He'Brew Genesis 15:15 - Shmaltz Brewing Company

cvm4

Mississippi

4.16/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours like the color of a cola with a one finger tan head. Doesn't seem thick or viscous.

S - The whiff at first is a big dose of bourbon, vanilla, leather and followed by dark fruits with a sweeter ending.

T - The taste is flipped from the smell... Big vanilla, molasses and dark fruit taste up front and the encore is a bourbon & oak finish. Very complex & rich.

M - Medium to full mouthfeel that's sticky and somewhat cloying.

O - Very good, very complex, very rich... I'm glad I waited to crack this as age seemed to do it wonders.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 01:00:37 | More by cvm4

superspak

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled 9/7/2011. Pours an extremely dark brown/almost black color; with a 1 finger foamy khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a ring of lace and spotty bubbles that linger. Slight foamy lacing on the glass, but at 13.4%, this is expected. Aromas of big caramel, raisin, prune, fig, toast, toffee, grape, molasses, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, oak, earth, leather, and light rye spiciness; slight alcohol as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great complexity and balance of maltiness and barrel character. Taste of huge toffee, caramel, raisin, prune, fig, molasses, toast, oak, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, earth, tobacco, leather, and light rye spiciness. Minimal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of toffee, toast, raisin, prune, fig, caramel, molasses, oak, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, leather, and light rye spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic complexity of malty flavors with a great complimenting balance of the barrel character; with nearly zero cloying flavors noticed after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and very full bodied; with a very creamy, slick, and fairly syrupy mouthfeel that is fantastic. Alcohol is insanely well hidden at 13.4% with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly fantastic barrel aged barleywine with fruit juices! The flavors from the fruit juices are not overpowering, and the malt complexity of the barelywine is highly complex. Very smooth to sip on as well for the gravity. An incredibly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 05:12:12 | More by superspak

tdm168

North Carolina

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

A - dark brown with ruby edges; big brown head

S - candy sugar, caramel, nutty

T - sweet, caramel, sugary, earthy, woody, nutty

M - full bodied, sticky, smooth, well carbonated

This was a pretty nice beer. It came across as a very big, bold brown ale. It was a tad sweet but not cloyingly so. I liked this one. I would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 01:45:07 | More by tdm168

shand

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a monster. Genesis 15:15 pours a deep viscous brown, and has aromas of sweet and dark fruits, vanilla, bourbon, and oak. The taste here is very complex and delicious, it's incredibly heavy on the fruit flavors. There's a lot of different fruit flavor going on here over strong caramel malts. The rye bourbon helps out here, adding a welcome boozy edge to the proceedings that would be otherwise covered up by the fruits. More oak comes in on the finish. The mouthfeel is heavy and drying, but there's a strange sticky aspect here too that kinda clashes with the dry feel. The drinkability is great. Overall, this is an excellent barrel aged barleywine, the barrel really supports the very fruity base beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 02:07:44 | More by shand

azdback

Arizona

3.78/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Stone Imperial glass. A pretty dark caramel color. Hard to see through with some dark copper highlights. Head is a large one finger and light cocoa colored and light creamy in appearance. Lace is sticking minimally with kind of a leopard pattern.

Smell is woody and a bit different than any other barrel aged Barleywine I've smelled. I am smelling some dark fruits like figs and some barrel but there is a very different smell here and I think it is the Pomegranate. I also am pulling some of the vanilla from the barrel and some rye spice. Different but I like it.

Taste is a huge malt bomb. This has such a large sweet malted lollipop taste to it that leads right into the tart flavors of the fig, pomegranate and grape juices. It is kind of a weird blend of flavors but I think it kind of works. Not getting much of the barrel but am getting an alcohol warming at the end. I will report back if this changes as it warms.

Mouth is very creamy and almost chewy. Carbonation is medium and the finish is very long and wet with an alcohol burn that is nice on this early fall evening.

Overall I need to say that this is a Barrel Aged Harvest Ale that I am drinking a year later. With that being said, what I tasted was a huge Barleywine that was influenced by fruit juice but what was missing was the barrel and the hops. Part my bad and part He'brew's bad. Not a bad choice if you come by it though.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 04:12:25 | More by azdback

FosterJM

California

3.93/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1494th Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
22oz

2011 Bottling

Thanks to mjtiernan for this one

Shared with my brother in law for his birthday

App- When I poured this out, it was into two snifter about 8oz each. It was a good mix of browns, reds and purples from the fruit additions and coloring of the barrels. It had an off white 1-1/2 finger slow receding head that left some really nice cling down the glass.

