Barrel Roll No. 4 Hammerhead - Hangar 24 Brewery

mactrail

California

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Local Habit in San Diego. Cloudy dark amber with modest foam and a few stray bubbles in the tall tulip. Highly flammable if you dare stick your nose in it. Aromas of bourbon and caramel.

Some serious stuff. Hot with alcohol but big hoppiness as well. Kind of in a class by itself. An alcoholic drink more than a beer. The hops give it away, however, and it's quite bitter along with all the other intense flavors. Oranges along with the hops. Quite sharp with lots of woody barrel flavors. The rye seems to give a great spicy taste.

Brewery says they used English caramel malts and four American hops and aged for six months in oak rye whiskey and bourbon barrels. I can't seem to feel my tongue anymore. Time to switch to pig Latin.

05/18/2013 Update: Had the 2013 version (12.4%) on tap at California Kebab's first anniversary. Boozy and alcoholic with a serious whiskey taste. There is a dry sensation that is closer to a Belgian style. A bitter edge takes the sweetness down. So boozy it's like a dry liqueur.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2012 05:08:52 | More by mactrail

srandycarter

California

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Murky dark apple juice, tan head, slow to leave, lots of spotty cling lace.

S - Sharp boozy note, surrounded by sweet malt and bittering hops.

T - Cooked fruits sweet malt and booze, some bitterness at finish.

M - Medium body, great carb, huge flavors.

D - Not a session, but so tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 03:58:03 | More by srandycarter

mrelizabeth

California

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at Local Habit. A bit pricey for a 10 oz, due to its 13.8 abv. ($8.50)

a- opaque red, short off-white head.

s- barley, barley, barley. whiskey. little to hint that you are about to drink a beer.

t- sweet barleywine, then rye whiskey. lots and lots of whiskey. there are some hops hidden there, somewhere.

m- thick and mysterious. whiskeybeer.

o- sipped this badboy on a cold night in San Diego. perfect for warming up your tongue. tastes like they were able to leech out some of that devil's cut in those rye whiskey barrels. brilliant and tasty beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2012 21:25:50 | More by mrelizabeth

Drinkerofales

California

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle 2942/5520

Well, something special here. Barrel aged barley wines are quickly becoming a favorite. Glad to see something new in the store, especially special releases as this one.

Pours very opaque brown, no light shines through. A thick dense khaki head forms and leaves thick oily lacing, and is well retained by the constant supply of bubbles sliding up the snifter.

Smells of bourbon, rich, vanilla, woody, boozy, with hints of the whiskey as well. Very strong.

Taste is complex, bourbon, whiskey, roasted malts, wood, vanilla, and while it has ok balance, I feel this the least balanced part of the beer.

Feel is wicked evil smooth. While there is no attempt to hide the huge ABV, it's still drinks rather well. Thick viscosity reminds me of the Sucaba(Abacus).

As mentioned, this is very reminiscent of other BABW's, not as good as some, but better than others. I will get another to age.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 18:56:19 | More by Drinkerofales

BeRanger

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this thanks to Tenchi221. Poured into my Great Lakes Snifter 10 ounces at a time.

A: Pours brown, nice khaki/offwhite colored head comes through, about 1.5 fingers. A decent amount of lacing but nothing spectacular.

S: Very delicious - rich in vanilla, caramel, toffee, malts as well as the bourbon. Very good smell to it, the boozy smell was very minimal given the high ABV.

T: Just as the nose, very rich - everything comes through in a good balance. Finishes clean, no real harsh alcohol bite.

M: Medium bodied, light carbonation. Very smooth.

O: I really enjoyed this BA Barleywine. This was a first from Hangar 24 and I wasnt disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 00:38:55 | More by BeRanger

DmouthCaliBrewz

New Hampshire

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottle 2252/3905

A: Pours a dark reddish murky tan, with a nice fluffy cream colored head that faded after a few minutes with decent lacing.

S: Boozy bourbon, dark fruits, vanilla, and charred oak barrel (written on the bottle so it was in my head).

T: Initially, dark fruit overtones and a strong spicy rye whisky barrel dominate the palate. Spice on Spice on Spice continues to unfold, interplaying with a pleasant citrusy hop bitterness, balanced with some bourbon in the middle. The charred and spicy whisky character continues to give this beer a serious zing, but just when it almost begins to taste too spicy and one diminutional, the sticky sweet carmel and dark fruits (I get fig and date) arrive to save the day. All of this comes to a climax with a strong alcohol burn at the finish, and a nice hop bite, beautifully complimented by the sticky mouthfeel.

M: Sticky sweet and viscous, about as heavy as a barleywine gets. Crisp carbonation is kept in check by the heavy body. Like heavy velvet on the tongue.

