Our Finest Regards - Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

Pahn

New York

4.58/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle into Duvel tulip. From what I believe was the first batch, in late 2010 (has been in my basement since then).

Appearance: Free pour yields a one inch frothy off-white head that dissipates slowly leaving a thick, solid wall of lacing. Pours a not quite translucent maroon and leaves streaks of lacing.

Smell: Moist yellow pound cake, with some grape and effervescence underneath. Slight molasses and faint (but sharp) chocolate. There's lots of highlights that contrast the overall impression of pastry and whole grain bread, but enrich rather than clash. Graham cracker, caramel hard candies, cinnamon, booziness. Lots going on and all of it great.

Taste: Time has been good to this beer. Up front, it's a malt bomb, with fresh grains, cake, hard candy sweetness, and caramel, moving into a long, boozy, complex finish. A bit less bitter than one would expect to balance all the malt flavor, but the alcohol heat performs that job adequately.

Upon release, this beer was much more straightforward grape/prune flavor, high carbonation, powerful (overwhelming) alcohol. Now the dark fruit has significantly deepened, tasting like raisin skin, prune, fig, with lots of sweet, related but surprising flavors (whenever chocolate comes out it's striking but good). The booziness is still strong, but now it allows other flavors to shine along with it, rather than overpowering everything.

This beer is the malty elixir promised by the label, with a comforting alcohol warmth and tons of complimentary flavors.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied. Moderate carbonation. Creamy, never slick nor juicy. Still finishes quite hot. Neither dry nor sugary.

Overall: I love beers like this. Gets to the heart of what I want in beer: layers and layers of interesting, delicious malt flavors. Strongly suggest picking up multiple bottles and aging them.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 02:03:35 | More by Pahn

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -1.7%

05-22-2013 01:16:57 | More by mikeincharleston

ZombiesAteMyDog

Indiana

4/5  rDev -1.7%

05-13-2013 02:23:15 | More by ZombiesAteMyDog

brentk56

North Carolina

4.14/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled Nov 2011

Appearance: Pours a clear copper color capped by a rocky, three-fingered head; nice retention that leaves some strands and dots of lacing behind

Smell: Caramelized peanuts, plums, Oloroso Sherry and earthy, English hops

Taste: Burnt brown sugar, plums and caramelized peanuts, up front, with a developing cherry, fig and English hop character, in the middle; tobacco and Oloroso Sherry elements bring up the rear, with earthy hops lingering in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low to moderate carbonation

Overall: I like to put a little age on my barleywines, so cellaring this one for 1 1/2 years certainly softened the rough edges and allowed the complexity to develop; another fine beer from the Paquettes

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 01:36:52 | More by brentk56

AliJ

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%

05-03-2013 14:50:01 | More by AliJ

PatGreer

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1.7%

05-02-2013 04:55:59 | More by PatGreer

hopswap1

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.7%

04-29-2013 18:04:38 | More by hopswap1

Kelp

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -1.7%

04-29-2013 06:35:12 | More by Kelp

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

04-28-2013 23:13:49 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%

04-24-2013 16:23:31 | More by Jason1337

SanFranJake

California

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%

04-16-2013 02:24:43 | More by SanFranJake

MSandahl23

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

04-15-2013 13:17:41 | More by MSandahl23

mtnasty116

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My first real foray into barley wines. Absolutely delicious. Pretty little things nailed it. My pour was dark and fluid. When I drank it i had the warm sensation of wine in my chest but had the taste of a delicious brew. I'm just going to say get this one while you can.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 00:16:33 | More by mtnasty116

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.29/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

No discernable bottle date but there's some print on the bottom of the bottle. Doesn't look like it relates to when it was bottled or when to consume by. Regardless, I picked this up when it was newly released near the end of 2012.

A: Beautiful, clear, deep ruby red with a very light brown, thick head. No lace and little head retention. Give it a good swirl and the head builds into a nice thick, bubbly foam. Big legs!

S: Very unique. Aromas of roasted and smoked malt, wood, earth, metal, and some dark, sugary fruits. Only a faint presence of booze.

T: Heavily roasted and slightly smoked malt. Delicate sweetness with hints of wood, char, and smoke. No noticeable booze but the flavor from it complements the heavy malt profile and the thick, smooth body.

M: Extremely smooth and sweet. Goes down very easily for the style and ABV. Nicely carbonated. The body is fantastic. Thick, almost viscous, and actually feels like it slides down your throat after filling your mouth with sweet, sugary liquid.

O: Seriously sweet, enjoyable EBW. The malt profile balances some of the sweetness. As usual for PT, this beer has its own unique twists that keep it from being just any 'ole EBW.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 19:43:47 | More by Gatch

homebrew311

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed from notes. Pours a deep auburn/crimson with nice clarity and minimal head. The smell has waves of raisin, caramel, maple, and some mild hop character. The taste is malt forward with a nice caramel sweetness and a great balance. Robust favors with touches of dark fruit, toffee, honey, and just the right amount of bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium with low carbonation. Overall, this is a well crafted barleywine ith delicate flavored that work quite well.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 04:24:27 | More by homebrew311

Magery

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%

03-27-2013 01:19:27 | More by Magery

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

3.81/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottled Nov. 2011. Pours out a deep ruby red with a nice, half inch head. Mild lace is left behind.

Booze and caramel dominate the nose. A touch of citrus near the finish. Hot!

Less booze is noticed in the taste. Caramel, citrus, earth and plum are most noticeable. Thick and warm going down.

Pretty decent English Barleywine. Probably won't grab another, but was very worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 00:57:52 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

3.59/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A beer to put me to sleep, and it’s about time – this big barleywine has been sitting in my fridge for months. Cheers, and goodnight.