Smell- It was overly dominated by all the fruit. The barrel seemed lost to me even when warm. Retained a lot of base barleywine malty, boozy notes. Not overly complex. I would agree with my wife who said soy sauce. The aromas seem to counterbalance eachother and somewhat cancel them out.

Taste- A nice barleywine with the nose being a slight off note. Base barleywine malts shine through and dominate the treatment again. The rye is a bit lost as is the barrel. A small spice note is there but again dominated by the fruits on this one. More as it warms you really get a juicy fig & pomegranate.

Mouth- A medium creamy silky body with a medium-high semi prickly carbonation level. A bit better and smoother as it warmed. A bit of the fruits was there but most of the residual flavor was malts and boozy notes.

Drink- It was a good barleywine and barrel aged at that. I thought the fruit couldve been a little dialed down and the barrel brought up a bit more to smooth it all out. I would probably sit this one again for a while if I came across another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 15:27:37 | More by FosterJM

Dope

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch/Cases 001/791. Bottling date 9/7/2011 (almost a year old)

A: Pours a dark brown with a huge and dense light brown head. Fades at a medium pace, leaving only zig-zags of fluffy lacing behind.

S: Dark fruit overload. Dates, raisin and fig primarily. Some molasses and caramel mixes in. Maybe a hint of grape and vanilla in there, hard to tell.

T: Super heavy molasses up front with some toffe. A wonderful rye whiskey following it. Sweet caramel kicks in in the middle with hints of those dark fruits but not nearly as pronounced as the aroma. Finishes dry, astringent and oaky with a flourish of bitter and earthy hops. Just a bit of alcohol sting on the back end but not as bad as I was expecting.

M: Heavy, borderline syrupy.

O: A really enjoyable big barleywine. A lot of times these can be super heavy on the molasses. This one is too but the rye whiskey cuts it nicely and prevents it from being overbearing and cloyingly sweet, while still adding extra complexity. Hoppy bitterness helps out in that department as well. A rich and balanced brew, I enjoyed it a lot.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 02:58:43 | More by Dope

scruffwhor

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ruby to dark brown with a quick, but long in the way of barleywines, head. A thin ring o' foam lasts for a bit. You can see tiny bubbles popping out the top of the beer.

Dark, Winter fruits dominate the nose with there rich sweetness. Ad to that some caramel, whiskey and oak and you have an enticing aroma.

Black caramelized grapes and figs atop a little whiskey and oak. Palate is warm, but not boozey. Just letting you know this beer is for sipping and savoring. Great, complex nightcap.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 01:49:09 | More by scruffwhor

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Got this one from Irishgurl4 in a recent trade. Cheers! These guys make some stellar stuff, so I was excited about this one.

From a bomber into a snifter
Ale brewed with pomegranate, fig, date and grape juice.
Aged 6 mos in Sazerac rye whisky barrels.
Bottled on 7 September 2011
791 cases

APPEARANCE: Pours a 1+ finger, medium looking, light brown head with good retention. Bistre brown body, clear, with medium carbonation evident. A splotchy wisp and ring remain until the end but leave no lacing down the glass. Looks fine.

SMELL: Bourbon, vanilla and oak notes for sure. Caramel and toffee are there, with nutty notes and some definite brown sugar. Lots of brown sugar actually. The grape juice comes out, especially as it sits, and combing that with a bit of peppery spice gives it some quad charecteristics as well. There's some piercing booze in there, which lends a bit of hair spray to the aroma and makes is a little challending, but otherwise, this is a massive, complex and interesting nose to say the least.

TASTE: Caramel and toffee sweetness up front, with some dark fruit and flavors from the barrel aging. The taste explodes after the swallow, with lots of caramel, brown sugar sweetness, a touch of dark chocolate, dark fruits from the juices, and a well integrated barrel component. Bourbon, oak and vanilla interact with the spicy and sweet base beer, meshing seamlessly with the dark fruits and sugary flavors. Quite boozy as well, but that doesn't detract from the wonderfully complex and interesting flavor profile. A big and bold aftertaste lingers and lingers. This is great, and balance here is top-notch.

PALATE: Medium body and slightly higher levels of carbonation. Enough weight and creamy enough on the palate, goes down alright with a scratch and burn at the swallow, and finishes rather sticky on the palate. Definite heat lingers. A little harsh perhaps.

