Our Finest Regards - Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

deltatauhobbit

Maine

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled November 2011

Pours a dark murky brown/rust color, not much of the tan colored head or lacing though, few chunkies floating around on the first pour.

Smell starts out with a huge toffee caramel aroma, strong malt presence, hops are absent but not surprised for an English style, no hint of alcohol on the nose which is surprising considering the strength.

Taste has a great caramel toffee malt flavor, picking up some interesting notes like banana in the aftertaste which is odd but not necessarily bad, I find it hard to believe this to be stronger than even 8% since the alcohol is so well hidden, great body with soft yet active carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 21:51:36 | More by deltatauhobbit

Dope

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottled Nov 2011; almost a year old.

A: Pours a dark reddish-brown with a large and dense tan head. Fades slowly leaving an almost continuous wall of lacing.

S: Sweet. Brown sugar and caramel primarily. Touch of toffee and molasses and vanilla in there too. I swear I even get a little maple syrup even though I'm fairly certain there's none in here.

T: Super sweet and rich. Loaded with caramel, brown sugar, toffee and some molasses. Ends with a little earthy bitterness. Just a little. Light vanilla throughout but shows up strongest in the lingering aftertaste. Occasional hint of raisin and cocoa depending on the sip.

M: Thick, heavy, smooth.

O: A nice big english style barleywine. Not overloaded with molasses like a lot of them are, but still quite sweet in all the ways that you would expect. Hefty dark malts, vanilla and a little fruitiness goes a long way. Pretty Things is quickly becoming one of my go-to breweries.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 01:50:39 | More by Dope

spdyfire83

Ireland

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

242nd Review
Bomber poured into a wine glass
Vintage: November 2011

Thanks joshclauss for bring this to Dublin and sharing! From notes.

A: Medium burgundy/brown. Single (mocha) fingernail head on medium pour.

S: Mix of caramel, vanilla, oak, and sweet toffee. Touch of dark fruit. Rich, complex, and deep. Soft alcohol presence lingers off the nose.

T: Sweet caramel and toffee up front followed by oak, vanilla, and dark fruit. Brown sugar and almond finish this off. Alcohol is very well hidden on this and the beer is quite deep.

M: Full bodied with medium carbonation. Smooth.

O: Great beer that has potential to be excellent with some age, I think. Complex and rich. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 10:00:46 | More by spdyfire83

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

huge thanks to beerdy for sending this beer my way on a trade! Thanks Brien!

reviewed from notes taken on 7/4/12.

vintage 2011 poured into duvel tulip.

Appearance: medium brown bodied beer with 1 finger of tanish white head.

Smell: Massive malt forward nose. Oddly enough bananas, dark fruits, bready, and caramel.

Taste: Carmel, toffee, vinous, fruity sweetness and dark fruits. Getting a vegital and medicinal aftertaste. Little bit of a spicy and sharp warming sensation.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. It lets you know that its a big beer by shown some boozy heat.

Overall: This is a solid English Barleywine, but not much that really makes it unique.

Mouthfeel:

Overall:

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 17:45:59 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Bell's tulip.

A- Pours a murky dark caramel with a 1 finger tan head. Random blotches and trails of lacing on the glass.

S- Dark fruits, caramel, toffee, and candi-sugar.

T- Caramel, dark fruits, cough drops and slightly medicinal notes.

M- Medium body and carbonation. Abv is noticeable and has a slightly dry feel.

O- Nice English barleywine, but there was something just off in the taste that I wasn't enjoying.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 17:12:35 | More by kawilliams81

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours orange brown with a fair off-white head that has no retention nor lace.

Candied fruit and syrupy caramel malt in the nose. Some alcohol.

Booze soaked bruised apricots with toasted malt. Some vanilla, a little wood, some nuttiness, and some slight balancing bitterness that was herbal and understated. The alcohol works, and you notice it, but it does not have a strong chemical flavor.

Full bodied with some carbonation, just enough to clear the palate.

Very nice version of the style. Emphasis on flavor rather than a shovel-hit to the face with alcohol. I'd have this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 23:40:37 | More by OtherShoe2

Brodybeer

4.23/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copper small head retention. Cloudy
S. alcohol is present. Otherwise get barrel old grape smell.
T. Good. Bananas up front. Alchohol is hidden very well compared to the smell. Carmelized banana. Fruity but not too much. I like how the flavor profile is smoothly transitioned from one stage to the next. Fairly seamless
M. Fairly thin for barley wine of this style. Not a bad thing though. Carbonation overpowers the malty syrupy smell but just enough to hide the alchohol up front. Otherwise carbonation moves out of the way for the good flavor
O like this barley wine. Very formidable. Job well done on a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 04:06:57 | More by Brodybeer

AgentMunky

California

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a Koningshoeven chalice. Bottled November 2011.