A: Gorgeous magenta body, shining with ruby light as I hold it up to my desk lamp. The head is a thick, creamy inch of beige that adorns the top of the body as pillars of bubbles rise around the glass’s circumference, supporting it quite some time. Thin, intermittent strings of lacing.

S: Smells like an English pub. Darkly sweet, toffee-heavy malt aromas outstretch a plum, date, and candi sugar character, with a healthy dose of bubblegum in the foreground. Flint and kiln-fired grain come up, as well, but there’s not a single hop note to be found.

T: The flavors of dark fruit flare as each drink moves over the palate, conjuring a taste consisting mainly of date, but with candied apricot, bubblegum, and black licorice notes right there at the front. Surprisingly sweet, but in a Jagermeister kind of way; it’s so dark and refined you hardly realize how sweet your drink really is. There’s also a lot more bitters when compared to the nose, but in a spicy taste of cinnamon and pine needles; strange hoppiness for a strange brew. The aftertaste is sweet and boozy like brandy, but blanketed by a medicinal, sticky dryness. Reminds me of cough drops.

M: For some reason, I wasn’t expecting this much sticky thickness as I took my first sip; needless to say, it knocked me back. It’s like cake icing: frothy, but thick enough to know you’re ingesting a ton of sugar. Only very slightly warm on the way down.

O: This is a beer that has a lot of character; trouble is, my tastes don’t agree with any of that character. This tastes more like medicine than beer to me – making it a struggle to get through a glass – and that’s certainly not something I treasure. Overall, its complexities were not lost on me, though I still couldn’t enjoy it; if you really enjoy barleywines (or licorice), this may be right up your alley.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 04:31:51 | More by BarryMFBurton

ppohio

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Bottle from November 2011 that I found in the cellar.

A: Deep amber, head dissipates after a moment or two leaving a bit of lacing on the surface. Really quite like the way this beer looks.

S: Toffee, caramel, burnt sugar, and a very distinct brighter fruit note, like canned fruit, or Cape Cod salt water taffy (appropriate for this New England beer)

T: There is a definite minerality here and a copper/metallic element that comes into play. It's sweet with less bitterness than I expected, alcohol is there of course as well as the caramel/toffee flavors. Flavor is a little one-note here, but that could definitely be from the aging. If this is actually 13.5 % as it is listed here then the alcohol is very well-hidden. I would guess this is closer to 10% or 11% ABV

M: The alcohol comes into play on the swallow, great warming sensation and perfect for winter. Fairly low on the carbonation, decent mouthfeel but a little syrupy.

O: I liked this beer and I need to have one fresh for comparison of course. Will definitely pick up another bottle next time I'm back East, a great beer for the winter. The nose is an absolute winner, this is a beer I could sit around smelling all day.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 04:13:05 | More by ppohio

beertardis

Rhode Island

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

03-17-2013 23:39:28 | More by beertardis

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

4.04/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

The beer pours a deep mahogany color with a wispy cap of foam. The aroma bounds with sweet sugar. The palate brings a combination of sweet malt, dark fruit, and even hints of chocolate. It hits the right tones as it move across the palate and signs off without much bitterness, as a good Barleywine should. The alcohol definitely makes it presence known, but not in a way that is objectionable. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 01:49:43 | More by BeardedBoffin

AutumnBeerLove

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

03-15-2013 17:57:44 | More by AutumnBeerLove

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.7%

03-10-2013 23:40:58 | More by spycow

RichD

Rhode Island

4.44/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

No date on this bottle, but I think this was bottled in late 2012/early 2013 poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a deep brownish red color. Initially about a finger or 2 of head. Considerable lacing on the glass as I drink this. Exactly the color I look for in my barleywines.

S: This smells awesome! Caramel malts were what I immediately caught. Some dark fruits such as raisins and plums are caught as well. When I first poured this I didn't want to drink this, but rather smell this.

T: This is a crazy complex brew. I taste the caramel malts, raisins and plums. I catch a hint of alcohol as well, not in the taste but more in the warmth. There is also a really sweet toffee taste which adds another element here. I feel like this has been barrel aged because of the depth of the flavors, but it has not. That's when you know it's a good brew.

M: A fairly medium to thick mouthfeel. This brew is incredibly chewy, which is definitely not a bad thing when you think about what goes into a barleywine. The carbonation is on the low side and as I said in the taste portion, the alcohol only comes through with the warmth and not the taste.

Overall: I really like this beer. It brings a lot to the table. A nice complex, non barrel aged, barleywine. This drinks quite well despite being bottled in the last few months. I'd like to get my hands on an older bottle as it would probably be incredible. Nonetheless, this is a great brew and I will most likely be buying this at least twice a year. Lastly, this is my first brew by Pretty Things and I am extremely satisfied. Awesome job!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 01:35:02 | More by RichD

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: bottle from Pinocchio's, Media, PA

Served properly into a PT OFR stem glass, a deep garnet brown color, not quite opaque, very effervescent, and topped with a small, creamy tan head that stayed small, but retained forever and left streaks of lacing on the glass. The nose was malty, nutty, caramel, and slightly woody. Taste was similar, bready, nutty, toasted grains, caramel malts, hints of old raisins, brown sugar, herbal hops, and a stiff, woody finish. Booze was felt, but pretty well-hidden, taste-wise. Body was medium, smooth mouthfeel, even if slightly higher in carbonation that I'd have expected. Careful pouring: it's very yeasty towards the bottom, and I could swear the yeast was actually still active. Nice beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 00:33:24 | More by Rifugium