Holidale - Berkshire Brewing Company Inc.

sraimondi

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2006 Vintage.

Pours a beautiful copper color with a thin tan head. Some sheet lacing. The head fades fast, which is characteristic of higher ABV brews.

Aroma is malty with definite raisin overtones. There is also some other fruit in the nose, but it is hard to figure it out.

Taste is a wonderful malt with a bit of dry fruit. There is also some bourbon flavor in the middle. A very subtle hint of hops in the finish. It's refreshing to have an American Barleywine, where the brewer doesn't stun you with a hops attack--this one is actually much more English in style.

The mouthfeel is amazingly full with little or no carbonation. Very smooth.

It is hard to believe that this one has elevated ABV, let alone over 9%. No way. I was gonna wait for this coming December to pop this one; glad I didn't wait. Another home run from BBC. Really yummy.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2008 01:42:17 | More by sraimondi

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

05-04-2013 20:35:27 | More by Kelp

BGsWo22

New York

2.5/5  rDev -36.2%

03-21-2013 00:00:24 | More by BGsWo22

Mikecap

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +2%

03-01-2013 17:04:57 | More by Mikecap

hopley

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +21.2%

02-16-2013 05:49:25 | More by hopley

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Shared these with JLindros in a massive end of the world party veritcal: 2005-2012

A - The pours are all basically crystal clear light copper hue. All have a thin white head with nice lacing. 2005 has a simply MASSIVE head that never really left. 2005 looks simply outstanding.

S - Fresh has lots of hops with light fruit notes, through the years it changes. '10 smells like dirt and '08 doesnt remotely smell drinkable. '05 though smells almost like Applejack.

T - Starts with fresh bright hops in the 2012 version with nice fruits and caramel malts. '10 has more sweetness without the dirt aroma on the taste. '09 is like the start of an apple brandy, '08 is like cardboard drain pour (weird transition?), '06 is not quite cardboard but close, and '05 is simply unreal with massive amounts of tart apples, malts, and brandy crazy goodness.

M - Very, very nice carbonation throughout the years. Never heavy or syrupy.

O - Overall this was a fun vertical. They really are different beers with each year. '12 is a very nice hoppy barleywine but '05 is simply unreal. The tart apples and brandy qualities make this incredible. Wish I had another bottle of '05.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 17:58:27 | More by rudzud

sendbeer

Georgia

1/5  rDev -74.5%

01-21-2013 14:37:09 | More by sendbeer

jbertsch

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

01-18-2013 15:12:37 | More by jbertsch

Horbar

Rhode Island

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%

01-15-2013 03:02:04 | More by Horbar

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.39/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012.

A: Deep, golden-orange with some haze and a soapy, bright white head with a ton of lace and great retention.

S: Fantastic hop presence. Some sweet malt and fruit. Hops are fresh, juicy, piney, fruity, resiny. A bit of spice.

T: Seriously awesome hop flavor. Tons of fruit and fresh, woody resin. Sweet, sugary malt to balance it out and keep this an Am BW as opposed to a Double IPA. Booze is nonexistent. Some holiday spices in the finish as it warms.

M: Super smooth and fresh. Not cloying at all. Incredible bursts of flavor from the hops. Malt balances it well. Refreshing, properly bitter, and dry.

O: Surpassed my expectations. A very impressive beer by itself or based on style. Hop heads will love this well-crafted brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 22:59:56 | More by Gatch

Schmuckles

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +2%

01-13-2013 20:06:27 | More by Schmuckles

Casterbridge

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +2%

01-12-2013 02:59:54 | More by Casterbridge

davey101

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2009 vintage. 22 oz bomber into a tulip glass. Opens nearly silent. This is the batch brewed with some rye in the malt bill. Reviewed 01-11-2013

A - Surprisingly gorgeous looking beer. Pours a crystal clear amber/red body with some slow rising carbonation. Frothy three finger light khaki head forms and simmers down a bit but really sticks around. Thick lacing and long retention. Each sip just coats the glass in thick foam. 4.5/5

S - Very one dimensional but rich. Gobs of chewy toffee, sweet candy, marshmallow and butterscotch. A touch of pineapple fruit and brown sugar on the end. Seems to be missing some of the elements of a BW, but it is very unique and inviting. No signs of sherry or wet cardboard. 4.25/5

T - Again pretty one note. Toffee, marshmallow, and brown sugar initially. Finishes with a smooth and noticeable rye spice that works with the tame alcohol. The spice and earthiness tends to escalate if you drink it too quickly. 4.0/5

