Chicken Killer Barley Wine - Santa Fe Brewing Company

joepais

Maine

4.47/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to JVD for sending this along
Bottle over a year old poured into a few snifters produced a tan colored head that settled out to nothing. The color of the brew was a nice caramel or copper depending who you ask.

The aroma was nice and sweet the caramel malts are in the forefront now with some brown sugar thrown in for good measure. The flavor was great nice and sweet a true sipper and a great desert brew. Caramel candy came to mind, with some butterscotch flavor as well every one in a while. The mouthfeel was great as well, nice and syrupy with little carbonation, just the way I like my barleywine's.

I was impressed by the brew. I will assume the age did nothing but help it in my scores as well. There were no hops present in this thing at all and the alcohol was hidden extremely well by the flavors and aromas. I enjoyed every drop of my glass. I even saw a craft beer Noob grab the bottle to wring the last few drops from it. I guess we have a convert

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2009 15:25:05 | More by joepais

kirok1999

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudyt reddish, orangish, brown with a nice thick and sticky head. Smells wonderfully sweet with a little hop citrus.
Taste is massive fruit, plums, raisins, dates, figs, citrus hops. Very nice carbonation and mouthfeel, slick and very creamy. I really like this one, just wish I could get more.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2007 01:08:55 | More by kirok1999

azdback

Arizona

4.28/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is my third bottle of this beer but my first barley wine and I'm curious if they are all this easy to drink. It pours a hazy amber or burnt orange color with a one finger off white, creamy head. Smell is sweet, barley and a hint of alcohol. Taste to me, is a "brown" on steroids or an American Strong with more alcohol. I think it is well rounded though. Just remarkable in the mouth. It is sooo hard to believe this is 10% abv. Drink ability...now here is where we need to talk....I have tried many10+abv's in my time, ie. Double Bastard, 120 minute ipa, and quite a few Russian Imperial Stouts, but none of these were as easy to drink as this. It is scary to me that this beer is so good and so easy to drink. If I could afford it I would make this my session beer and pass out enjoying it every night!!! Thanks to Rim Liquor for finding this for me!

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2007 04:54:35 | More by azdback

champ103

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a cloudy and dark amber brown color. A two finger beige head forms, but quickly recedes. Some patchy lace is left behind.
S: A big malty and fruity aroma. Some dark fruits. Bread, biscuit aromas. Some rum like alcohol is in the nose as well.
T: Malt up front. Dark fruits that follow the nose. A light hop twang as the taste lingers. This is a nice tasting barleywine.
M/D: A medium body that is kind of over carbonated for the style IMO. Just a touch of warming alcohol. Though this is a great beer to sip on.

This is a very surprising hit for me. Lots of wonderful malt, and the drinkability can't be beat for the style. This ranks as one of my favorite barleyines now.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2008 01:56:03 | More by champ103

Snorlax

Louisiana

4.28/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bomber into vintage Jax mug. This is a stout, delicious and fairly complex beer. I am a fan of barleywines and must say this is probably the most balanced one I have ever had. Pours a beautiful amber red with a quickly dissolving 3 finger head. Pretty nice lacing. Tastes of honey and cherries with a biting but not unpleasant aftertaste of pure alcohol. Great mouth feel, almost a nectar. Smells mostly of cherries. This is one of the easiest to drink barleywines I've ever come across. About as close to a session beer as this style could ever be, not that that's saying much. Excellent, would buy again, cook with and even save a spot in the cellar for.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 04:24:06 | More by Snorlax

Tilley4

Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

What's with the low scores on this one? Big thanks to both tayner and hopsleeroy for sending me this brew!

Pours out beautifully dark amberish red with a persistent eggshell head..plentiful small bubbles floating up as well as some damn good lacing..

Wonderfully citrusy aroma that's loaded with hops...it smells like a DIPA and I'm loving it..

Wonderful blend of sweet sweet malts and grapefruity citrusy hops meld together to make this ridiculously drinkable..those hops bitter up on the finish and leave me longing for another sip..

I have another bottle that I will reluctantly age. This was so good that it will be hard to keep my hands off of it.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2008 23:20:29 | More by Tilley4

beergoot

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Deep mahogany red body with a very thick, very creamy off-white head. Dark fruit, malty nose; slightly licorice, slightly sugary; hint of cinnamon and coriander. Smooth and delightful mouthfeel; silk and glass; semi-treacly and medium-heavy body. Flavors run from sweet, heavy, fruit-like notes to a slightly spicy and decently boozy combination that melds nicely with an interesting spicy bitterness midway through the finish.

