Provisions Series: Old Richland - The Bruery

Pahn

New York

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a tulip (split 3 ways). Thanks to BA morningthief for splitting this bottle.

Appearance: Free pour yields a 1.5 inch frothy offwhite head that dissipates slowly leaving a few clumps of lacing. Pours a semi-translucent red brown, and leaves thin but spread out continents of lacing.

Smell: Strong piny and sugary aromas characteristic of a good American barleywine. Prominent hoppiness despite being about a year old. Ripe fruit, lots of pine, juicy date/fig/raisin, mild caramel. Pure American barleywine, very spot on.

Taste: Follows the nose, only more subdued. Not as bitter as it seemed like it would be, though there's a healthy bitterness and toasted bread flavor in the finish, along with lingering piny hops.

Surprisingly drinkable beer. There's echoes of the deep, rich notes from the aroma, but the flavor is crisp, almost refreshing. Also, the 9% ABV is hidden entirely; I can barely tell this beer has alcohol in it at all.

With warmth, some creamy, caramel and chocolate covered dark fruit notes come out, all infused with the piny hoppiness of a good American barleywine. It's maybe a bit too watery and muted (I'm enticed by these flavors and the aroma; I want *more*), but regardless of what it could be, it's very enjoyable.

Mouthfeel: Light side of medium bodied. Moderate bitterness. Nice bitter and toasty, semi-dry finish. Gets creamier with time, but remains a bit watery. The wateriness is a flaw, but everything else is stellar, so 4.0 it goes.

Overall: Solid American barleywine, really nails the aspects of the style that set it apart from other strong ales. This would be great if the Bruery made this again and released it in a 12oz bottles in 4pks--would make a great seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 23:46:16 | More by Pahn

sbxx

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -35.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Appearance - Dark brown with amber tint, much darker than expected, 2+ fingers of thick dense foam head that hangs around forever. Chunky lacing.

Smell - Caramel malt, citrus fruit

Taste - Where are the hops? This must be an old bottle because it's basically a malt bomb at this point. Barely any hops coming through. It's like they've faded into nothing more than a bitter taste within the malt. Very minimal flavor overall. Very odd. Kinda like a big malty IPA gone stale.

Mouthfeel - Med/heavy body, moderate carbonation, semi-dry finish

Overall - Blah. Extremely forgettable. When fresh, I'm guessing this is an entirely different beer. At this point, either suck it up and drink it or give it away. This is not one that belongs in the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 05:32:52 | More by sbxx

Callmecoon

California

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

05-23-2013 02:13:52 | More by Callmecoon

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.61/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750mL bottle acquired through the Reserve Society. No bottling date, despite the white bar for it on the label. Served in a Burnt Hickory snifter.

Pours a murky mahogany brown with a fluffy three finger bone hued head. That fluff sticks around a long time and leaves large clumps of lace.

Smells of mild pine hops, oranges, caramel and raisin bread.

Taste is somewhere between an out of date DIPA and a barleywine. Musty and earthy like old hops with orange rind, muted pine, toasted grain, slight pineapple, some caramel, a hint of toffee and a small kick of booze. An interesting mix but doesn't quite hit my preferred notes for either barleywine or DIPA.

Semi creamy, slightly oily medium body with a ton of carbonation. Long dry bittersweet orange rind and burnt caramel aftertaste.

Not bad at all but certainly not outstanding. I'm relativley certain that this undated bottle is several months old. I'd have liked to try it fresh when the hops were in peak condition. As it is now, it'll take another 6-9 months to really start hitting the barleywine notes I'd like (and hopefully have the over carbonation settle). That's fine- I have a couple more bottles and I'm patient.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 05:03:54 | More by ThickNStout

davesway10

Iowa

4/5  rDev +3.1%

05-19-2013 11:37:20 | More by davesway10

beernads

Florida

3/5  rDev -22.7%

05-17-2013 08:01:28 | More by beernads

ajzy

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

05-16-2013 00:22:20 | More by ajzy

moonknight31

California

4/5  rDev +3.1%

05-14-2013 22:18:44 | More by moonknight31

billab914

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

05-12-2013 01:32:46 | More by billab914

vitese

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

05-10-2013 14:07:19 | More by vitese

CanisMajor

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

04-28-2013 19:27:41 | More by CanisMajor

ridglens

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

04-21-2013 03:44:03 | More by ridglens

notchucknorris

California

4/5  rDev +3.1%

04-05-2013 22:01:29 | More by notchucknorris

gpawned

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

04-03-2013 21:49:48 | More by gpawned

oline73

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

03-17-2013 02:17:36 | More by oline73

Morey

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

03-12-2013 00:16:19 | More by Morey

jsanford

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

03-11-2013 02:28:20 | More by jsanford

beagle75

Iowa

3.04/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a half-pint chalice.

A: Hazy, dark amber color with over one finger of light beige foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Intense orange citrus hops up front, with a metallic edge. Husky grain is revealed after the hops crest. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins very off-dry, with hop aromatics that are spicy and earthy. Acidity is high into the middle where crystal malt is dense but not dynamic. The finish is slightly roasty, with some juicy orange citrus revealed at times. Bitterness is rather restrained, while the volatile whiff of alcohol seems to gain momentum as the beer warms.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, acidic and warming on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This barleywine seems simplistic, with a potentially appealing malt bill that frequently seems hidden behind hops of underwhelming quality. It is bland in its unofficial role as imperial IPA, and it also seems hobbled as a barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 23:06:57 | More by beagle75

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

03-02-2013 03:52:17 | More by t0rin0

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%

03-02-2013 02:54:47 | More by AlexFields

Hopbully

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%

02-28-2013 05:44:12 | More by Hopbully

largadeer

California

4/5  rDev +3.1%

02-27-2013 21:24:00 | More by largadeer

jvillefan

California

4.5/5  rDev +16%

02-25-2013 17:29:17 | More by jvillefan

mvdillman

Indiana

4/5  rDev +3.1%

02-23-2013 22:18:56 | More by mvdillman

MrVonzipper

California

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

02-13-2013 07:35:00 | More by MrVonzipper