M - Medium bodied with light carbonation. A bit lacking. 3.5/5

O - This has held up amazingly well, so much so that I prefer it to the 2011 and 2010 that I've had fresh. Zero oxidation, no floating protein bits like in other years, and no off flavors. This was a huge surprise for me. 4.0/5
---
2010 vintage. 22 oz bomber into a tulip glass. Opens with a loud pop. Reviewed 01-14-2013

A - Similar to the '09. Clear deep burnt orange body with a super creamy and dense and frothy head. This beer however demonstrates something I've noticed in several vintages of this beer. Floaties. Not sure if its chill hazed or what, but although minimal in this bottle there are bits of suspended protein which hurts the appearance. The final pour had so many floaties it looked hazy. 3.5/5

S - Toffee, marshmallow, and alcohol. A bit of brown sugar and raisins but quite one note. 3.5/5

T - Big toffee, rich malts followed by a sweet marshmallow and brown sugar finish. Feels quite large with a nice balance between the richness and sweetness. 3.75/5

M - Medium bodied and slightly syrupy. Carbonation is a bit on the low side. Booze is noticeable but kept in check. 3.75/5

O - More verification that this beer ages well. Although lacking the great rye spice in '09, it retains that simple but tasty marshmallow sweetness. 3.75/5
---
2011 vintage. 22 oz bomber into a pint glass. Opens with a loud pop. Reviewed 01-16-2013

A - Pours a clear dark orange/red body. Two fingers of off-white foam fizzles away like a soda into a thin cap. Excellent lacing and retention. 4.25/5

S - A hint of sweet caramel malts and brown sugar. A touch of raisins and toffee. A bit boozy. Simple, plain, and boring. Not much going on here. 3.5/5

T - Toffee, burnt brown sugar, and skunky malts. Not a very pleasant taste, simple with a long alcohol warmth on the finish. 3.0/5

M - Thin to medium bodied with low carbonation. 3.25/5

O - Perhaps one year is just an awkward phase for this beer. In its current state, its very unimpressive and boring. - 3.25/5
---
2012 vintage. 22 oz bomber into a tulip glass. They used local hops this year. Reviewed 01-22-2013.

A - Pours a hazy burnt orange body. Much paler and lighter than the other years. Sits in the glass like an unfiltered IPA. Two fingers of white foam dissolves quickly into a spotty cap with thick edging Just gobs of lacing and retention. 4.5/5

S - Hops initially. They start off piney and grapefruit heavy. When you stop smelling you're left with a subtle but noticeable dankness. An onion presence that points strongly towards Summit hops. Where are the malts? The glorious and decadent marshmallow sweetness of the past? Not even a notion of caramel? This is an IPA god dammit!!! 2.5/5

T - Starts off with grapefruit and pine. Then a light malt sweetness, then some dank hops. Thankfully the onions are not present. That is it. Everything is washed away by the light bitterness of the hops and you are left with nothing. I'm not even sure what I'm drinking at this point. A barleywine? Not even close. Even the Three Floyd's barleywine retain some characteristic of the style while being total hop bombs. Its not that is a hop bomb, its just somewhat hoppy and that's it. I mean its tasty and all, but not even close to style. I don't even see age helping this out as there is no real malt backbone to speak of. 2.5/5

M - Medium bodied with ample carbonation. Alcohol is well hidden. 4.0/5

O - If it weren't for the fact that I've never had a BBC beer feature this hop profile, I'd swear this was mislabeled. What the hell happened? This is not a barleywine. This isn't even an American Barleywine. Its a lightly hopped, slightly dank, average run of the mill IPA. Not even going to include this in my overall score of the beer because I'm just so puzzled. For the love of god, return to your roots in 2013! 2.75/5

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 03:46:14 | More by davey101

MasterSki

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I think I got this from Reagan1984. 2011 vintage, served in a pint glass.

A - Lightly tan off-white foam settles to a thick collar, a few wisps, and negligible lacing. Mostly transparent amber body.

S - Smells like your typical American barleywine, with a mix of brown sugar and caramel malts and some residual zesty and piney hops. Alcohol is reasonably well-hidden.

T - Taste is similar, with caramel, biscuit, toasted bread, and a bit of brown sugar. There's light residual hop bitterness, but not much flavor after a year of cellaring. No alcohol presence at this stage either.

M - Smooth texture, lighter in body than your typical barleywine; more of a medium. Pleasant carbonation, and light stickiness in the finish.

