-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Santa Vs. Unicorn
Pipeworks Brewing Company
- From:
- Pipeworks Brewing Company
- Illinois, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 89
- Avg:
- 3.99 | pDev: 10.03%
- Reviews:
- 47
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Sep 08, 2019
- Added:
- Dec 15, 2012
- Wants:
- 43
- Gots:
- 47
Father Christmas, Head Beardo, St. Nicholas Cage, a man of many names he may be, yet he has but one true foe... This Holiday Season, the Unicorn is back bearing his mantle of rainbowed chaos, and this time, it’s seasonal bitches. An Imperial Red Ale, American Style Barleywine or Red Double IPA call it what you will, grab one and get your Jollies while the holiday fight is on...
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
3/5 rDev -24.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3/5 rDev -24.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Unknown vintage; drank 6/14/14 @ Yuss Haus.
Dark orange rust murkiness.
Off-white head; thick lace.
Pine hops in the nose; hints of caramel.
Thick mouthfeel.
Caramel, citrus, pine & booze battle for supremacy; the result is a mess with no cohesion.
Not good.
Sep 08, 2019Dark orange rust murkiness.
Off-white head; thick lace.
Pine hops in the nose; hints of caramel.
Thick mouthfeel.
Caramel, citrus, pine & booze battle for supremacy; the result is a mess with no cohesion.
Not good.
Reviewed by PatrickCT from Connecticut
3.77/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Thanks for the beer, Matt!
Rich copper body, cloudy but not turbid. Beige head disappears as I pour leaving a thick ring around the glass.
Caramel malts, grapefruit and pine hop aroma.
The taste is toasted malts, caramel and toffee. This barely wine has a good dose of hops. Citrus rind and and fresh pine.
Medium bodied. Lighter than I would have expected. Smooth over all but with an alcohol presence in the finish along with a good spicy bite from the hops. Highly carbonated for the style.
Winsome, like most Pipeworks.
Dec 25, 2018Rich copper body, cloudy but not turbid. Beige head disappears as I pour leaving a thick ring around the glass.
Caramel malts, grapefruit and pine hop aroma.
The taste is toasted malts, caramel and toffee. This barely wine has a good dose of hops. Citrus rind and and fresh pine.
Medium bodied. Lighter than I would have expected. Smooth over all but with an alcohol presence in the finish along with a good spicy bite from the hops. Highly carbonated for the style.
Winsome, like most Pipeworks.
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)
4/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle: Poured a copper color ale with a medium size off-white foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of caramelized malt with some light green hoppy notes is quite enticing. Taste is a nice mix of caramelized malt notes with some light dry green hoppy notes, small residual sugar notes with a somewhat dry finish. Body is about average with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. I prefer English style barleywine but this version is well balanced with hops and quite enjoyable.
May 14, 2018Reviewed by michaelsmith11 from Illinois
4.02/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Not sure what this is. I was expecting a barley wine but it's more like and ale. That's not to say it not good, just not what I expected. Way more hoppy than I expected with a medium mouth feel and a dry finish.
Dec 24, 2017Reviewed by stortore from Illinois
4.1/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.1/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 ounce bottle into a tulip snifter. Bottled 11/18/16, had 2/14/17.
Pours a medium amber/garnet, mostly clear, with a one and a half inch foamy head and a good amount of foamy lacing. The smell is pine, resin, some grapefruit, floral hops, yeast, malt, toffee. The taste is more substantial. Grapefruit, pine, malt, caramel, light yeast. A little bready. A good amount of hop bitterness throughout, a sweet spot midway. The malt takes over when fully warmed. Smooth, good level of carbonation, a good, medium body, but a touch light for the style.
Very good flavor and good aroma. No dark fruits here, seemed more like a DIPA or amber/red than barleywine at times. Reaper kicks Santa's butt, if you compare. Worth a try, though. It's still pretty good.
Jun 23, 2017Pours a medium amber/garnet, mostly clear, with a one and a half inch foamy head and a good amount of foamy lacing. The smell is pine, resin, some grapefruit, floral hops, yeast, malt, toffee. The taste is more substantial. Grapefruit, pine, malt, caramel, light yeast. A little bready. A good amount of hop bitterness throughout, a sweet spot midway. The malt takes over when fully warmed. Smooth, good level of carbonation, a good, medium body, but a touch light for the style.
Very good flavor and good aroma. No dark fruits here, seemed more like a DIPA or amber/red than barleywine at times. Reaper kicks Santa's butt, if you compare. Worth a try, though. It's still pretty good.
Rated by bnes09 from Illinois
3.67/5 rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.67/5 rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A little too bitter and unbalanced.
Dec 18, 2016
Santa Vs. Unicorn from Pipeworks Brewing Company
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
261 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!