Gatlin Damnosus - Anderson Valley Brewing Company

Uncle_Jimmy

California

3.64/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

From Notes

Appearance- Dark Ruby Brown with a fine white head that dissipates to a thin cap of bubbles

Aroma- candy grapes slightly musty and sour.

Taste- full malty and boozy at the front that gives way to a touch of sourness. There is a lingering mellow stone fruit sourness on the end. like an unripe plum. Hops all but disappear and you get more caramel and butterscotch candy as it warms.

Mouthfeel- Full bodied but finishes dry. some subtle warming qualities.

Overall- was not expecting this to be sour, I was pleasantly surprised all though I was just looking for a strong boozy barleywine. Strong and slightly sour

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 22:23:03 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

metter98

New York

3.55/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beer Authority, New York, NY

A: The beer is clear yet very dark red in color. It poured with a thin off white head that died down and left a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass and eventually completely faded away.
S: There are sweet aromas of caramel malts in the nose along with some hints of bourbon from the barrel aging.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but is slightly stronger and has a slight amount of sweetness from the bourbon and malts.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied on the palate and has a low amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is definitely a lot easier to drink compared to other American Barleywines because it lacks any hop bitterness and isn't overly sweet. The bourbon is also very subdued.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2012 17:50:34 | More by metter98

ehammond1

California

2.28/5  rDev -39%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

On Tap

2012 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest
Paso Robles, CA

Dark amber, with some purple hues, and a small light brown head that leaves dots of lace down the glass. Good enough.

The aroma is not particularly pleasant or interesting, unfortunately. There's strong red wine and vinegar notes, some caramel and toffee along with bread, a little bit of citrus, wood, and mild cheese. I just can't seem to grasp the intention here.

The flavor too is a mess. Moderate levels of sour and funk are met with cherry, red wine vinegar, toffee, alcohol harshness, and wood. Confused. I can't wrestle anymore with this stuff.

Medium in body with relatively high carbonation.

This was a mistake, right? Had to be.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2012 22:15:41 | More by ehammond1

SpdKilz

Illinois

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Bavarian Lodge. Per the description, “A very limited release, sour barrel aged barleywine. Copper hued, strong and tart, with complex flavors of green apple, vanilla, bourbon, dark fruits, red fruits, red wine, toffee, and oak.”

Appearance – A dark ruby red color with a finger of off white head that dissipates slowly leaving decent head.

Smell – A nice tart cherry and grape aroma mixed with bourbon, slight cocoa, caramel, and toffee.

Taste – Honestly, I really enjoyed this. A slight puckering of sour cherries mixed in with the “normal” barleywine flavors. Slight brown sugar, dark fruits, bourbon, and vanilla.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, a bit thin, decent carbonation.

Overall – A very quaffable brew for such a high ABV. Reminiscent of the 2008 BA Decadence that was a slightly soured Barleywine. I enjoyed this beer and would try it again in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2011 00:49:20 | More by SpdKilz

magine

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Union Jacks. Listed as a sour beer, not a barleywine.

Pours a dark brown with some ruby red shinning through. Small wisp of lace. Off white lace. Very little lacing. Decent looking brew.

Smells of sweet malts, cherries and berries. Dark fruits and booze. Good nose.

Sour notes; sour cherries and dark grapes. Finishes dry. Wine like brew. Not enough beer like qualities for me in this one. Pretty good. Thick and wine like mouthfeel.

Good stuff for my first sour beer experience. This is a decent stlye to try, but not my thing.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2011 14:55:17 | More by magine

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I can't believe I'm saying this right now, but this is the perfect example of "just because you can doesn't mean you should." A soured American Barleywine, huh? And I'd like to preface this by saying I'm a huge fan of both sour beers and Barleywines. Poured into a 10 ounce goblet at Craft Ale House.

A: Deep brown, maroon colored body with a nice foamy tan head. Some deep purple hues can be seen around the edges, and has some fairly nice retention but minimal lacing around the glass wall.

S: Infected-like aromas are immediately evident. Vinegar, bacteria byproducts, cherry, roasted cocoa and some odd caramel flavor. I mean really, it's not that wonderful smelling and sort of smells like a big, bold infected Barleywine. I understand this was intentional to sour the style but it's just a huge miss for me.