A: Looks like an English Barleywine. Chestnut in shade, ruby in light, with a light off-white head that fades fast.

S: Boring fruit, lightly tart. Caramel malt and candi sugar.

T: Rich, ensorcelling, and excellent. Musty tobacco, leather armchairs, and beautifully stale yeast. That may sound strange, but it works to the infinite advantage of this beverage. Subtle fruits, stern esters, and superlative depth.

M: Moderately thick, smooth-sweet, slight fruit spice, and musty yeast.

O: Interesting, rewarding, and compelling. I will seek out this beer again, even though it's not obviously excellent. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 08:24:45 | More by AgentMunky

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

bomber (22oz) served in an oversized wineglass.

pours a rich amber tone with ruddy/orange highlights and a solid degree of clarity to it. finger and a half of beige head recedes fairly quickly into a thin film/collar around the glass - subpar retention not surprising given the glassware and beer strength; very nice lacing. great looking ebw.

nose is lead by sweet malts, a bit of a candied fruit presence; caramel and some subtle earthy hoppy characters. flavor follows the aroma with the addition of some muted molasses and a well-perceived (though not as much as you'd think given a 13.5% ABV) alcohol presence, especially evident in the finish. tasty and enjoyable, albeit doesn't distinguish itself enough to be a truly upper echelon english barleywine.

medium to full bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation; creamy. very drinkable, you have to remind yourself to slowly nurse.

originally reviewed: 12-06-2010

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 22:36:44 | More by BostonHops

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a very nice barleywine. Unfortunately, as it was bottled only a few months ago, it is much too young to really be getting the grandeur that I assume it will one day show. And that is what I will leave it at: this is a very good barleywine, though I think it has the potential to be stellar with some age on it.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 03:34:53 | More by RblWthACoz

Gobzilla

California

3.68/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: poured a solid brown in color with yellow highlights and a very thin head that left barely any lacing sticking to the glass.

S: noticed brown sugar off the bat, a little maple syrup, traces of chocolate, caramel notes, and a hint of booze lingering the background.

T: the caramel flavor was more prominent on the taste alongside brown sugar, chocolate, mild hop character, some dark fruits, a touch of citrus, and boozy accents.

M; the brew was medium to full in body with a moderate amount of carbonation which had a sweet, slight fruity, mild citrusy, boozy, and sticky finish.

O: I tought it was an average barleywine but seems like it could probably settle or drink better with a little time on it.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 02:05:55 | More by Gobzilla

litheum94

California

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled Nov 2011. Reviewed 3/22/12.

Body is an opaque, dark cherry wood. Has a moderate, light brown head. Fizzles out quickly to a ring of foam and a patchy cover.

Lots of malts: caramel, roasted nuts and toffee. Sweet, peanut brittle and coffee. Very light hopping, citric and floral. Very nice smelling.

This is definitely an English barley wine. Caramel, toffee, salted nuts and roasted malts. Slight coffee and some burnt orange peel tame the sweetness. Alcohol is well hidden.

A great beer from one of my favorite styles. Wish I had one to age longer, as I can see this getting better.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 03:50:57 | More by litheum94

bcostner1

Tennessee

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled in Winter 2010/2011 so this bottle had about 1 1/2 years age on it when I cracked it.

A: Deep, rich caramel brown with hints of red. Does not pour with an excessive degree of viscosity; about right for the style. Thick khaki head that slowly dissipates and remains around the edges.

S: Vanilla, caramel, molasses; slight twinge of booze. Some figs/dark fruits in there too maybe(?)

T: Delicious; well balanced, smooth, rich. I'm getting lots of caramel on the front end with some molasses/brown sugar as well. Lots of rich sweet toffee too. Definite prominent vanilla presence. Lots of dark fruits (plums, figs, green raisins). A little bit of a yeasty presence as well. Faint hop finish.

M: Smooth and rich, like the taste. Honestly, a pretty easy drinker for such a high ABV; it is well hidden (after 1 1/2 years of aging anyway.) The only reason I docked a few points here is because it's just slightly on the thin side for me.