OVERALL: This was an increadible treat. I had no idea that this was over 13% alcohol, but now that I see that, it certainly explains a lot. The nose is phenomenal and the flavors an absolute treat, but the slightly harsh palate kept this one back from being as divine as it could have been. A little time might let the heat fade a bit, which would bring this to another level I think. For now, it's a delicious beer with definite quad influences and an almost perfect balance between base beer and barrel aging. Another very impressive brew in the He'Brew line. Well done gents, and cheers for picking this one out Irishgurl4!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 12:50:53 | More by Jeffo

Mora2000

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to jjfoodie for sharing this bottle. Drank alongside Jewbelation 15 and Funky Jewbelation.

The beer pours a reddish-brown color with a tan to off-white head. The aroma has some rye and booze notes, as well as quite a bit of molasses and brown sugar. The flavor is a little more complex, with the maple notes really coming through. They are complimented by some brown sugar and caramel malt, as well as a good bit of alcohol. The beer is fairly sweet overall, but I think that works OK. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Glad I got to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 15:45:12 | More by Mora2000

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Served a cloudy red-brown color with a thin finger of tannish frothy head. Head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some good lace.

S - Aroma is full of lots of Bourbon, oak, and vanilla, with some earthy hop and a touch of caramel malt and dark fruit.

T - Starts off with lots of Bourbon, oak, and vanilla with some earthy hops. Through the middle, more Bourbon flavor comes through with a bit of booze and some light malt, dark fruit, and bitterness. The finish is a mix of Bourbon, vanilla, oak, and some hop bitterness.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a warming finish.

D - Pretty drinkable. Big Bourbon flavor, but the beer holds up fairly nicely with some nice hp flavor coming through.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 22:52:57 | More by ngeunit1

sweemzander

Illinois

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

22oz. bottle poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours a deep deep burnt chestnut color with some reddish highlights. Some good tan froth and lacing.

(S)- A nice rich profile of lightly booze soaked raisin, molasses, and a mild nutty oakiness. Maybe even hints at some fig as it warms.

(T)- Pretty similar to the smell. A nice richness of raisin, molasses, vanilla oak, fig, and caramel.

(M)- A smooth carbonation level. A nice balance to it as well. Rich and sweet, but not overly so. It does have a decent ABV bite to it, but fitting for the style and barrel aging; nor is it totally over the top either.

(D)- Overall, a very solid barrel aged barleywine. Some age might help soft out its subtle rough edges, but is overall quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 18:22:00 | More by sweemzander

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a dark brown color with ruby red hues along the edges from a 22 oz bomber. The batch and case number along with date of bottling was clearly marked on the label.
One finger tan colored head when poured in my over-sized brandy glass that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the edges that didn't go anywhere.
Aroma is extremely fig and date forward upfront with caramel malt, some sweetness and definite whiskey barrel characteristics coming through. Not a lot of pomegranate in the nose, and slight hints of alcohol.
Lots of lacing around the edges of the glass.
Taste is slightly sweet upfront, with all the charred barrel characters evident. The sweetness gives way to a distinct bitterness that lingers for quite some time after the finish. The pomegranate notes come through more in the taste than the nose. There is also a mixture of dates-raisin blend in the taste.
This is a big beer, but the alcohol is very well masked. Easy to drink in spite of being so big.
Overall, one of the best beers by He'Brew and a very good spin on a barleywine.
Definitely worth a try and comes highly recommended.
The bottle I had was almost a year old and I am sure age would only make this barleywine better.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 03:31:37 | More by CaptDavyJones

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

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

Bottle shared by Steve at his birthday, 22oz into a snifter.

Dark brown body, almost black with deep shades of ruby in the light. Tan head that leaves a thick collar with some big legs. Nose has some solid whiskey barrel notes, brown sugar, vanilla, molasses, dark fruit character (in the fig, date, grape fashion as the label describes from all the various additions). A bit of alcohol but not to the level indicated by the label. Taste has s soothing whiskey barrel character off the bat, vanilla, toasted oak, substantial dark and fruity malt notes again. Heavy medium feel, sticky and allowing this to only be sipped. A big malty BA'd strong ale, lingering malt and fruitiness hangs out on the palate for a while after each sip. Alcohol isn't prevalent which is magnificent for the actual content, lending more of a warming feel than anything. A solid beer, and not as convoluted as the label seems to stress.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 15:15:35 | More by liamt07

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Deep brown, hazy, thin but not absent tan head.

