Barrel Aged Owde Engwish Bahwey Whine - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

HopHead84

California

2.68/5  rDev -37.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

7/6/2012

Bottle shared by Jason. Thanks! Bottle 237/261.

A: Orangish brown with a fast fading beige head.

S: Dark toffee with oak, vanilla, and bourbon. Extremely sweet with brown sugar, apple, and pear. There's some acetone that's off-putting.

T: Brown sugar with acetone and earthy bitterness. Boozy, fruity, and oaky. Harsh acetone and booze notes in the finish.

M: Upper medium body and someone thin with medium carbonation.

Overall: Not a fan. Overly sweet with detracting off flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 02:22:25 | More by HopHead84

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

2.78/5  rDev -35%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

From the Three Floyds Pub menu: "Owd Engwish Barrel Aged Barley Wine Well, Rupert Witherbottom, you've finally arrived. This is a massive English-style barley wine aged for one year in barrels from Bourbon County, Kentucky. 60 IBU 12.2%"

Appearance -- Pours a murky chestnut hue with a wispy beige head. Not much for head retention.

Smell -- Rich bourbon, dark fruit, toffee, bread pudding. Rich and decadent, very pleasant.

Taste -- Bourbon Bomb. Loads of sour mash bourbon flavor, along with some dark fruit and toffee sweetness and a stale/off-flavored finish.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-bodied with medium carbonation. Too thin and too highly carbonated for style.

Overall -- Another Three Floyds barrel treatment that misses the mark. I'm glad they're experimenting more with barrel treatments, but I struggled to finish my glass.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2011 02:17:52 | More by yeahnatenelson

Treebs

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle shared with danielnovak3. Bottle 246/261. Served in a Jacobin tulip.

A: Pours a dark ruby with a slightly darker colored body. A one finger off white head forms on the pour and recedes to a thick collar that leaves some sheets of spotty lace.

S: Grains, wheat and fresh wood pop out with a mix of bourbon and sweet malts.

T: There is an odd woody spice that mixes with the bourbon up front. There is a nice caramel sweetness with a wheat and grain like presence. The bourbon lingers through out the each sip. There is some slight anise flavors to this as well.

M: Medium body with big, bold flavors. Medium to low carbonation. There is a grainy sweetness left on the palate.

O: I like the base beer a little bit more in this case as the barrel sort of took over the whole beer, but it was still a solid beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 20:11:03 | More by Treebs

mynie

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

English Barley Wine's are the kind of style that seem perfect for barrel aging. The potentially offputting nodes get straightened out, and you don't have to worry about muting the hop profile. So, really, this has to work.

And it does. Mostly. Trouble is, the beer that gets aged still needs to have some kind of something going on--some sort of aggressiveness to it--or else the wood is going to override everything. That doesn't *quite* happen here, but goodness is this beer woody. Like, it smells like an old woman's furniture. I swear to god there were nodes of wicker.

That's not bad. It was kind of neat, actually. The beer was well balanced, and stupidly easy to drink. But there wasn't enough secondary complexity, beyond the BA'dness, to warrant a very high score.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2011 04:03:33 | More by mynie

bdkucharski

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ordered on draft 10/05/11 at FFF.

A - Copper/Amber, hazy, no head to speak of.

S - Bourbon and caramel, I expected a little more hop being a barleywine, but not being a huge hophead as it is, I took this as no offense.

T - Bourbon and oak. Sweet. No bitterness whatsoever. I did not get much of a charred oak, but would describe it as more sawdusty than anything.

M - Very thick, expecting a sipping beer, I was not disappointed.

O - Enjoyable, I would recommend you try this, but it is by no means a 'destination beer'. The ABV advertised seems a little high, I would guess this did not attenuate as planned which would explain the sweetness and muted effect of the alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2011 00:35:54 | More by bdkucharski

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Ontap at FFF.

A murky brownish color with some orange hues on the edges. Small dingy white head vanished pretty quickly but left a tight collar of microbubbles around the rim. Legs like Tina Turner, nice and thick. Some decent lacing too.

Smells like bourbon... The base beer is almost entirely lost on the nose, but some faint hints of caramel malts sneak their way in. Lots of oaky character with a charred oak and toasted coconut bite. The flavor adds a hint of toffee, lots of caramel sweetness, toasted coconut, and nice bourbon. Lots going on here, and almost all of it is fantastic.

The body is a little syrupy-- low carbonation, and just shy of full. Little oily.

Overall-- this is very nice. Very very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 17:26:41 | More by AleWatcher

Wadsey

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Owd Engwish Barrel Aged Barley Wine, served in snifter at Three Floyds on September 6, 2011

A: Pours turbid brown with subtle dark amber highlights. Head is minimal. 

S: Bourbon, mint, and vanilla are the dominant notes. Additional aromas include caramel and subtle coconut. 

T: Taste follows smell nicely. Sweet up front and moving to a medium-light bitterness. The taste is driven by barrel and bourbon, but that is more than acceptable. 

M: Big body and medium-light carbonation. Sticky mouthfeel. 

O: This beer does not knock barrel-aged Behemoth off its lofty pedestal. 

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2011 18:18:18 | More by Wadsey

Sean9689

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at FFF into snifter.

A - Pours a rusty copper color, thick cream colored collar, wisps.

S - Coconut, smooth booze, dark fruit, touch of oak. The boozy notes are very smooth and enjoyable...I almost always get coconut notes from Woodford barrels...wonder if this is Woodford?