Overall, this is my first brew from Pretty Things and I am definitely enjoying it. English Barleywines are quickly becoming one of my favorite styles and I'm glad that I got to try this one. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 22:22:37 | More by bcostner1

ehammond1

California

4.48/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (2011)

The Bruery Provisions
Orange, CA

(Aged for 6 months)

Dark brown in color, though a clear, dark orange at the edges with a moderately sized light khaki head that sticks around for a while. This leaves messy spiderwebs of lace all the way down the glass. An absolutely gorgeous beer.

Complex, interesting, and divine aroma of caramel, maple syrup, plum, and chocolate. Excellent.

The flavor is similarly good to the aroma, with lots of decadent caramel and maple syrup flavors, some dark fruits, moderate bitterness, a little bit of candy bar, and some earth and wood. Balanced, drinkable, delicious.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

I thought this was fantastic. I'd like to buy a couple more of these: have another fresh and another a few years down the road.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 02:20:53 | More by ehammond1

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

a: This was a pretty, dark cherry cola brown. It poured with a smaiilsh short lived head.

s: Sherry like fruit; powdery, fruity candi sugar; caramel and toffee.

t: Definitely English in character. Fruity, but in a boozy way, not sweet. A semi-sharp spicy tingle at the end along with some toffee.

m: Incredibly velvety; lush and full bodied with gently creamy carbonation.

o: Very nice b-wine, I hope to find more reasonably priced bottles outside of PA.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 22:45:59 | More by DIM

dasenebler

Maine

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz, bottled Nov. 2011.

Pours a stunningly clear ruby-amber with a small tan head. Some lacing.

The aroma is packed with alcohol, dark fruit, raisin, bruised apple and pear. Some sherry-like, lightly oxidized notes.

The flavor is rich and full, with lots of sweet malt character. Really fruity up front, with a clean, lingering finish of alcohol and thick malt. A lot of toffee and sweet bread on the palate. Notes of raisin and fig, as well. Though very sweet, this beer's complex malt flavors are not clouded by unnecessary IBUs and hop flavor. For a Barleywine, it's quite drinkable. The mouthfeel is heavy and slick, with medium-low carbonation.

I wouldn't have guessed this beer to be 13.5% ABV, but then again, Barleywines are generally well above 10%. I enjoyed it. Well done, ol' chap!

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 23:26:04 | More by dasenebler

Phelps

Arizona

4.23/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nearly clear amber from the bottle that becomes dark, murky copper in the glass. A finger of dense, silky sand-colored head fades to a thin top layer, leaving behind nice arcs of lace.

I wasn’t expecting the big malt aroma. Caramel, honey, toffee, sugar cookie, a touch of biscuit and the lightest hint of milk chocolate. Alcohol is noticeable in the mix as well.

The flavor continues the aroma’s theme. Big honey and toffee notes meld with cookies, brown sugar, sticky alcohol and toffee. Hops are pretty much an afterthought, but it’s not a big deal — the malt is plenty complex.

A notch under medium in body, with enticing softness. Carbonation is a simple tingle and breaks the beer into just a little fizz. I’m in disbelief that the alcohol is 13 percent; it feels more like 8 or 9. Lighter and more drinkable than it should be.

My Finest Regards to the brewers. This is an interesting, tasty example of an English barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 04:34:30 | More by Phelps

mlazzaro

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2010/11 22oz bottle.

Clear reddish-amber colored beer. Yellow head that holds well. Piney character to the hop smell. Caramel and Maris Otter aroma.

Yeast is quite flavorful and delicious. Caramel flavored, viscous body. Sweetness is a bit dominant. Super boozey. I like it, but undeniable booziness with the 13.5% ABV. This beer seems like it would age well with the yeast at the bottom, and high ABV. After taste is piney hops. I really feel they flavor profile want the beer to be served on the warmer side. Glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 18:52:43 | More by mlazzaro

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - this barleywine is a dark teak/redwood color with a full finger of golden head fed by scant carbonation

S - dark fruits dominate, like typical barleywine, raisins, dates and such. roasted malrs and spiced apple add to a amalgam aroma

T - malts are first up, dark sugars follow, burnt caramel, toffee, overripe apples along with the raisins and dates soften the sweetness

M&D - big and powerful, deep aromas and flavors make this a great winter beer, layered and semi-complex, another good PT beer

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 01:55:13 | More by sinstaineddemon

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Split a 22oz bomber bottles in nov 2011, poured into a duvel glass.