Nose has leather, serious malt and some rye.

Taste is fantastic, rich with oak, licorice, loads of barley and a hint of bitter rye. Really impressive-- wish I knew how good this was going to be, I'd have bought two. There's a bit of fruit here as well (pomegranate, fig and date according to the bottle), but its subdued and really well integrated.

Mouthfeel is pretty smooth, rich.

If Firestone Walker made this, it would be a hypestorm and cost twice as much. This is a top-shelf beer at a mid-shelf price.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 01:15:26 | More by zaphodchak

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 22oz bomber to Bruges hybrid glass on 4/10/12
*From notes

-- Thanks to Cheesemoose for FedEx'ing this to me "like a boss." --

Batch 001/971 - Bottled 9/7/11

A: This one's fairly dark. Ruby-brownish-black. A gentle pour yields a healthy and off-white 2.5 finger creamy head. Good retention and lacing, with a thick collar to boot.

S: Easily the best part of what will end up being a great little beer. Tons of wonderful barrel and whiskey qualities mingle with figs and dark fruit.

T: Quite fruity. It's like this has already spent a year+ in the cellar, as it's properly candied and ready to go. Prunes and late harvest dark grapes hit up front. The mid is sweet like an English Barleywine (and I don't really get any hops on this beer at all). Char, vanilla and a solid dose of rye hits toward the back. And the barrel isn't immediately present, as it waits 'til the finish to really leave it's mark.

M: Pretty creamy and dense. Lots of complexity and weight. The carbonation is right on point, adding to the overall presentation in a big way.

O: I was really bummed to have missed this when it hit distro, and have been hunting for it ever since. Easily one of the best off-the-shelf Barleywines I've had in a long time. Not a candidate for a long cellar sentence, it's ready to drink and pretty damn delicious. A hearty recommendation.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 23:14:27 | More by Rhettroactive

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour provided by ehammond1 at the blind barrel aged barleywine tasting hosted by DarthKostrizer.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, and some slight dark fruit aromas. Taste is of malt, brown sugar, and fruits. There is a mild citrus zest bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with a nice fruity flavor that comes out as the beer warms.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 04:38:02 | More by UCLABrewN84

ehammond1

California

3.68/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle (2011)

Texas Liquor
Carlsbad, CA

Blind Tasting and Review

Dark brown pour with auburn and dark ruby edges and a very thin light brown head. This leaves the glass oily and with spots of stick.

Very sweet aroma of toffee and caramel, mild wood presence, and red grapes. I don't detect bourbon specifically in the aroma. Maybe brandy?

Incredibly sweet flavor of toffee, caramel, earth, raisin, and grapes. The barrel addition presents a mild wood flavor, though a specific spirit is tough to discern. The alcohol is well masked.

Medium bodied with low to moderate carbonation.

A hugely sweet BA barleywine with distinct and rich fruit presence--cloyingly sweet, though with lots of flavor. This isn't hugely drinkable because of the incredible level of sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 22:15:55 | More by ehammond1

Damian

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Drank from a 1pt, 6floz bottle purchased at Marty's Liquors, Newton, MA
Served in a snifter

Deep mahogany and nearly clear in appearance. The beer poured thick and syrupy and was topped by a one-finger, foamy, caramel colored head. Spotty drops of lacing clung to the sides of the glass. The head slowly faded to a resilient ring of froth.

The aroma was intense. Super sweet and boozy with strong caramel and toffee notes. Bourbon (perhaps rye whiskey?) was quite apparent. Lots of brown sugar. Uber malty and rich. Subtle hints of oak. As the beer warmed, prunes and raisins were also noticeable.

The flavor profile was similar to nose. Sweet and rich with an over-the-top amount of caramel malts. Strong plum, prune, fig and raisin notes. Lots of maple syrup. The fruit juices were definitely more noticeable here in the flavor profile than in the nose. Unfortunately, I could not detect any pomegranate. Nutty and slightly woody in the center. The finish was boozy (but not hot), slightly oaky and tannic with subtle roasty/toasty notes. I also picked up a bit of spiciness (perhaps from the rye). Although the sweetness became a bit cloyingly toward the drink's end, I felt like it balanced out the booziness quite well.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this beer was the mouthfeel. It was fantastically rich, creamy and smooth. Quite syrupy and almost chewy. The liquid contained a fine, mild effervescence which gave the beer a beautiful, supple frothiness. After each sip, the residual sugars left a sticky coating on my lips.

