Kickin' Chicken Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine - Santa Fe Brewing Company

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.99/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours murky brown with a small white head fading quickly. Good lacing down the glass.

Smells nice and boozy. Bourbon presence is high with sweet toffee and brown sugar cutting through the alcohol. A bit of vanilla and oak as well.

Similar flavors. Some stone fruit up front along with sweet caramel/brown sugar flavors. Bourbon is present on the back end cutting through the sweetness with a nice punch. Still leans a bit on the sweet side, but still tasty.

Medium to heavier bodied with carbonation a shade below medium. Fairly sticky with booze presence felt, but not overpowering.

Wasn't expected much after seeing the ratings on this, but was pleasantly surprised. Not the best BA barleywine I've had, but still solidly in the good category.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 19:10:26 | More by jmarsh123

drgonzo2k2

California

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

05-19-2013 18:13:49 | More by drgonzo2k2

jheezee

Texas

3.5/5  rDev 0%

05-09-2013 21:21:36 | More by jheezee

spycow

Illinois

3/5  rDev -14.3%

04-27-2013 00:04:01 | More by spycow

greenbr

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

04-23-2013 13:54:36 | More by greenbr

valarking

Texas

1/5  rDev -71.4%

03-19-2013 08:48:46 | More by valarking

adkieffer

Washington

4/5  rDev +14.3%

03-10-2013 00:13:01 | More by adkieffer

nzerbe

New York

3.5/5  rDev 0%

03-03-2013 22:32:36 | More by nzerbe

raffy313

Texas

3/5  rDev -14.3%

03-02-2013 01:05:57 | More by raffy313

mmapes

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bought a bottle at Hazel's before reading the reviews here. I see a couple people report either infection or nasty sourness, so I'm skeptical.

Poured into two tulip glasses. A beautiful clear amber color, almost no head. Sweet, alcohol, barrel notes on the nose. Someone else reported "plastic" scent, but we think that's the barrel. Someone else reported rubbing alcohol smell -- we don't get that, either.

First sip: sour - surprisingly. Tart/fruity. You'd think a barrel might mellow that more. Malty barrel finish. No plastic (phew!), but a dominant tart-cherry, mouth-coating finish.

Later: poured the bottom of the bottle and the liquid gets cloudy. Taste is a little less bright, but is still about the same.

It's 10% ABV, and it tastes pretty hot.

I prefer a malty, smooth, carmelly barleywine and would probably not buy this one again. I don't think ours is flawed, but that sour note seems weird for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 01:06:11 | More by mmapes

MarkyMOD

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

02-28-2013 05:31:11 | More by MarkyMOD

Beaver13

Colorado

1.83/5  rDev -47.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

22 oz bottle. Pours ruby amber with a small creamy white head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is sweet sugary fruity candy, peppery alcohol, flowers and a little oakey bourbon.

The flavor is extremely sweet sugary candy and cola with some slightly tart fruits and some bitter alcohol in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with some prickly carbonation.

Overall, it's a bit of a mess - way too sweet and sugary.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 05:36:32 | More by Beaver13

kjkinsey

Texas

2.75/5  rDev -21.4%

02-24-2013 23:40:22 | More by kjkinsey

DRyan

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served at 50 degrees into a Ranger Creek Tulip glass

A: Mahogany red with a minimal, thin, off-white head that dissipates quickly and leaves little lacing. Looks thinner than most big barleywines I’m used to.
S: Sweet maltiness, a little bourbon kick, and some citrus notes. There’s definitely some aroma from the yeast production as well.
T: Wow. It kicks right up front with a quick sour tinge (which I love), then follows that with the big barleywine flavors (toffee, vanilla, caramel) I epexct, and the flavor is rounded out by the bourbon notes at the end. While the alcohol is present, there is little to no alcohol astringency, it is very well masked in the complexities of this beer. This is MUCH nicer than the regular Chicken Killer.
M: Pretty thin for a barleywine, pretty light lightly carbonated, overall much thinner and less body that I would expect or hope for from a barleywine.
D: Very drinkable. This is 12%?

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 01:50:03 | More by DRyan

vcoggins

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

02-22-2013 00:44:17 | More by vcoggins

drummermattie02

Texas

2/5  rDev -42.9%

02-20-2013 23:17:42 | More by drummermattie02

mactrail

California

2.86/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

Brownish amber slightly hazy brew. Pours with a modest head. Below average carbonation in the mouth. Medium body that is less sweet and less malty than most Barley Wines.

This reminds me more of a Long Island Iced Tea than any beer I can think of. Fairly thin and sharp flavor with a distinct boozy tang. This is not exactly sour, but it seems like there is not much esidual sugar left. A taste of Lemon Snapple with some vodka. The alcohol is quite noticeable Not much barrel flavor except for a faint woodiness. A bitter finish seems more medicinal and less hoppy.

This seems to get worse the more you drink. I should rate it lower but my ears are buzzing. It From the 22 oz bottle bought at Jubilation Fine Wines in Albuquerque.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 05:36:27 | More by mactrail

BJasny

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +28.6%

02-09-2013 03:43:24 | More by BJasny

00chris

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +21.4%

01-27-2013 22:28:20 | More by 00chris

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.21/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Oh boy...from the beautiful waxed bottle. Poured in a chalice. Dark copper with small lingering head.
Aroma of bourbon barrel, big time... sour fruit, wildness.
Minimal carbonation, strong booze invader of the tongue.
Flavors include big bourbon, toffee, raisin, vanilla. Overall a whopper of a brew! As suggested, a year or two of aging might mellow out some of the strong alcohol heat.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 18:15:19 | More by DenverLogan

QCABeerTour

Iowa

4/5  rDev +14.3%

12-29-2012 02:07:51 | More by QCABeerTour

chugalug06

Colorado

2.5/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Thick yellow ish foam. Brew is deep ruby red. Lacing is null. Opaque.

Tartness? Grape. Vanilla. Fig.

Medium carbonation. Dare I say, Soured? Not a whole lot of oak or bourbon, but a ton of heat and booze. Sour.

I really wanted to give this brew 5's, but it's infected, badly... It's nothing enjoyable, unless you like sours, even then... Can't recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 01:30:02 | More by chugalug06

ArrogantB

Colorado

2.73/5  rDev -22%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up a bottle of this because i like Santa Fe beers. $11.99 22oz. Huge head on this at first which is always a little odd for a barrel aged barleywine. First couple whiffs were plastic (uh-oh). Flavor was strong fruits and a hint of tartness. I honestly struggled with whether I thought this beer was slightly infected. The aroma as it warmed was very high alcohol like rubbing alcohol, hint of bourbon, plastic went away. Flavor was grapes, fruit, heavy alcohol, slight vanilla, slightly tart. This may or may not have been infected but its just not very good. :(

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 05:59:10 | More by ArrogantB

ucsbmullet

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +21.4%

12-02-2012 04:23:20 | More by ucsbmullet

mfield14

Colorado

4/5  rDev +14.3%

11-28-2012 01:10:23 | More by mfield14