A fine heavy yet intriguingly tasty malted beverage. Your palate gets treated to a variety of malt, hop, and boozy flavors that mix well together, always providing nuanced taste treats when allowed to coat the palate. Yes, a damn fine beer...

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 00:21:33 | More by beergoot

grumpy

Missouri

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hey! Where’s the love for this beer? OK, I know – only two reviews. So I am going to give this Barley Wine some props, and then hopefully when it totals 5 reviews, it will get the rating I think it deserves. And, no, I am not in any way associated with the brewery!

I travel frequently to Santa Fe, and have been sampling this barley wine for many years, bottled and on tap, fresh and aged. I think it’s consistently quite good, but consistently inconsistent in style. It has ranged from resembling a dry-hopped Imperial IPA, to being a soft, fruity, sweet beer in the acceptable range of the Barley Wine style. Even taking aging and bottle-conditioning into account, this stuff varies. It’s produced year round, so it isn’t an issue of changing the recipe for a new release.

So, for bottled CK, from 2005:

Appearance: Dark orange-amber, and cloudy without agitating the yeast. Beige colored moderate head with moderate lace.

Aroma: Very fruity – plums, maybe peaches? Sweet malt and underlying hops.

Taste: Again, very fruity. Substantially malty and sweet with a hop bittering that falls somewhat short of complete balance. Complex and enjoyable.

Mouthfeel: Fairly full-bodied and soft. Carbonation is moderate.

Drinkability: If the flavor profile works for you, this is very drinkable. The alcohol is definitely noticeable, but not overpowering. The sweetness is not cloying.

I plan to try the latest batch on tap this weekend at the brewery. And by the way, the brewery has moved and expanded and added restaurant service. So get out there and support these guys in their new investment. I don’t want to see this place go under from the added weight!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2006 14:41:10 | More by grumpy

barefootbrewer

Mississippi

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This beer poured a cloudy brown color with a big off white head. There was nice lacing.

S: The aroma is mainly of malt and caramel. There are hints of raisins and fruits. The hop presence is noticeable (slight pine/evergreen). The malt/caramel/raisin smells deepen as the beer warms.

T: Initially (while cold) this beer is alcohol hot and tin tasting. As it warms, it transforms into a most delightful mixture of caramel, malt and dates.

M: The mouthfeel is medium bodied and viscous.

D: After this beer warms, it is a total delight.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2008 00:54:10 | More by barefootbrewer

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.16/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared with a friend, served into two snifters.

A: Beautiful orange/red/brown clear color. Minimal head.
S: Sweet malts and fruity hops smells. Smell is delicious but not what I was expecting from a barleywine. Alcohol is well hidden.
T: Malty flavor with some nice bitterness. Lots of toffee and caramel flavors.
M: Very smooth and easy to drink for 10%. Nice carbonation.
O: really enjoyed this beer, it's definitely very tasty but it was overshadowed by the Leon we had right before it.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 23:38:58 | More by standardcherry

chocosushi

Oklahoma

4.13/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2009 Vintage
6oz->Duvel Tulip
A ~ Pours a murky brown color akin to burnt caramel. The silky eggshell head is sufficient & eventually settles into a constantly morphing cap/ring. Lacing is 100% solid.

S ~ Dark wheat, bread pudding, tree bark, granola, buttered toast, fig, & a touch of Wassail. Touch of yellow apple.

T ~ Fantastic. Toast & Buttered Bread notes follow through in a fantastic way. Prune, Cooked Apples, Cinnamon stick, & Berry Jam all make an appearance in the complex flavor profile.
Hop profile is all but diminished, but sappy/organic notes remain. Splash of brandy & vanilla bean that becomes more present upon warming. Great melody of flavor.
The nose is great, but does not do the taste justice!

M ~ Fantastic carbonation that is very smooth throughout & wicks away unwanted lingering flavors. Hops have faded in aroma (for the better) but still contribute bitterness. This is almost better when it looses carbonation (less astringent), but both have their advantages in flavor.

D ~ Better than the OG. The booze has mellowed out quite a bit over the course of two years, which is a very good thing. Very glad I have a few more to see how it's doing, but it's really at a sweet spot right now. Seek out this vintage.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 22:14:34 | More by chocosushi

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Could've swore I reviewed this before, but old age might be tricking me,,, 22 OZ bomber

Pours an effervescent reddish caramel with 2 fingers+ of brownish sandy colored head. Superior lacing & head retention

S: Bready with hints of brown sugar

T: Bready & fruitty (dates) with a little too much boozeyness up front. Some slight chocolate & herbal hops. Oaky dryness & breadyness dominate the finish, with a little fruittyness (dates, spiced apples & some pears) thrown in for good measure & little more dryness & alcohol burn, plus a wee bit of maple syrup sweetness

MF: Chewy with medium carbonation, pretty rich & sticky

Drinks great for the ABV. Skews to an English style BW IMO, fans of those will love this. A little more finesse with the malt & or alcohol taste than this offers or some more hops to get this to the upper ecehelons of BWs. Still way better than the 1st time I had it, but snow is falling, maybe it's all about the weather??