O: It seems many aren't a fan of this particular brew, but I thought it was really interesting. Mouthfeel was superb, and it was spicy as hell - something I wasn't expecting. The zing of the rye whiskey barrels took the forefront, and was boosted even more by a slightly fruity yet bitter hop character, but subtle notes of bourbon, dark fruits, vanilla, and a touch of caramel allowed this beer to remain amazingly interesting. I would have liked more from the nose, but the taste was unique and it was a delight to drink. No doubt a massive alcohol heat to it, and I am sure it will do well after a few years in the cellar, but I don't mind huge beers with a nice heat to them, and so this one was nothing but a pleasure to sip on. Great nightcap after one too many cups of coffee studying for midterms.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 04:43:45 | More by DmouthCaliBrewz

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.11/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 2.10.13
Thanks jodan March 2012 89/5520

A - Pours a dark carmel brown with a two inch soapy tan head with good retention.

S - Bourbon, carmel, toffee, fades hops, vanilla.

T - Bourbon and wood up front, then some alcohol, carmel, and vanilla.

D - Medium carbonation and a medium body.

O - A hopped up carmel heavy and stronge bourbon BW.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 06:19:58 | More by HuskyinPDX

abraxel

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - I wasn't really planning to review this until I poured and saw how gorgeous a beer this is... it pours a dark mahogany, with ruby shining through the edges, and a dense, creamy, luscious head that rose slowly, sinks slowly, and is leaving heavy trails of lacing.

S - Mmm... this smells delicious. Smooth bourbony vanilla mixed with a nice amount of burnt caramel. There's a little something else, something almost spicy -- could that be the rye whiskey? Barely a hint of alcohol. This is right up my alley.

T - Whoo, lotsa alcohol (though what else would you expect?). I get a lot of rye and a hint of bourbon, opposite of the smell. Nutty, caramelly malt makes up the base, supporting the liquor.

M - Nice and thick, with a sharp alcohol bite. Carbonation is minimal.

Overall, I like this beer. It's a solid BA barleywine. I made the mistake of pouring it into a Kuhnhenn tulip, though... this smells something like Kuhnhenn's Bourbon Barrel Fourth Dementia, but just can't live up to the comparison. Still good, though.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 22:18:55 | More by abraxel

claaark13

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Schmaltzy hooks it up. Poured at cellar temp into a Hill Farmstead tulip, shared with aasher.

A - Murky brown with red-orange hues. White head turns into lacing. Sticks very well. Pretty light in the color, the the rest looks great.

S - Spicy malts, some fruit, more of a light red fruit like a cherry than a raisin, mild sweetness. Caramel notes as well.

T - Spices show through here as well with the rye. Caramel, similar fruits from the nose, more spicy caramel with a little bit of oak. Barrel stays in the finish. Underlying sweetness helps keep this in balance.

M - Thicker side of medium, good for the style.

O - This is a very interesting take on the style, as the rye barrels presumably are what create many of the spiciness coming through. There is a little bit of the flavor that I find to be a little light from the body, but it really is a very good beer. The spicy fruit notes are very unique.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 23:36:59 | More by claaark13

maximum12

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to MarkVegas for sending me this bottle a while back. The two other beers in the box were A/A+ beers - let's go for a triple! 750 ML glass, 2157/5520 split with my wife. Bottled in March 2012.

Before the pour, let us pause to admire the label. Gotta admit I care about labels on beer bottles as much as I do what type of pants Kobe Tai has on, but this one is exquisite. Great old-time-feel to it, nice illustration, a couple minutes worth of good reading. The pour is clay river bottom reddish, stirred up by a passing prop. After almost ten minutes of warming, the nose radiates vanilla & whiskey, with undercurrents of caramel & sweets. Well. It smells exactly like a world-class barleywine. Shall we?

Barrel Roll No. 4 - Hammerhead is a head-scratcher. The initial sip is weak & thin, a touch of wood & stale hops & watery malts, then the beer bursts open like a lanced boil. A tasty boil. Vanilla, oak, whiskey merge with headstrong caramel, all against a nutty background. Tired hops detract slightly. But every time I pick up the glass there's that weird, one-second pause before the flavor hits. Mouth is a touch flat. Drinkable - because I keep wanting to find out what comes with the next two degrees of warming.

