LongShot Mile High Barley Wine Ale - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

bashiba

Iowa

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a deep clear brown with bright red highlights, and a thin ring of off white head.

The smell is a nice big mix of toffee malts, brown sugar, and some big fresh hops and a bit of pine.

The flavor is very smooth and balanced for a beer this size. Has a big sligthly sweet toffee and molasses malt base with hints of oak and dark fruit, then a nice shot of piney and grapefruity hops making it finish fairly bitter.

The mouthfeel is thick and chewy with a long lingering oily finish.

Tasty and drinkable Barleywine, easily my favorite out of this years longshot batch.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2010 02:07:51 | More by bashiba

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

pours a deep brownish-amber with a big-bubbled cream colored head that laces well.

smells very malty. of course barleywines can vary from very hoppy to very malty, so this shouldnt be a surprise, but it kind of is. some caramel and butterscotch. hops are definitely there too, however. a bit of grapefruit and plenty of herbal scents. relatively muted aroma though.

definitely malty in the taste too. balanced though. floral and fruity esters. says on the bottle that its brewed with "citrusy American hops", yet they are far back in the background. alcohol is a tiny bit harsh, not bad, but definitely warms the throat.

medium-heavy body with decent carbonation and retains a frothy feel til the bottom of the glass.

drinkability is good. alcohol is there, but not harsh. complexity and depth lacking a little.

very muted all around. had a tough time describing it because i just kept wanting to say "reminds me of a barley wine"

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 04:07:01 | More by silentjay

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the bottle:
Mile High Barley Wine Ale

Ben brewed this ale to mark his 100th batch of homebrew. The beer is rich and malty, with a hint of caramel and plum. Brewed with citrusy American hops and a blend of six varieties of malt, the sweet and dark fruit notes in this beer linger on the palate.

Impressive three-finger head that settles very slowly.

Of the three new (2010) LongShot beers, this is the most balanced: great fresh hop aroma with a toasty crystal malt background.

The malt and alcohol are the initial tastes on the tongue. The bitter hop shows up in the swallow, but in the background. The aftertaste is similar to a sipping sherry--lots of alcohol warmth that lingers a long time. It's full bodied (creamy even) with good carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2010 00:41:57 | More by smcolw