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2007 03:45:01 | More by russpowell

BigMcLargeHuge

Arizona

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12/02/06 Walk the Line Barleywine Festival, Dunedin, FL. 2005 vintage. This beer poured copper with off white head. The aroma was fresh sweetness that seemed to be a combination of sweet caramel malts and grapefruit hoppiness. The flavor was light in the malt department with a sweet caramel taste along with a more dominant sweet and slightly tart orange citrus hops

12/02/06 Walk the Line Barleywine Festival, Dunedin, FL. 2002 vintage. This one had a milder hop aroma. The flavor was very good with a bit stronger dark fruit note and smoother hops. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2008 21:25:44 | More by BigMcLargeHuge

emmasdad

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Ratman for bringing this one over to the house last weekend. 2007 vintage. Poured a slightly hazy caramel color, with a short white head. Aromas of prunes, caramel and dark fruits. Full bodied and very smooth, with caramel, dark fruits and sherry.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 19:24:05 | More by emmasdad

DmanGTR

New York

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Amanda for this treat!

Poured maple brown, slight murkiness with scant head. A couple minutes later and it looked quite still, although it did have a very smooth carbonation. Lots of sweetness here. Caramel, brown sugar, and a hint of figs. Very light bitterness in the finish and the sweetness definitely carries further. Quite smooth and delicious. Overall, it's a good American barleywine. I would have appreciated a touch more bitterness, as the sweetness is quite prominent. It did indeed make for a great post-exam celebration. :)

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 05:14:31 | More by DmanGTR

depechemode1983

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- The beer pours cloudy dark orange brown in color. The head is minimal and tan. Lacing is also minimal with just a few uneven splotches.

S- Right up front your hit with bitter pineapple carried on with sweet milky notes. You also get pine resin and a little bit of oak. The nose finishes bitter dry. For being 10% ABV the alcohol is surprisingly well hidden.

T- Malty upfront with just the right amount of pine bitterness. The malts come up through the middle even more with a caramel sweetness toning down the pine to subtle. The finish is sweet and malty with little alcohol warmth.

M- Smooth as hell. Carbonation is most excellent bubbly but not over the top. Goes down great.

O- Excellent interpretation of the style. Not overly complex but not overly dull. it had just the right amount of complexities to keep the nose, the taste and the mouth feel in check . Its very surprising how they got the alcohol so well hidden with a 10%ABV. Worthy of multiple purchases.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 23:15:25 | More by depechemode1983

Kemmerlin

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Unfiltered dark amber color with very low head even after a strong pour.

S: Light fruit/citrus smells with malted caramel and hop notes.

T: Strong hops with astringent alcohol taste that quickly falls to the background and roasted caramel.

M/D: It is slowly getting harder for me to write this because the ale was so drinkable I took to much before writing and now the 10% abv is taking effect. The mouth feel is thick but smooth and kinda creamy. I think the astringent value could have been taperd down a little bit but it is still good. The drinkability is awesome and will definitely by it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2008 22:48:59 | More by Kemmerlin

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I acquired this in a trade from turbine2475. Thanks for the chance to try it. Pours dark orange with some ruby highlights. The head fades a bit but settles to a thin cap for the life of the beer. Smells a bit sweet, and a bit hot, a tiny bit bready, and with some spiced pear on the finish. The taste is not nearly so hot and the flavors are more integrated than is indicated by the nose. Some tangy, spicy malt, earthy hops, caramel, pear, honey , and a dry finish that caps it off nicely. Fairly dry and smooth and integrated in the mouthfeel. Pleasant to drink, but you can definitely feel the alcohol creeping up on you.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2008 19:42:13 | More by Georgiabeer

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up this bottle last year and have been sitting on it for what seemed like forever. I decided to open this one up last night. Served chilled and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 11/25/2008.

The pour was nice enough. Rich dark amber in color with a smooth look to it. Nice cloudiness to it. Some carbonation could be seen streaming up from the bottom of the glass, with a nice amount odd white head sitting on top of it. Smooth settle, left behind only trace amounts of side lacing. The aroma was rich, light notes of alcohol and a ton of bready malts. Hints of pine resin hops and a nice, touch of grain mingling in throughout the profile. The flavor was smooth as could be, a very mellow barley wine with hints of caramel and a muted hop note. Interesting balance here, with the alcohol mostly hidden in amongst the profile. Easy to sip, the carbonation was spot on.