He'Brew Genesis 15:15 really impressed the heck out of me. The addition of multiple fruit juices and the rye whiskey barrel aging lent the beer a rich complexity found in few other versions of the style. If you like your barleywines sweet, fruity and syrupy, then you need to try this. L'chaim!

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 00:44:59 | More by Damian

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a deep amber to brown in color with a small tan head. In the aroma, it smells just like bourbon. In the taste, vanilla, oak, bourbon and alcohol. A small alcohol like bite and a medium to syrupy mouthfeel, with a small dry bourbon in the aftertaste. Well, it is bourbon just carbonated and made like a beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 19:08:40 | More by OWSLEY069

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from Five Points Bottle Shop (Athens, GA). Served in a snifter. 

Pours dark brown with 2 fingers light tan head. Very little lacing. 

Smells of chocolate, fruits and sugar. Nice. 

Lots going on in the taste. Big milk chocolate, pomegranite, wood, carmelized sugar and a little whiskey. It's busy and all over but I like it. The near 14% abv does show through the flavors with a clean booze bite. 

Creamy heavy feel with very little carbonation. 

A very different and very good barleywine. A complex variety of flavors that blend well. This one is certainly worth a try and will most likely age very well. 

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 04:34:43 | More by ThickNStout

mactrail

California

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Man, oh, Manischevitz, what a beer! Beautiful dark mahogany color in the Brigand chalice. Aroma is truly intense with mint, booze, Irish Cream, and coffee.

Complex, dark, and fruity. So many flavors swirling around in the Shmaltz style of more fruit and more malt. The sweetness is just part of the experience, like some kind of liquid candy cut with alcohol and tart fruit. Grape skins, toffee, malt syrup, and a good dose of hops for a decent bitter aftertaste.

I admit that I like these kinds of big malt beers, with all the sweetness and fruit. Shmaltz just does a good job of concoctions like this. The last sniff from the near-empty glass is still a knockout of whiskey and caramel. This would make a great liqueur-- makes me think of Yukon Jack. I'll have to try making a mixed drink by adding a shot of booze.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 05:11:06 | More by mactrail

brotherloco

California

4.65/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber. Batch No. 001. Bottled 9/7/2011. Served in a tulip.

Pours a deep dark blood red. A finger of beige foam forms and then dissipates to a small ring. No real lacing left behind.

Real nice barrel presence in the aroma. Vanilla, oak, and whiskey right up front. Backed up with sweet and bready malt, molasses, dark fruits. A strong fig newton note, sweetened by the other fruits. Alcohol isn't really strong, but you feel it in your nose.

Flavor is quite complex. Sweet and salty at the same time. A lot of grainy malt, roasted notes. Melted marshmallow, chocolate, caramel. Dark fruit juice. All of the oak and vanilla from the nose are present and are blended really well into the other flavors. Nicely balanced bitterness. Amazing how well the big ABV is buried. Just big, bold, and fantastic.

Full bodied with medium-low soft carbonation. Makes for a rich, thick, creamy feel. Good for slow sipping, which the ABV demands.

Kind of an odd hybrid. The nose is mostly barleywine, but the flavor has a ton of Imperial Stout character. I ain't complaining though, this is a really great beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 05:05:15 | More by brotherloco

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you to Ken for sharing this one.

Deep brown in colour, one finger of tan head, some lace left behind. Smell is malty, lots of fruit here, dark fruits, pomegranate, oak and whisky, mild vanilla and some hoppy notes as well. Taste is malty with generous hints of vanilla, oak, assertive bitterness throughout, rye whisky, fruit rolls in more in the way of dark fruits, citrus in the finish and aftertaste, really complex stuff here. Light carbonation, full body, syrupy with a nice full feel. ABV not to be found, really solid with a good mixture of bitterness, malt and fruit to keep things interesting all the way through, worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 02:09:23 | More by peensteen

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

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

Superior barleywine and unique. Complex with rye edge, imperial stoutish aroma. Good looking and lacy. Bitter from big hopping, a tad astringent from the pommegranent, sweetened by chocolate and dark fruits. Alcohol warming. A big beer for big beer geeks.Worth seeking out/

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 03:00:09 | More by northyorksammy