T - Boozy coconut, dark fruit, oak, caramel, burnt sugars. A nice level of sweetness and booze...a nice balance for a fresh BA barleywine. The finish is dark fruit sweetness and a hot kick of booze.

M - Medium to full, rich and syrupy, creamy oak finish.

O - A really nice BA barleywine and much better then the base beer, IMO. The booze is right up front yet not overly in-your-face. Really well done and I would def have another if available again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2011 19:29:03 | More by Sean9689

AgentZero

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown beer that turns orange on the edges. Some random spots on the sides of the glass (or plastic cup in this case).

S - Lots of barrel and bourbon, and it smells good. Vanilla, wood, bourbon, good stuff. Bit of caramel and slightly toasted malts in there as well.

T - Drinks really smooth, pretty mellow. Lots of bourbon and barrel characteristics, little bit of fruityness in there, more of a barleywine characteristic than picked up on the nose.

M - Medium bodied, smooth, lower carbonation. Alcohol is very well-hiden.

O - Pretty good beer, surprised as I had heard that it wasn't good at all. Would welcome the chance to drink this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2011 00:04:01 | More by AgentZero

BMoney575

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sampled on 3-16-12

Appearance: a very dark brown color with a little red around the edges. The head and lading is a tan ring around the glass, that sticks well to the sides.

Smell: all bourbon, and that's about it. There's a little sweet malt beneath, adding a fruity quality.

Taste: just like the smell, all bourbon and alcohol. The malt comes in and evens the whiskey out a bit. A nice fruitiness comes out at the end, helping the balance.

Mouthfeel: very thick and viscous, accenting the bourbon characteristics.

Overall: a huge and epic beer, well suited for a special release.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 02:58:00 | More by BMoney575

MasterSki

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

So apparently there have been seriously mixed reviews about this beer. Half of the people I've talked to said it smelled like nail polish, and the other half loved it. Perhaps some kegs are off? In any case, served in a plastic cup at FFF 15th Anniversary.

A - Finger of tan foam settles to a thin ring of bubbles, leaving behind wispy haze on top and some spotty lace. Hazy dark orange-brown body.

S - Smells like many FFF barrel-aged offerings - a massive blast of bourbon, vanilla, butterscotch, and coconut. I'm guessing Woodford Reserve? All that remains from the base beer is some caramel malt. Shockingly little alcohol heat here.

T - The taste is unfortunately a bit of a letdown. Some of the spicy esters and apple flavors from the base beer remain here, and the oak and whiskey only seem to show up at the back end. Again, the beer has mellowed out significantly during its year-long rest in bourbon barrels.

M - Smooth, creamy texture, and a slightly watery medium body. Fairly low carbonation, and minimal alcohol presence. Good, but could use more heft to it.

D - Considering how mediocre I found the base beer to be, this was surprisingly enjoyable. Apparently FFF -bals CAN fix anything. I'm not sure the bottles will benefit from extended aging, as this is already pretty sweet and mellow. I'm glad I took a chance on this one after hearing that it rivaled Brandy Klaus for acetone - a few of my friends didn't even believe this was they same beer they had tried.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2011 14:52:16 | More by MasterSki

Duff27

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Half inch beige head on a murky mahogany/brown bodied beer. Large collar left with some lacing and nice alcohol legs.

Wooo, smell boozy as booze. Fruits...grapes and plums.

Caramel, vanilla tannins. Not nearly as hot as the nose would elude to. More of the fruits, this time including "apples". Would believe 12.2%abv but alcohol is well hidden.

Medium-thick mouthfeel with low but adequate carbonation.

Really enjoyed this one from FFF. Well integrated barrel aging here. Not understanding the lower scores given, maybe they accounted the $25 price? Split with my crew, cheers fellas!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 01:34:31 | More by Duff27

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to duff27 for surprising the shit out of me by showing up at a tasting with this bottle to share! Thanks duff!

poured into snifter.

bottle 182/261.

Appearance: muttled light brown bodied beer with 1 finger of white head. Drops quickly to ring around the glass.

Smell: Really malty with spicy bourbon. Cinnamon apples and fruity notes. Smells really boozey.

Taste: Big malts, fruits and spicy notes. Lots of caramel and bourbon. A nice oaky note in the middle of this beer. An amazing big vanilla note in the aftertaste! Not at all boozey like the nose suggests. Wow!

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with low carbonation. Super smooth BA Barelywine! A nice warming booze that has no harsh alcohol burn to it.

Overall: Fantastic BA barleywine! 3F did a fantastic job with this beer. I love my BA english barleywines and this beer is both delicous and noteworthy. What a treat! Thanks again duff!!!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 05:46:08 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

david131

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a deep, murky brown with a thin and splotchy white head. A little still looking.

S- Bourbon, berries, smoke, oak, caramel, and alcohol. Rather tame for the alcohol content. Very complex and well-blended, just a bit on the subdued side.

T- Bourbon, vanilla, oak, caramel, berries, and alcohol. Everything blends amazingly well together. This is astounding.

M- Very creamy and smooth with some alcohol hotness and dryness on the finish.

O- This is a very interesting and well-executed beer. The alcohol content is high, but all he other aspects make up for it. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 02:46:09 | More by david131

TrueRates

Kentucky

4.7/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A slightly non transparent brown looking beer with small head. Aromas of rich sweet malt and insanely rich bourbon. Smells of expensive bourbon but all around balanced. Loved the mouthfeel. Alcohol hidden so well. Can't believe this is 12%. Hands down one of the greatest barleywines I've ever had. By the way, hardly any hop aromas or flavors, which works so well with barleywines.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2011 02:52:28 | More by TrueRates