Vermilion
Perennial Artisan Ales

 

 

Big raisiny malt aroma and flavor. Rich and boozy. Very much like a strong Belgian Dubbel. Decent balance but definitely leans sweet. Full to medium bodied with a warming finish.

 

A - Deep garnet colored pour with a slight bit of hazy floaties and uber thin cream lacing.

S - Light alcohol, delicate toasted toffee, and light pecan.

T - Toasted caramel toffee, a little bit of pecan and dark fruit.

M - Thick and silky with light alcohol warming presence.

O - Pretty decent.

 

2024 vintage

I haven’t had much from Perennial, but I’ve liked it all. I’ve seen what they can do with bigger beers but they’re usually Stouts, not a Barleywine as in this case. Let’s crack it open and see what it has to offer

Pours a very dark brown with 2 fingers of creamy tan head that slowly fades to a thin ring and leaves minimal lacing

The nose is pretty standard stuff for an English Barleywine but I have no complaints. I’m picking up on aromas of raisin, toffee, black cherry, molasses, brown sugar, dark bread, leafy hops, orange marmalade, black tea, and walnut

In taste it’s similar but decidedly more fruity. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting black cherry, red grape, caramel, brown sugar, dark bread, fig, molasses, orange marmalade, and light vanilla. The swallow brings notes of black cherry, raisin, black tea, molasses, red gtape, toffee, leafy hops, orange marmalade, toasted walnut, and dark toast

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a slick beer. Finishes a tad sticky but dries out over time

There isn’t anything standout about this one, but it’s damn solid all around

Look - dark dark purple with great rimming and lacing
Smell - prune caramel toffee
Taste - sweet prune, dried cherry,caramel, toffee
Feel - medium full body with almost no carb
Overall - nice English bw

 

 

 

Pours a reddish color with a twinge of brown; clear; moderate amount of carbonation, slow-rising; dense, thick head, khaki colored; partially creamy on top. Big, richly sweet nose loaded with fruity esters. The taste follows the aroma; rich and malty with minimal hop bitterness; light toffee quality; subdued alcohol presence. Heavy body; dense residual sugars; sticky on the palate.

A nice take on an English barleywine, not overtly boozy, plenty of malt sweetness and loads of esters adding depth and complexity.

ABV: 10.5%; pouring temperature: 41 °F; canning info: 2024
Source: local purchase (Coaltrain Fine Wine, Craft Beer & Wine)

 

 

Pours a dark burgundy with a thin layer of khaki head on top. Head retention is okay with no lacing left behind. Aroma is caramel, toffee, and burnt sugar. Toasted, caramel, and nutted malts show through as well. Flavor profile is earthy, caramel, nutted, and toasted malts right up front. As the malts fade a touch, caramel, toffee, and burnt sugar take over giving it a sugary sweet finish. Mouth feel is creamy with just a little bit of graininess to it. It is thick. Overall, a tasty barleywine that doesn't come off as a bottle of liquid candy. It showcases its malts well, with an appreciation of sugary sweet notes.

Served in a 12oz snifter from a 750mL bottle. 2016 vintage reviewed in 2017.

 

750mL (bottled December 2014) into a tulip. Pours a deep mahogany brown with minimal carbonation, just a narrow ring of off-white foam around the rim.

Aroma is sticky-sweet and slightly fruity with notes of brown sugar, molasses, caramel, figs, and dates.

Taste follows nose. Lots of candied sugars, dried fruits, caramel, vanilla, and rum-soaked pipe tobacco.

Mouthfeel is sticky, chewy, slick. Lingers on the palate.

Overall a pretty standard approach to the classic English barleywine (which is a good thing). A very nice sipper of a dessert beer.

 

12/2012 bottling

Poured into a Teku glass.
Look: a somewhat hazy copper-brown color with a medium sized tan head. The foam settled slowly and left some nice tracks on the glass.
Aroma: brighter than expected with caramel, raisins, figs, and dark bread.
Taste: all of the above flavors were there with a richness and depth. Not overly sweet due to an assertive floral and earthy bitterness from the hops. Not as pronounced as in an American Barleywine, but enough to match the malt. The yeast seemed to lend more floral notes as well.
Feel: big as expected, but not cloying. Light carbonation appropriate for the style.
Overall: a delicious British Barleywine. It's bright flavors, bitterness, and ABV lean toward American BW, but this is outstanding. Highly recommended.