My first taste of Hangar 15 & though this didn't live up to the Henry-esque nose, it's very good. Odd, but very good.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:27:42 | More by maximum12

UCLABrewN84

California

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Eureka Burger in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Pours a murky dark orange-brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, caramel, fruit, wood, and bourbon. Taste is much the same with a woody finish and a bourbon kick with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty but I think this one smells better.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2012 21:42:05 | More by UCLABrewN84

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to bman113vr for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours an amber color with a white head. The aroma is definitely that of a barrel-aged beer. I get a lot of bourbon and whiskey notes, as well as some toffee, caramel, brown sugar and molasses. The flavor is also very nice. I get some pine from the hops, as well as some brown sugar, molasses, caramel malt and whiskey. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 04:16:17 | More by Mora2000

womencantsail

California

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Bruery Provisions

Almost mahogany in color with minimal head. The nose is somewhat boozy. Lots of bourbon, wood, and vanilla, but good caramel and toffee, too. Quite a bit of brown sugar, as well. The flavor is sweet and boozy, as expected. A nice dark fruit aroma, brown sugar, toffee, and caramel. Good barrel charter of bourbon and vanilla, not that much wood, though.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 01:32:10 | More by womencantsail

Duff27

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Short tan head on a dark brown body. Good alcohol legs, collar.

Big caramel goodness. Booze. Digging the BA aromas a lot.

Overall very sweet. Big time caramels. "Spicy rye". Booziness, some barrel notes. 13.8% eh? Seems about right.

Good medium-plus mouthfeel and well place carbonation.

Middle to the road BA barleywine. Glad I tried it, would have again but wouldnt seek out. Thanks SupeonaDeuces!

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 01:28:03 | More by Duff27

ehammond1

California

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On Tap

K&B Wine Cellars
San Diego, CA

A much darker appearance than I anticipated: very dark amber with some ruby and near-purple edges, along with a small khaki colored head, leaving sticky spots and an oily sheen down the glass.

Rich, expressive aroma: lots of burnt sugars (caramels, toffee), definite wood, bready sweetness, mild alcohol presence, and a little bit of dark fruit presence.

The flavor is relatively balanced and drinkable for a beer of this heft: big notes of caramel, toffee, fruit cake, and oak. Mild vanilla, though not as much as I like to find in barrel-aged barleywine.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2012 17:16:26 | More by ehammond1

billab914

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Rhettroactive for sharing this one. Poured from a 750ml bottle. It poured a murky, dark, brown caramel color with thin but frothy tan head to it.

The aroma off the malty sweetness pretty well with notes of caramel mixing with a little cherry. I get some woody oak and a very modest bourbon presence to it. There is a hint of maple sweetness to it as well. Rich, smooth and pretty nice overall.

In the taste I get a little more of the woody oak throughout. It has a pretty bold American hop presence to it with the Bitter, resiny, dry hops really standing out as well. I get some mild bourbon and brown sugar in the finish. A little cherry and dark fruits to it as well. Pretty good overall

The mouthfeel is medium bodied for the style with carbonation being a little on the high side. Overall, it was a pretty solid beer but not quite great. The bitter, resiny, American hop profile was a little strong and the bourbon barrel a little light. Pretty good overall though.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 16:24:09 | More by billab914

Gobzilla

California

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: poured a dark brown in color with amberish jighlights and a finger of frothy head that left some good lacing sticking to the glass.

S: there was lots of sweetness on the first whiff consisting of mostly caramel but with maple syrup notes. Lots of booze was apparent with a hint of oak.

T: the caramel character was more potent on the palate alongside oaky boozy, maple, and toffee notes. There definitely was lots of sweetness.

M: the brew was medium in body with a fair amount of carbonation which had a sweet , caramel, oaky boozy and sticky finish.

O: it was pretty good all around and was way better than the bottled version.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2012 21:21:15 | More by Gobzilla

comfortablynumb1

California

3.86/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Reviewed from notes

A - Pours a murcky brown with a one finger tan head that dissipates at a good rate. Lacing is minimal...

S - Caramel, bourbon, some spice, and a hint of mild hops. Scent is very inviting...

T - Caramel and toffee up front with wood, vanilla, bourbon, and a hint of hops in the mix. Rides the sweet malt wave throughout. Alcohol is not overwhelming, but is a little harsh on the finish.

M - Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation...

O - Solid, but probably my least favorite of the Barrel Roll series beers I have tried...

Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 03:57:45 | More by comfortablynumb1

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL bottle poured into tulip - thanks to gcphilli

Pours a clouded, ruddy, dark copper color with some brown undertones. Thin layering of beige head rests on top, leaving some spotty lacing on the glass while drinking.

Stark hoppy punch in the nose with resiny pine hops and citrus peel. Oaky bourbon and charred vanilla with some sweetness. Caramel, bread crust and boozy heat.

Bitter hoppiness up front with some citrus peel and piny resin. Sticky and sweet with charred oak and vanilla. The bourbon is prevalent throughout, resting on top of a sturdy bread crust and caramel malt backbone. Boozy heat towards the finish with another dash of pine hops.