D - It's a somewhat square American barleywine, which is more than I was expecting as I initially thought this was a spiced Christmas beer of some sort. Nothing wrong here, but not much to distinguish itself from a crowded field.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 03:52:30 | More by MasterSki

BigCheese

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

enjoyed on Nye. 2012 version

A: A deep amber/ruby. large head with tons of lacing.

S: Strong, some 'c' hops with grapefruit and pine. caramel toffe maltiness.

T: Taste follows nose. BIg citrus, pine and grassy/spicey hops. huge malt backbone of caramel, toffee, rasins, oak.

M: Dangerously drinkable sipper, huge flavors, but minimal palate fatigue. Very rich, oily and creamy. High carbonation.

O: Not exactly what I was expecting, almost a DIPA in hop flavor. Great at the pricepoint. HIghly reccomended, bit league flavors, will purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 03:51:34 | More by BigCheese

FosterJM

California

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1668th Review on BA
Bottle to Christmas Goblet
22oz

2012 Vintage
Thanks to MikeReaser for this one

App- This was a very golden orange looking beer. Almost a golden brown color to match on the bottom of the glass. Poured out a bit light in the center and not like most barleywines I have seen. The head was a nice 2 finger white color with some good puffy foam. Not too much cling or lace.

Smell- This was more of a stale DIPA to me. A bit of citrus with some older hops in it. A bit sweet and a bit caramel pine to balance. Maybe a touch of spice on a large pull of the nose. A little bit of whispy booze as it warmed a touch more.

Taste- Its a nice barleywine. A bit off of what I would say the style is. But I have had a few like this where its a big malty citrusy flavor with a small amount of bitter and hops to balance it out. This was fairly sweet and presented with a few other flavors in there. A bit spicy and maybe a touch of vanilla to boot.

Mouth- A larger medium body. A bit of a medium bubbly carbonation like a DIPA to balance it all out. The bubbles created a nice feel to this beer. Was a sipper but hits the spot. Residual malts and deep resiny citrus.

Drink- I opened this on Christmas at 3AM. It was a nice beer to unwind with after a long Christmas Eve day and putting presents out for the kids. A welcome gift from my RS member. Nice flavors and semi balanced. Maybe letting this sit for a year isnt a bad idea either. Maybe i can get another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 16:05:17 | More by FosterJM

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

12-25-2012 03:25:30 | More by marlinsfan4

thegerm87

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

12-25-2012 02:56:58 | More by thegerm87

Goldfishman

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

12-19-2012 02:24:47 | More by Goldfishman

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +2%

12-13-2012 03:14:03 | More by DrunkinYogi

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this at Top Hops during the Westvleteren even today, since this looked like it would be quite smooth and bold for the cold weather. Sure enough, this fit that perfectly and those who had a bit of my beer were amazed at how easily this went down. Even though the aroma wasn't that strong, the whiskey came through nicely and this reminded me of some of the Innis and Gunn beers that I had recently enjoyed.

The pour to this was nice - a rich mahogany with not a lot of head, carbonation, or lacing to be seen. Not a lot of spice here but a good amount of dark fruits, brown sugar, and booze to top it all off. No charcoal or peat here, this certainly felt a lot more toward the Whisky end and less towards a Scotch or Scotch Ale. Quite cloying since it had a bit of a bread/biscuit feel to this but this never felt too full and only the warming effect of the alcohol lingered after each sip.

This was deceptively strong but the alcohol never detracted from the beer and the apricot and cherry shone through nicely without having the sweetness of a Belgian beer. Although it was a bit too dry, it fit the bill nicely on this late fall day and has to be one of the most accessible examples of this style that I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2012 23:08:05 | More by JerzDevl2000

CalebHiliadis

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

12-03-2012 04:45:28 | More by CalebHiliadis

Rekrule

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2%

12-03-2012 00:31:38 | More by Rekrule

shigg85

Japan

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%

12-02-2012 18:12:31 | More by shigg85

MatthewWilde

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sample: bottle 2011

A: Pours an off-white strong head that quickly becomes decent lacing, reddish brown in color, minimal internal carbonation, hazy throughout with light sediment

S: Dried dark fruits, hints of vanilla and pepper, slightly herbal, even some cocoa, moderately fragrant, complex

T: Much akin to the nose, perfectly balanced and complex, each element has its own presence and not one element overpowers the others, nice fruit with a hop backbone, just wish it was more flavorful overall

M: Quite smooth and very drinkable, easy on the palate, only slightly drying, mild fruity aftertaste, alcohol not even detectable

O: A great barley wine overall, nice flavor and very palatable, definitely could be more powerful, but still impressive, interested in trying some fresh

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 04:44:40 | More by MatthewWilde