T: Unfortunately, this is even worse than the nose. A milky, lactic and sort of like other reviewers said balsamic vinegar note dominates and wrestles the palate. Some cherry and figs come through but the underlying flavors that make up some of the best Barleywines are all lost. Finishes rather dry, sticky and has a nasty tart linger.

M: Well carbonated, medium-bodied, a bit dry but surprisingly I can't really fault this much, it's a nice mouth feel.

I can see why this keg has been on for so long, you won't order more than one if you even order one at all. In theory it may sound good but it's quite surprising that this product actually made it out to distribution. This is one of those cases where the QC department should have just said, uh NO.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2011 13:09:06 | More by ShanePB

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Union Jacks on the Manatawny...
Appears a dark chestnut toned brown and a small off white head. It slowly fades into a mild collar. Spotty bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of cocoa, bretty tartness, bing cherries, bourbon, and mild traces of diacetyl.
Taste echoes the aromas with standout cocoa and tart flavors and a touch of vanilla.
Mouthfeel is medium full bodied, tart, zippy and dry.

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2011 20:54:03 | More by weeare138

ryantaussig

New York

3.7/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

If no one had told me this was a barleywine I'd never have guessed it. In fact, this beer is so sour, I'm tempted to say that it isn't a barleywine at all, but something altogether different. The only note of American Barleywine I picked up was a slight bitterness in the middle of the taste, right before the tart finished comes to dominate. Very interesting beer, but I won't be jumping up for another glass.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2011 01:45:24 | More by ryantaussig

WoodBrew

Illinois

2.35/5  rDev -37.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 3

I tried the Anderson Valley Gatlin Damnosis while attending the Hop Juice Fest and had I know this was a Barleywine....I would not have tried it. I do not like Barleywines. So please disregard this review if you are a big barleywine lover. The appearance was a cloudy amber with out much carbonation. The smell was sour....like sour mash whiskey/bourbon. The taste was very sourto start, then I tasted a brief vanilla before it turned tart at the finish. There is no way I would drink this...just do not like barleywines...nothing against the brewer or this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2011 12:40:45 | More by WoodBrew

BretSikkink

Mexico

4.13/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Papago served this one in a snifter, no head or lace. Burgundy in color, nice look for a big beastly beer. Plenty of sour, vinegar-like notes. Slight hints of cherry juice and grapes on the vine.

The flavor is quite nice, and very sour. Balsamic vinegar drizzled on cherries, a little maple syrup and a hint of grapefruit. Fizzy, but reasonably full. The carbonation quickly whisks the sourness off the tongue and makes me want more.

Very interesting beer, although the underlying barleywine blend is neglected in favor of the bacteria. I don't mind personally...

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2011 23:33:30 | More by BretSikkink

trappistlover

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

(On draught at Papago). Pours hazy mahogany with off-white head. Aroma has vinegar and lots of it. Taste is sour vinegar. Taste is thin bodied with a dry finish. This is a ver interesting beer and not typical for american sours, which are mostly tart. This is, relatively speaking, a vinegar bomb. Nice job.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2011 03:31:15 | More by trappistlover

Phelps

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed from the tap at Papago during an Anderson Valley event, poured into a snifter.

Named for David Gatlin (one of Anderson Valley’s senior brewers) and the bacteria Pediococcus Damnosus, this beer is a blend of barleywines that were aged in bourbon barrels for an average of eight months and soured with said bacteria. Twenty percent of the blend was left unsoured and was added to balance the body and acidity.

Pours a deep maroon, dark enough to haze almost everything behind. Some cranberry highlights emerge when held to the light. A foamy, sticky one finger head of khaki recedes to a silky top layer with a thick ring.

The nose: cherry, balsamic, caramel, grape jelly and a bit of butterscotch.

The flavor expands upon the aroma nicely. I get brown sugar, maple, butterscotch, dark cherry, toasted bread and orange juice. The souring bacteria adds a moderate vinegar tartness, while hops lend a little grapefruit bitterness. As it warms, a cherry-vanilla, cream soda character reveals itself. It’s interesting, and I pick up something new with every sip.

Creamy medium body, moderately fizzy. Medium-light, prickly carb. The tartness isn't out of line — it remains bracing but not overpowering.

Complex and interesting, overall. My major complain would be that I get more out of the barrels and bacteria than I do out of the barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2011 23:25:20 | More by Phelps