Horsey Hog Heaven Barley Wine - Avery Brewing Company

Brianmerrilyn

New York

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Looks like Avery has started up an old stardard, last review was 3 years ago!!

Poured from 650ml bottle into oversize wine glass obtained from Skibbo's in the Bronx NY.
ABV is 9.7%

A: Poured a ice team red/brown with medium head and big lacing with cresencts inside the glass.

S: Milder than I expected with malts and fruity edge working together, pineapple/dates and pine cones.

T: Happily no tough bite but good mixture of the heavy malt body and hopps. Hops become more prominent after several quaffs. Deteteed some citrus as well.

M: Starts off thin and grows thicker with malts.

D: Top notch barleywine that didn't hurt my stomach at all. One of the sweeter ones I have imbibed and will go for again.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2008 21:45:59 | More by Brianmerrilyn

Fish113d

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served, chilled at 50 degrees (F), it pours into my tulip glass a dark amber and dark copper color with a 1/2", bubbly, frothy off-white head that has nice sustainance. A little haze helps keep too much light from blowing through the glass. The hops dissipates a bit to a nice edge layer with some nice lacing on my glass.

Aroma is of some sweet molasses and fruit, but overpowered by a suprising large dose of pine and floral hops (cascade to my guess). Quite interesting!

Taking a sip, I get lots and lots of hops!!! The hops are mostly bitter with a somewhat buttery flavor and feel to it. This is not at all what I expected from a barleywine-style ale. I expected much more sweetness really. However, it IS interesting! Some sweetness does come through up front in the idea of fruit (grapes maybe or plums), but the hops take over big time!!!

Carbonation is rather high up front on this brew, but it quickly gives way to the buttery/oily sensation, and followed up by some slight alcohol burn on the finish.

I am really enjoying this brew, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to try an intersting barleywine-ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2005 01:51:25 | More by Fish113d

ZAP

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Great nose...sugar sweet citrus fruit...grapefruit coated with sugar...oranges...outstanding....pours a light brown color...the head is weak and the mouthfeel is a little light in the shorts too...great taste though....great balance between the hops and the sugary sweet maltiness...very low carbonation....nice tight bitterness on the long finish...I guess I'd compare this in some regards to Old Ho but not quite as good...different hops too I'm pretty sure...I like the hop flavor of this one better but the malt load is not comparable to Old Ho...this is more sugary sweet than caramely sweet...great hop burps....

An upper tier BW..I'd definitely buy another bottle of this one...Not something I'll be dreaming about at night but a lot better than most out there..

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2004 05:22:07 | More by ZAP

Crosling

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cask, Falling Rock Tap House, Denver, Colorado. - Pre-Gabf Tapping Party.

This was hog heaven, aged in a JW Lees Sherry firkin for 1.5 years and then infused with brettanomyces.

I don't really understand why they added brettanomyces to this beer. It seems to me that it would have been a lot better with the dark fruitiness of the malts pairing with the dry, winey notes of a sherry barrel. Much like Leviathan from Fish. I found the brettanomyces to be distracting in this beer.

The hop level tamed to a very low level, especially consider the original IBU's were around 100. Sour and tart brett notes pair well with the sherry, winey notes. Solid.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2004 15:12:11 | More by Crosling