Overall an enjoyable barley wine that I am glad I had the chance to try. I would say this would be worth another look.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2008 04:44:41 | More by mikesgroove

ZenAgnostic

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1 pint 6 oz bottle poured into a Duvel snifter. No date.

Appearance - Medium brown, cloudy to the point of near total opacity. Tan pancake batter head with fine lacking that slides off momentarily; decent to good retention.

Smell - Vinous. Oaky. Sweet like fresh fruit. Apple cider. Smooth and inoffensive.

Taste - Leather. Yeasty. Relatively dry apple cider. Hides its alcohol well.

Mouthfeel - Slight alcoholic bite. Mildly solvent. Astringency is pretty minimal.

Overall Drinkability - Very smooth. Nt very complex, but very drinkable for the style. Deceptive alcohol. Not very

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 19:43:13 | More by ZenAgnostic

angelmonster

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is at least 2 years old.

Pours a translucent amber with ruby highlights. Head is 1 inch and khaki colored. Head retention and lacing are pretty good.

Smell is of sweet Belgian candied sugar and dried figs/plums. Apricot jam is also detected, no hops and little alcohol is detected. This beer is all about malty sweetness.

Taste is of sweet toffee, bready malts, and dried fruits. Has similar flavors to a fruit cake and would probably pair nicely with one. Aftertaste is of some bitter hops and very light alcohol.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied but has nice amount of carbonation. Head didnt contribute much to texture, this barleywine is one of the lighter ones I've had.

Overall this beer aged nicely, very smooth, sweet barleywine. Price was also good, cheap quality beer. Nothing in the top 10 for its style but solid enough that I would order one again.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 21:41:46 | More by angelmonster

Enola

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Obtained in a trade with Grumpy a while back.

This beer is a nice ruby red with a small head that is sustained in my new Samuel Adams glass. The smell is malty and there are hints of apricots as well as other fruits. The taste is sweet and the abv shows a litte. The mouthfeel is smooth, much like a cask ale. This brew is a real pleasure to drink but it is a sipper for sure. Try to rush this one and you'll end up with warm ears and red cheeks. I would drink this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2007 20:57:27 | More by Enola

GClarkage

California

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12/20/07- Purchased at Sun Devil Liquors in Mesa, AZ.

Presentation- 22oz botle with no freshness info on the bottle. Poured into an oversized wine glass.

Appearance- Mid to deep golden color with a full one inch head upon pour. Fades fairly quickly with just a very light rim remaining. Leaves nice lace trails behind though.

Smell- Seems like more sweet roasted caramel malt than hops. Although, hops are both pine and grapefruit in nature and come through as well in the nose.

Taste- At first it seems like the perfect balanced barleywine. Then after a few sips the hops kick in with avengence. Fairly smooth toasted caramel candied malt combines with a pretty potent hit of grapefruit bittering hops. This one is simple and straight forward.

Mouthfeel- Smooth, fuller mouthfeel with a lingering hoppy flavor remaining.

Drinkability- Simple recipe...hops and malt, both frolicking together hand in hand. They make a great team in this beer. Nothing over the top incredible, but pretty damn good nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2007 15:27:00 | More by GClarkage

SammyDavisJrJrJr

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to my parents for bringing this back to me. Into the snifter...

A - Rich amber body with an average head, that left nice lacing.

S - First notes are of cherry and apricot, with cinnamon and sweet English malts. Piney hops are present, but do not overpower the rest of the aroma.

T - Starts out sweet, like angel food cake, followed quickly by cherry, melon and apricot like fruitiness. Alcohol adds to the flavor, and seems to lend a cinnamon like spice quality. Hops are balenced and piney.

M - Silky and full, no complaints here.

D - This is deffinately one for people who like a nice English style Barleywine. Very nice example that I would recomend. Deserves it's name.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2008 02:39:51 | More by SammyDavisJrJrJr

thekevlarkid

Maryland

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewing a hometown favorite, as un-biasedly as possible. But acknowledging openly that I have a will like this beer. Poured out of the bomber into my glass with a two finger khaki colored head. The head display nice retention in a cobweb like way and it does lace quite well. The brew color itself is wood stain brown. Aromas of malts and ripened fruits. Flavors are sweet and the ALC % is clearly masked (purposefully) by the on-display esters. Fruit flavors, most notably pineapple, in the middle, strong malt presence, and at the end enough hop presence to cut with out doing so sharply. Well thought out, but not subtle. Still, I do consider this as a good example of the style and a well balanced drinkable Barley wine. If you can find, you have to try it.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2008 17:37:36 | More by thekevlarkid