Fuller medium body, decent carbonation, sticky and lingering on the tongue. I enjoyed the heavy-handed hopping on this one, and the blend of rye and bourbon barrel aging was a nice touch as well.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 04:10:27 | More by xnicknj

Halcyondays

California

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours a deep amber with a medium white head, creamy looking, some solid lace.

S: Very sweet and malty, definitely reminds me of some young The Bruery Anniversary beers, most specifically Coton young. Big and in your face, pungent for sure.

T: Caramel and red fruit, some currant character, some cloying malt, but not too bad. No real ethanol play which was interesting and makes it much more drinkable now.

M: Full-bodied with some frothy carbonation, pretty smooth, cloying a bit as I said, but more drinkable now than a lot of barleywines this big.

O: Enjoyable, but I think a 6 oz. serving was plenty. This needs 2-3 years of aging for sure. Don't open until 2015.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2012 00:03:11 | More by Halcyondays

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From 750mL C&C bottle to stemmed Russian River glass on 5/5/12
*From notes

-- Big up's to NoSignsOfPain for getting this out to me, stat --

A: Ugh, this one looks pretty damn ugly. Shitty cider brown in hue. A firm pour yields no real head. A mind tan collar follows with zero lacing.

S: Lots of sun dried dark fruits. I'm unable to locate any bourbon or spirit quality within the bouquet. A touch of pine-like hops linger in the background.

T: Mellow. Really, really mellow. For a 13.8% ABV BA Barleywine, this is as low key as you could ask for. It drinks like it's been in the cellar for two-plus years. Candied fruit, a touch of maple and some bittering hops hit the fore to mid. A bit of heat on the back, yet it's really well hidden.

M: Lacking proper carbonation. There's some to be sure, but not enough for a big beer like this. Decent texture, yet overall I find it rather oily and thin, where others may call it silky.

O: This reminded me a lot of a poor man's Bligh's Barleywine, yet not nearly as well put together. for a beer that was literally just released, it drinks like it's been cellared for quite a while. I think an additional six to eight months in barrels would have helped to up the complexity of the beer. Overall it's certainly not bad, but nowhere near the BA American Barleywine I was hoping it would be.

In a word: disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 23:04:07 | More by Rhettroactive

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a Pipeworks snifter.

A- pours a dark copper with a 2 finger light tan head. Huge trails and leopard spotting of lacing covers the glass.

S- toffee, caramel, bourbon, some leather, citrus and pine.

T- toffee, bourbon, bitter pine with some bitter citrus rind as well.

M- medium body and carbonation. Light feel for a BA Barleywine, and has some creaminess.

O- just a ok BA Barleywine. I don't know why brewers dry hop BA beers. It doesn't work well with the barrel aging, stop it!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 03:46:50 | More by kawilliams81

aasher

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a dirty dark amber in color with a one finger off white head. The nose is very interesting. It features bourbon and spicy whiskey aka the rye but it has a lot of red fruit to it, namely slight cherry and a whole lot of grape. It's actually pretty vinous. The flavors are very sweet and a little aggressive. I get a lot of red wine notes paired with toffee, oak, grape, and vanilla. It's a little harsh and the alcohol is definitely present. It has a distinct grape character. Overall its not bad, just not spectacular. It drinks a little boozy and coats your palate, as it should. Overall this is decent, and worth a try but I.wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 23:26:26 | More by aasher

cosmicevan

New York

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on 8/8 with the local group.

a - murky orange with an offwhite foamy head with spotty lacing. classic looking.

s - boozy barrel aged barleywine.

t - toffee. caramel. booze. whiskey heavy.

m - pretty hot, but considerring the ABV it is smooth as silk. you can feel heat, but not 13.8.

o - overall solid BA barleywine. nothing earth shattering but pretty smooth for such a big beer. this one could use some mellowing out still though.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 01:50:26 | More by cosmicevan

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.6/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to mrhirshybar for the bottle!

Pours a cloudy brown with mahogany hues. Small off-white head leaving clumps of retention.

Very boozy and sweet aroma. Loads of caramel and brown sugar along with a ton of wood, a little coconut and spice perhaps from the brand of whiskey used.

Booziness overpowers the sweet. Some burnt caramel, but otherwise not overly sweet. Boozy but a little bit unbalanced. Whiskey and bourbon clash a bit with the base beer and the spiciness is a bit weird, but better as it warms.

Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation levels are medium which is on the higher side for this style, but it works.

Not my favorite, but there is potential. Fresh it is a bit unrefined and flavors don't meld quite as much as I'd like, BUT if the spice fade, the booze integrates a bit better and the rich toffee and caramel come out a bit more with age which are all things I could see happening with this, it'll be good down the line so hold onto these for a bit longer. Enjoyable now, but I could see this being much better in six months.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 23:46:16 | More by jmarsh123