He'Brew Genesis 15:15 - Shmaltz Brewing Company

koopa

New Jersey

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

Had this one on tap at the Copper Mine Pub in North Arlington, NJ.

Appearance: Pours an opaque black with a 1/2 finger khaki crown that shows no retention and little lace.

Smell: Lots of grainy malt, sweet dark fruits, a touch of whiskey, a hint of molasses / brown sugar, and some alcohol presence.

Taste: Same as the nose.

Mouthfeel: Thick bodied with low carbonation.

Overall: A meal of a beer. Decent flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2012 20:34:05 | More by koopa

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

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

Reviewed from notes taken during a Shmaltz tap special event.

Appears as a very dark semi-opaque brown color with two fingers of foamy tan head, some minor lacing left behind after about a minute of retention.
Aroma is mostly a tremendous blast of almost every variety of dark fruits and woody rye whiskey spiced with a burnt brown sugar sort of maltiness and a whisper of a vague floral tone hiding behind all the booziness.
Flavor contains elements of chocolate and fig puddings, sweet toffee, and faint licorice on top of a strong tannic and leathery note spiced with rye whiskey booze (but not overwhelmingly so). Most of the fruity flavors present from the pomegranate, fig, dates, etc are actually quite drier than you would think from how heavily present they are in the nose. Also there is a really cool leathery / peat accent on the finish!
Body is thick, chewy, and it can get sort of syrupy in the mouth if you take too large a sip at once. But if you take small sips, there isn't a problem.
Really this one is a brilliant barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2012 21:36:27 | More by WastingFreetime

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

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

on tap at devils den in philly

Pours an opaque deep caramel color with a thin beige head. Wispy film retains and leave a few splashes of lacing on the glass.

Burly and boozy in the nose with plenty of barrel character. Vanilla and rye with dark fruit sweetness. Dark grape skin and pomegranate with some juicy tones. Caramel and burnt sugar with bready notes.

Smack of vanilla and oaky booze up front with a dash of hops. Roasted malts with caramel and breadiness. Touches of toffee and burnt sugar which is crushed by an avalanche of dark fruit. Plenty of red grapes with pomegranate and a few touches of dates and raisin. The beer gets really sweet at this point, and finishes with another splash of vanilla soaked booze.

Fuller body, mild carbonation, sticky and lingering on the tongue. A pretty solid barrel aged brew, although the pomegranate and grape got a little fruit-juicy for me at points.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2011 00:08:47 | More by xnicknj

oline73

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at Max's. Poured into a sample glass.

Appearance: Pours a very dan mahogany color with a layer of tan head that fades to a ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell: Sweet and a bit grape like. Some dark fruit with lots of caramel and vanilla. Very malty with some warm alcohol.

Taste: Quite sweet, reminds me a bit of brown sugar. Some fruity notes, a bit like malt extract. Some caramel and vanilla with a bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: The body is thick and syrupy with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This one could use a few years, but it is still good. I would have another.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 05:06:02 | More by oline73

jgasparine

Maryland

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

Had this on tap at Max's.

A- Poured a dark drown, free of heavy sediment, capped with a nicely retained head.

S- A gorgeous melange of sweet malts, low-alpha hops, and booze-kissed oak, combined with impressions of chocolate, toffee, and dark fruit. Quite impressive and inviting.

T- Absolutely sublime. The nose translates to the palate wonderfully, with a more notable presence of bourbon & rye, which fosters the most wonderful lingering finish.

M- Big mouthfeel, on the border of chewy, complimented by soft carbonation, and just the right amount of heat from the EtOH.

Overall- The best beer I have ever had from Hebrew, and one of the best new beers I've tried this year!

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2011 22:27:24 | More by jgasparine

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Max's

15:15 pours a fairly dark brown, cola color with good head retention and decent lacing. On the nose, I think this is one attractive aroma profile, with considerable prune, ruby port, milk duds and milk chocolate. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely in this decadently sweet beer, with the milk chocolate, coffee and prune flavor dominating. In combination, the flavor profile is pretty terrific. On the other hand, the combination of high alcohol and sweetness mae for one extremely boozy beer, and it was a chore even to drink the 4 ounce sample I purchased. Mouthfeel is otherwise medium bodied to full, with a long, rich, extremely sweet finish.

No doubt about it , this is an excellent beer, but the sweetness and high alcohol make this one to be taken in small doses only.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2011 22:03:23 | More by johnmichaelsen

HopHead84

California

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

11/20/2011

On tap at Breakwater.

A: Deep brown with a reddish tinge and a finger of beige foam.

S: Strong caramel presence with lesser notes of toffee and earth. Bourbon is pronounced, and I get vanilla and wood.

T: Caramelized brown sugar with big bourbon and booze notes. I get a little chocolate, as well as a moderate hop bitterness with notes of grapefruit.

M: Upper medium in body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is silky and sticky.

Overall: This is my first beer from this brewery and I'm impressed.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2011 05:55:01 | More by HopHead84

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

elgiacomo

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16oz Growler from Beverage World. Just past 1 year old on the keg. Served at cellar temperature.

Pours dark brown with red highlights and a one finger tan head that recedes to just a light ring and leaves just a few spots of short-lived lacing behind.

Aroma starts with the Rye Whiskey and oak, then moves to a big blast of dark fruits, the figs and dates come through particularly well, the grapes and pomegranates are here, very rich smelling, very fruity, very strong and very good.

Flavor is even more rich and intense than the aroma. More about the dark fruits here. Tons and tons of dates and figs, strong notes of grapes and pomegranates, and the whiskey and oak come through in the middle to the finish. Somewhat sweet. Some people say they get soy sauce, but I don’t really get it...all about the dark fruits and whiskey barrels for me. There is some alcohol, but for over 13% ABV it is incredibly well-hidden.

Mouthfeel is medium/full bodied, somewhat sticky, low-ish carbonation, but at times still feels a little prickly.

Passed on the bottles last year, and really regret it now, but stoked to get a chance to try this on draft. This stuff is incredible, very rich, complex and delicious!

Serving type: growler

10-13-2012 04:22:11 | More by elgiacomo

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