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by acurtis from New Jersey

Jan 09, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Nov 18, 2011
Photo of DIM
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A barleywine aged in Pinot Noir barrels? I have to try that.

a: This was a very dark, ruddy copper color. One of the darkest barleywines I've seen. It poured with a smallish, but long lasting tan colored head.

s: The aroma is wonderful, but not at all what I expected. There is alot going on here, but no one element overwhelms another. I found a unique and amazing balance of toffee, molasses, chocolate liqueur, and a subtle vinous aroma. The alcohol is very well hidden.

t: Again, this isn't at all what I expected. This is far from a grape-y pinot bomb. The Pinot Noir barrel affect is subtle yet profound. I've never tasted anything like this. The base barleywine is definitely English leaning. I tasted plums, toffee, and brown sugar. This pairs very well with the vinous, almost chocolatey flavors from the barrel. The finish had a hint of raw alcohol that I wouldn't quite call hot and some tannic oakiness.

m: This had a big, beefy body and gentle carbonation that worked very well for this one.

d: Thanks to the Sweidler's for this unique treat. I'm very glad I got to try this one.
Dec 01, 2010
Photo of TheFightfan1
Reviewed by TheFightfan1 from Pennsylvania

2.96/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a snifter. Pours a ruby color with just about no heading whaatsoever. Looks completely flat and blah. Slight white covering that kind of reminds me of scum covering a pond.

Smell is very malty with the slightest oak aroma. Nothing much.

Taste in which is more of a chew is very heavy.Thick malts and a hot booziness that burns the belly. This is almost undrinkable to be honest. Think of a thick gooey beer with no carbonation whatsoever.

Mouth is full bodied and no carbonation leaves a type of funk on the palate equivalent to dirt.

I don't know what went wrong here but this was just a mess of a beer. Dispite all of it's flaws for being above %10 alcohol it wasn't completely undrinkable
Nov 14, 2010
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
Appearance: Pours a chestnut brown color with a tan. tight-bubbled head that leaves some streaky lace on the side of the chalice

Smell: Caramel and a vinous character that is somewhere between the pinot noir barrels in which this was aged and balsamic vinegar

Taste: Caramel, up front, with a growing vinous character that turns sour by mid-palate; after the swallow, the sourness clashes with the oak, grape and caramel elements

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: I am afraid this was an experiment gone wrong, as the vinegary sourness just doesn't work well with the barleywine sweetness and the grape barrel aging

Thanks, TheEpeeist, for the opportunity
Oct 28, 2010
Photo of Mora2000
Reviewed by Mora2000 from Texas

4.32/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours an amber-red color with a white head. The aroma is dark fruit (mainly cherries) with some caramel malt and alcohol. The flavor is cherries, alcohol, caramel, oak and vanilla. Low carbonation and medium mouthfeel. The barrel aging really added something to this beer.
Jun 14, 2010
Photo of russpowell
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas

4.76/5  rDev +29.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Got this from jyoungsbcp, cheers Josh!

Pours a ruddy chestnut/brown with a pinky of tan head. Great lacing & not much head retention

S: Oakyness, leafy hops, dark fruit & a whiff of booze

T: Dark fruittyness, cherries plus persimmons up front, along with some vanilla. Dryness & jammyness assert themselves as this warms along, a long with pecan sweetness (praline-like). Finishes oaky, dry & fruitty

MF: Chewy, low/smooth carbonation, superior balance

Great drinkability, ABV is well disguised. Stellar offering worth seeking out!
May 24, 2010
Photo of BigPapiBrewingCo
Reviewed by BigPapiBrewingCo from Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
POURED INTO DOGFISH SNIFTER FROM 750ML BOTTLE.
Brown no carbonation into glass. This bad bad boy needs more time in the bottle.
Smells of earthy hops and barrel.
Tatse- Very dry. Sticky mouthfeel Sweet carmel and the oak , vanilla , red wine tannins lingering. somewhat astringant
I was really disappointed struggled threw the bottle.
THis beer will improve with some age easying the rough edges.
16.99 at the brewpub
Feb 08, 2010
Photo of corby112
Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania

3.64/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
This is the Dock Street Barleywine that was aged for 10 months in Chadds Ford Pinot Noir oak wine barrels.

Pours a very dark and completely opaque chestnut brown color with deep dark golden caramel hues when held to a light source and a barely noticeable yellowish beige head that immediately disappears. I gave this a very aggressive pour and it's almost completely still with just a few bubbles floating on top.

Earthy and leathery malt aroma with lots of complexity in the nose. Hints of toffee and biscuit along side a lot of leathery caramel malt. There's also a prominent oak presence but it isn't too earthy with lots of sweet vanilla and alcohol notes. Only slightly tannic with a minimal vinous character. There's also slight chocolate and a prominent dark fruit character, especially dark cherry and grape.

Even though it appears still, the carbonation level is consistent with the style. Medium bodied with a very prominent earthy and leathery malt flavor along with a lot of sweet hot alcohol. The malt character is really intense with lots of toffee and caramel as well as some biscuit, toasted coconut and subtle chocolate. The oak presence is also very strong with a lot of earthy wooden tones. It's kind of a strange sensation to taste such a wood like flavor in a barrel aged beer. I find most of the time that the liquor used in the barrel tends to dominate the flavor but the opposite is true in the case of this beer. The sweet red wine presence is subtle and oak is much more powerful. Dark fruit notes are evident, especially grape, dark cherry, plum, fig and raisin. Sweet from the wine and strong alcohol content with lots of warmth in the finish. Overall, it's pretty complex but a bit too hot at this age.
Feb 08, 2010
Photo of weeare138
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to josh...
Appears a hazy amber with a small white cap that quickly fades into a small, floating head. Spotty bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of vanilla, oak, brandy, ripe fruit, berries, and light cocoa.
Taste is a slight let down from the aromas with more of a port wine flavor coming through in the flavor with some bitter, earthy hops found in the finish.
Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, sticky, swet, with red wine lingering in the finish.
Feb 07, 2010
Dock Street Barley Wine from Dock Street South
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 21 ratings