A- pours a hazy brownish ruby with a one finger tanish head that disapates quickly... Looks tasty

S- brown sugar, fig, caramel, raisin, apples, pear

T- yum, where to start, caramel a toffe, slight toastyness underneath a blanket of sweetness, caramel and toffe covered pears and apples pronounced on the finish, almost nutty toasty notes on the finish as well, very nicley rounded. The alcohol is there but nicley hidden at the same time.

M- medium bodied almost syrupy, but the low amount of carbonation seems perfect, warming, this would be nice to
Drink by fireside.

O- a very nice barleywine, One of my favorites of this style for sure, a tid bit on the sweet side but very nicley done, not aggressively rounded by bitter hoping to control the sweetness, but just enough to keep it all together.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 00:29:24 | More by PeterIngemi

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

doughanson78

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a snifter. Thanks to wedge421 for this.

A: Dark amber/copper color. Fairly clear. Three quarters of a finger off white head with decent retention and good lacing.

S: Alcohol is very in your face. Toasted caramel and toffee. A earthy hoppiness comes through. Overall on the sweeter side.

T: Toasted caramel and toffee upfront. Earthy hop flavors and a light bitterness in the middle. Sweet caramel and toffee come back in the finish along with a medium alcohol bite.

M: Medium light body. Higher carbonation. A light alcohol burn.

O: A decent Barleywine. Alcohol comes through way to much. I'd like a better hop profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 15:31:04 | More by doughanson78

Sean9689

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks, Jason. Poured into wine glass.

A - Pours a copper color with a reddish hue, cream-colored head, thin ring, wisps.

S - Caramel, burnt sugars, malty sweetness, pretty big booze. The booze is pretty monstrous with this beer, and really takes away from the other stuff that's going on here. The sweetness is nice, but I think this needs some more time in the bottle.

T - Similar to the nose, big booze and some sweetness in there. All of the 13.5% is evident in this beer, and it shows no mercy on the palate. Carmel, burnt sugars, booze, and sweet malts. Finish is boozy sweetness with a big alcohol bite.

M - Medium body, good carbonation, creamy finish.

O - I can see this one smoothing out and becoming more enjoyable over time, but I think that's about 6-12 months away. Right now, there's too much booze and not enough complexity to enjoy it. I would love to have a bottle with some age, but fresh, I'd have to pass.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 16:44:03 | More by Sean9689

mactrail

California

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Quite delicious big ale. Red, almost cherry amber color in the Affligem chalice. You might wish for more foam. However, there is ample carbonation on the tongue. Sweet and honeyed. Like agave syrup or some kind of unusual tropical tree sap. Enough hops to remind you that it's beer and not a rum liqueur. A hint of peat in the nose, along with cake batter. Full of fruit, dried pineapple and cherries, a touch of canned peaches. Well, it just tastes like dessert, so enjoy it as a great after-dinner sweet.

Turned out to be a good choice for 1,000th review. These guys are what I like in craft beer-- peculiar and idiosyncratic, but competent.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 06:16:34 | More by mactrail

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Eric for sharing this -cheers!
enjoyed from a snifter chilled.

A medium brown shade with caramel hue and thick cream cap that retains well with fine bead. the lace sticks in a wavy pattern. The smell is very nice with lots of malt and vinous/floral ester. There is a graham cracker-like odor with nuttty and sweet malt with light alcohol. The smell has a hint of plum and mild spice with a nuttty almond tinge which gives a fruit and cookie combo in the nose. The feel is thick bodied which is buoyed by a moderate carbonation level. The creamy feel with sweet and dark fruit tanginesshas a nice light bitterness backing with semi-dry warming finish.

The taste has some fruit from the yeast with nutty and spiced elements. A nice plum like tinge with stone fruit tanginess and light caramel notes with light ripe banana accents. The tast has a slight dark sugar like muscovado with gentle fig and hint of melon with mild citrus andd mild alcohol w/ nutty semi-dry hazelnut like toasted accent. The flavor has a sweet honey tip which augments the grain flavor. Overall a very good barleywine with a lot of complexity with fruit flavors that rival some cognacs. The Barleywine is one I could enjoy frequently if not for the relatively high abv Cheers Pretty Things!, thanks cuz!

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 15:18:42 | More by Slatetank